1. Skills and Technical Training
Chapter 9
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

2. Learning objectives
Identify and describe basic workplace competencies.
Explain the need for remedial basic skills training programs.
Explain the role of apprenticeship programs in today’s work environment.
Describe a typical technical skills training program.
Describe a typical interpersonal skills training program.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

3. Emerging Needs in the Workplace
Skilled workers
Professional employees
Problem solving
Decision making
Team members
Interpersonal skills
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

4. Three Categories of Skills Training
Basic skills/literacy education
Upgrading reading, writing, and arithmetic
Technical training
Upgrading a wide range of skills
Interpersonal skills training
Communication and teamwork
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

5. Categories of Skills and Technical Training
Training Category
Subcategories
Basic skills/Literacy
Remedial/basic education
Technical
Apprenticeship training
Computer training
Technical skills/knowledge training
Safety training
Quality training
Interpersonal
Communications/interpersonal training
Customer relations/services training
Sales training
Team building/training
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

6. The Skills Gap
The difference between the skill requirements of available jobs and the skills possessed by job applicants
Some people think that the skills gap is perpetuated by four-year, “liberal arts” education
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

7. Factors Affecting Skills Gap
Declining skill levels of many high school and college graduates
Growing number of minority and non-English speaking immigrant workers
Increased sophistication of jobs
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

8. Basic Skills/Literacy Programs
Prose literacy
Ability to understand and use information from texts
Document literacy
Ability to locate and use information contained in non-textual materials
Qualitative literacy
Ability to apply arithmetic operations
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

9. In-House Literacy Programs
If schools don’t do it, companies must.
Two characteristics are common:
Aptitude tests
Small-group or one-on-one tutoring
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

10. Problems with Basic Skills Training Programs
HRD professionals think the lack of literacy is a problem that affects many people.
Management tends to think that lack of literacy is a problem, but affects only a few people.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

11. Federal Support for Basic Skills Training
1983–2000: Job Training and Partnership Act (JTPA)
Provided funding to private training institutes and industry
Problems included fraud and too focused on a narrow population
One of 150 federal programs that cost a lot of money and produced little
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

12. Federal Support for Basic Skills Training – 2
2000–present: Workforce Investment Act
Consolidated more than 70 existing programs
Gave greater control at the local level
Gave greater accountability to training providers
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

13. Federal Support for Basic Skills Training (Malaysia)
Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Act (2001)
The purpose is to ensure employers to conduct training for their work to upgrade their skills and abilities
Employer are required to pay a monthly levy into HRDF
They can apply reimbursement – send /organizing the approval training.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

14. Federal Support for Basic Skills Training (Malaysia)/2
The Skills Development Act 2004/The National Skills Development Act 2006
The purpose is to establish a fund for the purpose of granting loans to trainee who attend approves programmes to develop and upgrade their skills
National Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS) – develop the curriculum
Trainees who achieve the required competencies will be awarded a certificate.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

15. Technical Training Programs
Apprenticeship training
Computer training
Skills/knowledge training
Safety training
Quality training
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

16. Apprenticeship Training
Provide skills to meet continually changing job requirements
Regulated by the Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (OATELS), formerly called the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training (BAT)
Most require:
2000 hours of OJT
144 hours of classroom training
Though there may be a lot more hours…
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

17. Major Concerns
Learning based on time requirements rather than competency
Programs isolated from other programs
Concentrated in blue-collar occupations
Little concern for post-apprenticeship period
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

18. Computer Training Introductory Applications Focuses on basic tasks
Overcomes fear of computers
Applications
Specific software used by company
Provided “as needed” for position
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

19. Computer Training Issues
Self-Efficacy
Individual’s belief that he/she can successfully perform the task
Cognitive Playfulness
Spontaneity, imagination, and exploratory approach brought to learning
Training Format
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

20. Technical/Skills Training
Most are specific to job, process, or equipment
Can be general, such as new policies and procedures on waste disposal
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21. Different Levels of Skills Training
Entry-level
Basic skills and procedures
Advanced Training
Update employee skills
Specific skills improvement
New equipment/procedure training
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

22. Safety Training Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Establishes safety standards
Conducts safety inspections
Grants safety variances as appropriate
Cites violations
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

23. Safety Program Needs Top management support and reinforcement
Employee involvement
Regular and recurrent safety training
Effective safety monitoring
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

24. Safety Training Needs for Production Workers
Recognizing, avoiding and preventing unsafe conditions
How to use/handle dangerous machinery, tools, and substances
Use of protective clothing, systems, and devices
Controlling hazards of any type
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

25. Quality Training
Quality – providing the product the customer needs when s/he needs it, at a cost the customer thinks is reasonable
Need to provide a continuous quality improvement program
Employees need to know basic statistics to implement most quality improvement programs
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

