(For best results, view and print this document in 10 point Courier or a similar mono-spaced font.) EMPLOYEE TRAINING INTERVIEW GUIDE - JUDGING THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROVIDERS National Alliance of Business The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative builds the capacity of the service providers working with small and mid-sized companies in order to help businesses adopt high-performance work practices, become more competitive, and ultimately advance the well-being of their employees. The Collaborative was created with a $650,000 cooperative agreement grant from the Department of Labor to the National Alliance of Business. Current partners on the project include the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at The Pennsylvania State University, the Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity, and the National Labor-Management Association. The Collaborative provides assistance in four areas: employee training, labor- management relations, work restructuring, and workplace literacy. For more information, contact Cathy Stewart at the National Alliance of Business, phone: 202/289-2915, fax: 202/289-1303, e-mail: nwac@nab.com. Development and printing of this publication was funded under Grant Number F-4357-3-00-80-60 by the U.S. Department of Labor. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the official policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Copyright 1995 National Alliance of Business All Rights Reserved. R5587 To order additional copies, contact: National Alliance of Business Distribution P.O. Box 501 Annapolis Junction, MD 20702 Phone: 1-800-787-7788 Fax: 301-206-9789) E-mail: INFO@NAB.COM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This Employee Training Interview Guide was developed by Terri Bergman with the assistance of Louise Bertsche, Michael Puzia, and Stephen Mitchell. The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative would like to thank the many business leaders who reviewed the field test version of the Guide and provided input on its content and structure: * Evelyn Becker, Morton Metalcraft Company * Paul Branham, United States Electric Company * Maury Costantini, Frederick Gumm Chemical * Kreag Cotter, Eastman Kodak * Anson Craumer, Wozniak Industries, Inc. * Tom Frank, AC Gentrol, Inc. * Lucy Golding, Teltrend, Inc. * W. Jeff Jeffery, IRMCO * Keith W. Kells, Illinois Machine & Tool Works * Karen Lewis, National Metal Specialist * Arny Manseth, US West * Angela E. Marshalek, Gehl Company * Jacquelyn Haley Moreira, Borg Indak, Inc. * Michael O'Connor, Gardner Denver Machinery, Inc. * William Parmer, Prestige Metal Products, Inc. * Diana Rader, Watlow Bataira * Grant Reichard, Humboldt Manufacturing Company * Charles Stewart, Rotorex Company, Inc. * Bob Vail, Bodie-Hoover Petroleum * Henry Vogel, DeCardy Diecasting * Dianne Wawrzyniak, Management Association of Illinois * Donald Z. White, Phillips Swager Associates We would also like to thank the employee training specialists who reviewed draft versions of the Guide and provided advice and guidance: * Kenneth Edwards, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers * Lynne Fry, U.S. Department of Labor * Evelyn Ganzglass, National Governors' Association * Fay S. Harlow, Onondaga Community College * John Hoops, Consultant * Greg Julson, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College * Cathy Kramer, Association for Quality and Participation * Noreen Rice, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) * Joel Rodkin, Prince George's Community College * Benjamin Schneider, University of Maryland * Bob Soltys, Center for Workforce Development, Institute for Educational Leadership * Neal Steiger, New Hampshire Technical College * Joan Wills, Center for Workforce Development, Institute for Educational Leadership * Jack N. Wismer, Lake Michigan College * Gail A. Zwart, Riverside Community College This Guide could not have been completed without their help. Denise Hall, Marvin H. Harden, Bernice Jones, Amy Pincus, Cathy Stewart, and Kim West edited, designed, and produced the Guide. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................1 HOW TO USE THE INTERVIEW GUIDE....................................3 QUESTIONS..........................................................5 ANSWERS............................................................7 1. Business Objectives...........................................7 2. Workplace Requirements........................................8 3. Employee Needs...............................................10 4. Employee Assessments.........................................12 5. Qualified Staff..............................................13 6. Evaluations..................................................12 INTERVIEW WORKSHEET...............................................15 COMPARISON CHART..................................................21 THIS GUIDE IN CONTEXT.............................................23 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THE EMPLOYEE TRAINING INTERVIEW GUIDE The Employee Training Interview Guide can be used to determine whether a training provider has the skills to develop and deliver a successful employee training program - one that will meet the needs of your firm and build the productive capacity of its employees. The Guide will help you, as a business person or labor representative, to interview prospective training providers and get the most value for your training investment. It can be used to assess the capabilities of a wide variety of providers, including those from community colleges or universities, nonprofit organizations, and private consulting firms. The Guide was designed for use with technical training providers, but it is also relevant for providers offering training in other areas, such as basic skills(1), management, work restructuring, or sales. -------------------------------------------------------- EMPLOYEE TRAINING The Guide was developed from a list of Employee Training Best Practice Guidelines, constructed by nationally recognized training professionals, business people, and union representatives. These individuals defined employee training as the following: Employee training supports adaptive, productive workplaces that capitalize on investments in both technology and workforce skills to boost productivity. Employee training is firm-focused and is a key element of a firm's overall performance improvement plan. Training assists a firm to achieve * Effective utilization of technology resources; * Decentralized decision making; * Improved work processes by measurably improving worker knowledge, skills, and ability; and * Full customer satisfaction and profitability. Training links technical, occupation-specific skills development with broad-based foundational skills such as teamwork, problem solving, leadership and initiative, resource allocation, customer service, communications, and commitment to lifelong learning to meet the requirements of today's and tomorrow's workplace. In large companies, employee training is often provided by internal staff; in small and mid-sized companies, training is usually provided by a third-party supplier. -------------------------------------------------------- INTERVIEW GUIDE STRUCTURE The Interview Guide is divided into eight sections: 1. Introduction - Explains the purpose of the Guide, defines employee training, and lays out the structure of the Guide 2. How to Use the Interview Guide - Provides instructions for using the Guide. 