By Koh Hui Theng

COMPANIES are preparing for better days ahead, by expanding and ramping up staff training during the current slowdown.

By the end of the year, McDonald's will be opening at least another five outlets, bringing the fast-food chain's presence here to about 110 restaurants.

To prepare for the expansion, it is spending up to $2 million to train some 1,400 people this year - 85 per cent more than last year's headcount.

Its head of human resource and development, Ms Patricia Yong, said: "We've always been bullish about people investment. There is always room for great service, regardless of economic climate. Training and taking the time to sharpen our people's skills will in turn provide long-term value for both employees and employers."

The four training courses that Mc- Donald's restaurant manager Ong Han Lee, 29, attended this year, including a Workforce Skills Qualification-certified programme, helped him oversee the opening of another McDonald's outlet in Yew Tee in April this year.

The new 24-hour branch "serves over 4,000 customers daily and getting more people in to work the roster was a challenge", he recalled.

So he sought feedback and held discussions. In June, he merged the staff from both McDonald's outlets in Yew Tee into a common pool, making it easier to roster the 100-strong crew and 12 managers for different shifts.

Home-grown bakery chain Bread- Talk Group is increasing its number of outlets and that of coaching classes for its 300 cashiers, bakers and branch managers too.

The number of training slots grew from last year's 140 to 330 this year and will hit more than 1,000 next year.

The increase comes as the group adds four outlets to the present 26.

Its senior vice-president of group brand development, Ms Joyce Koh, said: "For 2009, BreadTalk has been seizing suitable opportunities to expand our business, so we need to train and equip retail personnel not just for 2009 but also beyond."

Sports and fashion retailer RSH, which distributes labels like Mango, Zara, and Pull and Bear, is now training 800 people to staff its new stores.

Come December, the company will open six more stores at the 313@Somerset mall.

It added three more training courses to its 10 internal programmes.

RSH communications director Lim Yin Cheng said: "One of the best ways to instill confidence is to invest in staff training and development. We would like our people to feel appreciated and be better equipped when the tide turns.

That is why we've hired 20 per cent more temporary workers to free permanent staff for training."

The move has helped Pull and Bear's boutique supervisor, Mr Kelvin Lim, 23, hone his leadership skills.

Mr Lim used to conduct display and customer-service briefings, and has now added hands-on practice sessions for his team of eight sales assistants.

"The training stint highlighted procedures which let me determine how much information I can successfully convey to my colleagues," he said.

Human-resource experts say such training stints are a good way for companies to engage and motivate staff.

These can come in the form of external courses, work-shadowing, mentoring and on-the-job training, said Mr James Mendes, managing director (Asia Pacific) at recruitment consultancy Alexander Mann Solutions.

He said: "Retaining key performers in the organisation comes down to keeping them motivated, loyal, engaged and confident."