Improving the retention of skills during training

Many training programmes that are designed to improve individuals' performance rely on the assumption that skill or knowledge acquisition is enduring. In relatively hazardous industries such as aviation, where the exposure to hazards is largely managed through technology, the maintenance of skilled performance in response to hazards can be difficult. The primary aim of the present study was to examine the resilience of risk management skills, six months post-training. Specifically, 51 pilots were divided into three training groups (electronic newsletter, video and simulated flight) and underwent a training task followed by two test tasks approximately six months apart. The results revealed that, in the absence of recurrent training, skill retention in relation to risk management was more resilient one week post training than six months following training. The results are discussed from an applied perspective.