3. Questions - Introduces the Guide's six questions. 4. Answers - Discusses the types of answers you should be looking for from the providers you interview. 5. Interview Worksheet - Provides probes to questions and spaces to write responses to each of the six questions. 6. Comparison Chart - Provides space to compare the merits of four different providers you interview. 7. This Guide in Context - Explains how employee training fits within the larger context of workforce and workplace change, and lists other Collaborative products designed to help small and mid-sized companies in their change efforts. 8. Advisory Groups - Lists the individuals serving on the Collaborative's Advisory Board and Councils. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= HOW TO USE THE INTERVIEW GUIDE Before conducting an interview, you should read the Questions and Answers sections of the Guide. These sections will provide you with an understanding of the questions you might ask, and the answers that a high-quality training provider would give in responding to these questions. Once you have familiarized yourself with the questions and answers, you can use the Interview Worksheet to conduct an actual interview. The ideal training provider would cover all of the points contained in the answers to the six questions in this Guide. However, you will probably find that the different providers you interview will vary in the number of points they cover, have differing strengths and weaknesses, and charge relatively divergent fees. In the end, you will have to use your own set of criteria to select one from among the providers you interview. Factors to consider include these: * The number of points the providers cover, * The relative value you place on the points the providers either do or do not cover, * Your ability to use other methods to address any of the points not covered by a provider, and * The fees charged by the providers - compared with each other and with your budget for employee training. You should also ask each provider you interview to supply the following: * A corporate resume, * Resumes of any staff members they intend to use for your program, and * A list of references. Your review of these items (which are also mentioned in question 5 in the Answers section) should guide your final selection. Check to see how much and what kinds of experience the providers and their staffs have in your industry, with companies of comparable size, and with training needs similar to yours. Call their references and determine how satisfied previous clients are with the services they received. It is a worthwhile investment of time up front to ensure that what will probably be a large investment in training provides the dividends you are seeking. Finally, you can use the Comparison Chart at the back of this Guide to summarize the results of the interviews you conduct and the other information you collect. This chart will make it easier for you to compare the relative merits of up to four training providers. -------------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS When you first sit down with a training provider, you will probably start the interview by stating your needs, or the problems you want addressed, and asking the provider to recommend solutions. During the discussion that follows, you will want to determine the provider's ability to develop and deliver a high-quality training program targeted at meeting your company's specific needs. To do this, you could ensure that the provider supplies appropriate answers to the following six questions: 1. Business Objectives: How will you develop an employee training program that is tied to my company's business objectives? 2. Workplace Requirements: How will you develop an employee training program that reflects my workplace and its requirements? 3. Employee Needs: How will you craft an employee training program tailored to our employees' needs? 4. Employee Assessments: How will you ensure that the employee assessments you use will be high quality? 5. Qualified Staff: How will you ensure that staff members involved in the development and delivery of programs are highly qualified? 6. Evaluations: How will you use evaluations to ensure training quality? -------------------------------------------------------- ANSWERS Every training provider's answers to these questions will vary, but there are a number of key points you should expect to hear from a high-quality training provider. 1. Business Objectives: How will you develop an employee training program that is tied to my company's business objectives? + We align the program with company performance objectives and job requirements. Customization is key to a successful employee training program. The provider should have plans for learning about your company and aligning the training objectives with your company's overall performance objectives and specific job requirements. + We link training success to clear learning objectives and industry skill requirements. Training success should be tied to attaining clearly defined and measurable learning objectives. These learning objectives should be based on any skill requirements your industry may have established(2). The provider should have plans for using industry skill requirements, where they exist, to set learning objectives, and then for bringing all trainees' knowledge, skills, and abilities up to the required levels. + We involve management, supervisors, employees, and unions in development. To be successful, an employee training program should be supported widely throughout your company. It is critical that the provider develop good working relationships with all of the key "stakeholders." Clients, management, supervisors, employees, and, in unionized workplaces, union representatives should be included in all stages of the development and delivery of the employee training program. This may be accomplished by establishing an advisory committee of stakeholder representatives, as well as using stakeholder representatives on specific task-oriented work groups. 