ABSTRACT
In terms of its origin, the systems approach to training (SAT) is an adaptation of the systems engineering process, a methodology that rapidly evolved during World War II for the efficient development and deployment of new equipment and weapons systems. SAT is best viewed as a subsystem of a larger operational system. The larger operational system imposes certain requirements on the personnel who are charged with operating, maintaining and managing the system. The training subsystem is responsible for ensuring that assigned personnel can satisfy their job requirements, employing what has become known as SAT. Decisions regarding training development are, thus, based on an analysis of system requirements and subsystem relationships. Since the training subsystem is frequently under development at the same time as the primary operational system, practical considerations regarding schedule, resources and costs have significant influence. With the build-up of the US defense industry during the 1950s and 1960s, the requirement for an efficient and cost-effective way to train large numbers of recruits who became the operators and maintainers of the new systems was apparent.
