Incentives

Recognizing, rewarding and providing incentives encourages employee participation and promotes success with the WEP.  Incentives can take two main forms:

Recognition - certificates of achievement and competence, GED and other public education diplomas, trades and technical credentials, and professional licenses.

Financial - pay, bonuses and other forms of financial incentive

Recognition
To emphasize how much you value their learning, consider offering certification opportunities or other credentials as learning milestones for your employees.

One way to raise basic skills levels is to help your employees prepare for the General Educational Development (GED) Tests by accessing resources from the organization that develops and administers the Tests - the Center for Adult Learning and Education Credentials.  More than 95 percent of employers in the U.S. consider GED graduates the same as traditional high school graduates in regard to hiring, salary, and opportunity for advancement.
   URL:  http://www.gedtest.org/

The American Council on Education's Center for Adult Learning and Educational pioneered the evaluation of education and training attained outside the classroom. The Center’s Corporate Programs division recommends academic credit for college-level examinations and training offered in the workplace.
     URL: http://www.acenet.edu/calec/

Other forms of credentialing may be appropriate for your employees.  You can find out more about your options by searching  for school accreditation agencies by subject area:
    URL: http://www.alx.org/accred_search.asp?usertype=

Find additional information on school accreditation, occupational certification and licensed occupations.
     URL: http://www.alx.org/credentialing.asp

Information on specific, technical certifications is searchable from a Database of more than 400 types of Certifications:  
    URL: http://www.alx.org/cert_search.asp?usertype=

Learn about terms used in training and education.
    URL: http://www.alx.org/glossary.asp?usertype=learner

The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training promotes continuing education and training by accrediting primarily for-profit institutions offering either a vocational/professional development courses or vocational programs of continuing education and training.
     URL: http://www.accet.org/

Here are some tips for increasing e-learning completion rates. Ideas for employers included developing a culture that respects online learning, role modeling, tracking performance and rewarding.
     URL: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/26/22/223517.php

As an employer, you can create your own in-house certificate program by partnering with an educational institution. It offers a flexible but results-oriented system for directing employees toward the long-term growth and development  needed for a dynamic workplace.
     URL: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/16/52/index.php

Financial
When employees gain skills and you give them recognition for it, you may also want to build in appropriate financial rewards and incentives. 

Choices include pay raises for improved job performance due to skills gains or achieving credentials and other types of technical, trades and professional certification, bonuses for increased productivity or suggestions for work process improvements.  You can even consider stock options and other novel forms of financial incentive, depending on the nature of your business.

For problems or questions regarding this web site contact campbell@conferenceboard.ca.
Last updated: Aug. 1, 2003.