2. Workplace Requirements: How will you develop an employee training program that reflects my workplace and its requirements? + We align training to your company's structure, processes, and culture. Training curricula, structure, and delivery methods should be appropriate to your company's organizational structure, work processes, and culture. The provider should have a plan for learning about your company and customizing training activities so that lessons are clearly linked to the work your company performs. Methods for learning about your company include studying your company's organizational chart and employee handbook, observing executive management meetings and employee staff meetings, interviewing employees at various levels of the organization, walking around your company and observing the work process, and spending time with employees in social situations. + We are prepared to teach foundational, as well as occupational skills. Training should address both occupational skill requirements and the academic or foundational knowledge, skills, and behaviors that underlie them. If only occupational skills are addressed, employees will be able to perform specific tasks only in the specific context taught. However, if relevant foundational knowledge and skills are also addressed, employees will be able to apply the new occupational knowledge to other tasks and in other situations. The provider should be prepared to teach foundational skills along with occupational skills, and, if necessary, to build more extensive academic skills training into the program. + We integrate training with company work restructuring efforts. If your company is adopting new, "high-performance" work practices, training should broaden worker knowledge, skills, and abilities and support employee empowerment. Training should not just prepare workers for the status quo, rather it should prepare them for the new work organization. The provider should have plans for integrating its training program with your company's work restructuring efforts. + We develop interactive, experiential, problem-solving exercises. Training activities should be interactive and experiential, and should include frequent opportunities for trainees to use their new knowledge and skills to solve problems encountered on the job. The provider should have plans for learning what job problems employees face, and for creating instructional exercises that provide trainees with the opportunity to develop skills to solve these problems. Training activities that build on case studies of events at your company, along with simulations and role play, are effective training techniques the provider might suggest. + We create short, discrete, clearly defined training sessions. The training program should consist of short, discrete, and clearly defined training sessions so that training delivery can be adapted to workplace schedules. Work and family already consume most, if not all, of employees' time. Adding training to their schedules will be difficult. If you decide that employees will be training on work time, the provider will need to have a training program that is flexible enough to accommodate work responsibilities. If you decide that employees will be training on personal time, the provider will need to be able to accommodate employees' personal time commitments. + We time delivery of training with employees' needs for knowledge and skills. Training should be delivered "just in time." If training is delivered long before it is needed, employees are likely to forget their new knowledge and skills before they have a chance to apply them. If it is delivered after it is needed, employees may have already made costly mistakes. The provider should have plans for aligning training delivery with your plans for using new knowledge and skills. + We develop activities that use technology and materials like those used on the job. Training activities should use technology and materials comparable to those used on the job. Using comparable technology makes it is easier for employees to transfer new knowledge, skills, and abilities back to the job. Using actual company materials (e.g., work orders, forms, OSHA directives) helps employees see the relevance of the instruction to their work. The provider should either use the technology and equipment in your company, or comparable technology and equipment housed elsewhere. The provider should use copies of company materials whenever possible. + We provide instruction at multiple sites. The training provider should be able to deliver training at multiple sites if your company's employees are dispersed. The provider could meet this need through a variety of methods, such as traditional correspondence or home-study instruction, as well as computer-based instruction, audio cassettes, cable television, and teleconferencing. + We reinforce training on the job. Knowledge and skills gained in training must be reinforced on the job if employees' work is to improve. The training provider should have plans for working with trainees' direct supervisors to prepare the supervisors to reinforce the training and help their employees transfer their new knowledge and skills to their jobs. 3. Employee Needs: How will you craft an employee training program tailored to our employees' needs? + We assess employee knowledge and skills. Before the training lessons can be developed, the training provider must know not just the knowledge and skills required in the workplace, but also the knowledge and skills employees already have. With this information, the provider can develop lessons to bridge the gap between what is known and what needs to be known. The provider should plan to assess the knowledge, skills, and abilities of a sample of employees from the employee training program's target population to develop an understanding of the existing "gap." Once the program actually begins, all participants will need to be assessed. (The assessment instrument for these tasks will be discussed in question 4.) + We tailor training to individual knowledge and skill development needs. Training should meet individual knowledge and skill development needs, as defined by each trainee's current abilities and goals. Not all employees will need to study the same skills. Each will come with a different base of knowledge, and some may have different learning goals. The provider should plan to divide the training curriculum into discrete sections, each