26. Quality Improvement Concerns
·   The Role Of Management Leadership And Quality Policy
·   Training
·   Process Management
·   Employee Relations
·   Product/Service Design
·   Supplier Quality Management
·   The Role Of The Quality Department
·   Quality Data And Reporting
SOURCE: Mandal, P., Howell, A. & Sohal, A. S. (1998). A systemic approach to quality improvements: The interactions between the technical, human and quality systems. Total Quality Management, 9, 79–99.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

27. Total Quality Management
Fundamental Skills:
Employees must be able to work in teams
Employees must be able to collect, analyze, and evaluate quantitative data
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

28. Two Phases for Quality Training
Quality Awareness – training managers in concept of quality improvement
In-depth Training:
Process skills
Work coordination, problem solving, conflict resolution
Quality skills
Techniques and tools to improve quality
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

29. Needs for Quality Training
Must be comprehensive
Include both process and quality skills
Needs continual and positive follow-up
Training is not enough! You need management commitment, employee involvement, rewards, and integrated performance evaluation
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

30. Quality Training and ISO 9000
International quality standards
Three phases
Document writing
Implementation
Includes company-wide training
Systems effectiveness assessment
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

31. Interpersonal Skills Training
Skills needed to work with other people:
Communication
Customer relations
Selling
Teamwork
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

32. Most Common Interpersonal Skills Training
Team building
Listening skills
Delegation skills
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33. Why Interpersonal Skills Training is Needed
Increased use of team-based approach to accomplishing work
Entrants into workforce lack needed skills
High school, college and graduate-level
Increasingly multicultural workplace
Global economy
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

34. Sales Training Goals: Increased team productivity Lower turnover
Enhanced communication within and between all organizational levels
Better morale
Increased self-management of sales teams
Better customer relations
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

35. Customer Relations/Service Training
Introduce customer service training throughout organization
Train frontline personnel in interpersonal skills and operational practices
Train service managers in coaching and enforcing service standards
Provide incentives
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

36. Team Building/Training
Increased use of teams as basic organizational element
Two sets of team-related skills:
Task Skills – skills needed for accomplishing a team’s work objectives
Process Skills – how to work in a team and maintain team relationships
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

37. Four Models of Team Building
Emphasis
Team-member objective
Goal Setting
Setting objectives and developing individual and team goals
Involved in action planning to identify ways to achieve the goals that have been set
Interpersonal Relations
An increase in teamwork skills (mutual supportiveness, communication, sharing ideas)
Develop trust in each other and confidence in the team
Problem Solving
Identification of major problems in the team
Become involved in action planning for the solution of problems, as well as implementing and evaluating the solutions
Role Clarification
Increased communication among team members regarding their respective roles within the team
Achieve better understanding of their and others’ respective roles and duties within the team
SOURCE: Salas, E., Rozell, D., Mullen, B., & Driskell, J. E. (1999). The effect of team building on performance: An integration. Small Group Research, 30, 309–329.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

38. Variables to Increase Team Effectiveness
Definition
The extent to which:
Team members understand and are committed to team goals
Team Structure
Team roles are clearly defined
Group norms are in place
Team Spirit
A team has confidence in its ability to be effective
Team members invest energy on behalf of the team
Team members have positive interactions and provide support for one another
Social Support
Workload Sharing
Work is equally divided among team members
Communication within the Group
Team members give and receive information
Team members manage conflict in a healthy manner
SOURCE: Werner, J. M., & Lester, S. W. (2001). Applying a team effectiveness framework to the performance of student case teams. HRD Quarterly, 12(4), 385–402.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

39. Role of Labor Unions in Training
Joint Training Programs
Most common are safety and health, job skills, communication skills, and displaced worker assistance
Many other programs are job- and company-specific
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

40. Professional Development and Education
Earning and maintaining licensure and certification in a field of work
Periodic need for continuing education
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

41. Providers of Continuing Education
Colleges and universities
Professional associations
Company-sponsored continuing education efforts
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

42. Colleges and Universities
Substantive expertise available
Courses might be tailored to job/profession
Organizations can choose instructors
College credit may be earned
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

43. Professional Associations
Conferences, workshops, meetings
Journals, magazines, newsletters
Pre-certification and post-certification workshops
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

44. Company-Sponsored Continuing Education
Corporate universities
Programs are organization specific
Staff can be in-house, out-of-house and retirees
Can incorporate latest technology into training
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

45. HRD’s Roles in Continuing Education (CE)
Enabler – foster effective distribution of CE throughout organization
Resource Provider – tuition aid, compensation for travel expenses, professional fees
Monitor – assess CE to ensure professional development process is working as desired
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

46. Summary Need for skilled workers is increasing
Entry-level personnel need basic and literacy training
Global economy and multicultural issues need to be addressed
Professional growth must be supported
Need to be proactive in the face of changing technology
Werner & DeSimone (2006)