Providing
Work Time
You
can greatly improve the chances of employee participation by
providing work time to employees for WEPs. The lost time
due to absent employees will be more than made up through the
improved basic skills of employees who take part in the training
opportunity.
Providing
dedicated time during working hours sends a strong signal to
employees that WEPs are an important part of their jobs and
their company. It shows that management is willing to
invest in them and their skills. While it is not always
practical, providing work time for learning tells employees that
WEPs are a part of their work routine, and not an additional
burden placed on them by management. In addition,
providing work time shows that the employer is sensitive to
employees' needs and personal time commitments outside the
workplace.
Employers
can expand existing WEPs to provide more places for employees
who wish to participate. In performance reviews or other
measurement processes, you should not penalize those employees
who are willing to participate in your WEP, but for whom there
are no spaces available.
The bottom line on training
budgets is to ensure you're funding the right efforts to
keep your company competitive and get it to its future goals. A
business-strategy approach also helps safeguard your training
budget from being cut.
URL: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/17/10/223644.php
A Canadian report looks at
the interplay between formal and informal learning for
low skilled workers. Learning paths, trigger events and
decisions that engage basic level workers are described.
URL:
http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/interplay/methods.pdf
This report from Australia
looks at how combinations of formal, informal and non-formal
learning can be used to prepare workers to gain, maintain or
progress through jobs.
URL:
http://www.ncver.edu.au/research/commercial/op03830.pdf
Partnerships, Pathways and
Proportional Investment is a report from the Workforce
Alliance that argues for at least two years of post-secondary
training for all U.S. workers. Support and access for basic
skills development is also discussed.
URL:
http://www.workforcealliance.org/atf/cf/%7B93353952-1df1-473a-b105-7713f4529ebb%7D/SKILLSSTRATEGY_FINAL.PDF
For
problems or questions regarding this web site contact campbell@conferenceboard.ca.
Last updated: Aug. 7, 2009. |