The use of a buddy system to train new production employees is a long-standing teaching method utilised in manufacturing shop floors. The buddy system is a no-frills, no-nonsense approach to getting newbies up to speed: simply pair them up with experienced operators to let them gain familiarity with the tasks at hand.
Whether your plant has a structured training program that the experienced workers use as a guideline for the training, or whether they rely on the operating procedures as well as their own experiences, it is critical for your On Job Trainers to be acquainted with adult learning methods (andragogy).
Quite often, experienced operators find themselves being asked to show their junior counterparts around, with management expecting the latter to quickly learn the ropes and soak up the information and skills from their seniors. And while focus is understandably on the speed of the knowledge transfer as well as the depth of proficiency gained by the new hires, what is often overlooked when either of those is not attained is the competency of the trainers themselves.
Simply put, experienced and highly-capable operators who seldom make errors do not necessarily make the best teachers, and assuming the contrary can insidiously compromise shop floor productivity. Because for most senior buddies, the only point of reference they (probably) have when it comes to teaching are the lessons they pass on to their younger siblings or children. Without any guidance on adult learning concepts, they are bound to repeat the same methods used to educate children (pedagogy) on these grown-ups, resulting in stress, tension and perceived lack of respect between the two groups of employees.
Ensure your on job production trainers are well aware of the differences between pedagogy and andragogy, because teaching/raising children is a whole different ball game to training adults. In doing so, you will be investing in the medium and long-term development of your staff, see fewer employee-related production problems and minimise disciplinary issues.