focused on developing different skills and abilities, so that individual employees can limit their participation to the sections relevant to them. + We use instructional methods appropriate to individual students. Employee training should be appropriate to the training objectives and learning styles of the students, which may vary quite a bit. The provider should plan to use a variety of instructional methods to teach and reinforce the same knowledge, skills, and abilities. Possibilities include lectures, small-group instruction, discussions, group learning activities, role playing, tutoring, computer exercises, workbook exercises, application exercises, reading assignments, and homework. + We allow for self-paced learning. The training structure should allow participants to learn at their own pace. Trainees who can demonstrate that they have already mastered a skill should be allowed to move on, while those who need extra time to learn should be provided with it. The training provider should have a variety of techniques for dealing with those needs, such as self-paced computer programs, self-paced workbooks, and one-on-one instruction. It is critical, though, that the provider supply support systems for any employees using a training method that is not led by an instructor. + We train employees to transfer knowledge and skills to different work settings. Training should emphasize general skills, as well as specific task skills so that employees will be able to adapt to the new job requirements as the workplace changes. The provider should be able to help employees "learn how to learn," as well as learn how to apply new knowledge, skills, and abilities to a variety of work activities. + We promote continuous learning. Training should build trainee understanding that learning is an integral and on going component of successful work performance. The provider should have plans for demonstrating the value of training both inside and outside of work. + We provide "portable credentials" for learners. A portable credential that documents employees' skill gains can be a valuable employee benefit. In today's volatile economy, employees working at your company today may need to search for a new job tomorrow. A portable credential would facilitate that job search. Ideally, the provider will have worked with a trade or professional association, or some other organization recognized in your industry, to have its training "accredited" to enable the provider to issue a portable credential. If this has not occurred, the provider should be willing to provide employees completing the program with some type of certified "transcript" detailing the skills and knowledge they gained. 4. Employee Assessments: How will you ensure that the employee assessments you use will be high quality? + We develop assessments that are reliable indicators of performance. A key step in training involves measuring - or "assessing" - employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities. The assessment instruments used should be valid for training purposes and reliable indicators of job performance. The provider should be able to show that the assessments it plans to use accurately measure the knowledge and skills needed on the job. + We explain outcomes and assessment methods to employees. Training takes people beyond what they are comfortable doing, and it can be very stressful. To diminish that stress, trainees should be given clear and honest information on both the knowledge and skill goals of the program and the assessment process. + We assess participants' needs and develop individualized training plans. Employees will come to the training with different knowledge, skills, and learning abilities. Before employees enter the employee training program, the provider should assess their knowledge and skills, and then create individualized training plans that meet their needs. (This was also discussed under question 3.) + We provide employees with on-going feedback. The provider should give trainees regular, on-going feedback on their progress while in the training program. The purpose of an employee training program is not to sort people by ability, but to raise the knowledge and skill levels of all participants. Therefore, the provider should have plans for helping participants to gauge their progress and, if necessary, take steps to accelerate that progress. + We assess employees at program completion to measure program success. The provider should assess trainees at the completion of training to ascertain learning gains and overall program performance. It is important that the provider's plan to measure the success of the program includes documenting knowledge and skill gains. 5. Qualified Staff: How will you ensure that staff members involved in the development and delivery of programs are highly qualified? If the provider intends to supply the training staff, + We are well versed in job performance requirements and have industry-based experience. The provider's staff should be well versed in job performance requirements and have industry-based experience. Check staff's previous employment for work with similar occupations and industries, as well as the provider's corporate resume. In addition, ask the provider for references from other companies and talk with those references. + We are able to apply adult learning principles to instructional design and delivery. Training staff members should be able to apply the principles of adult learning to instructional design and delivery (e.g., using problem centered instruction, integrating information with what is already known, providing feedback and recognition, paying attention to multiple learning styles, incorporating strategies for transferring learning, facilitating rather than lecturing). Check the educational background of the provider's staff, as well as the provider's corporate resume describing earlier projects. If the provider intends to prepare members of your company's training or operational staff to serve as trainers, + We prepare your company's staff to serve as employee training instructors. While your staff's knowledge of your workplace can be an asset to training delivery, these individuals may need training to serve as instructors. The provider should be ready to teach your staff how to apply the principles of adult learning to instructional design and delivery. + We train your company's staff to deliver the employee training program. Your company's staff will also need to be familiarized with the training program the provider develops. The provider should plan to familiarize staff members with the program, conduct "train-the-trainer" sessions, oversee and troubleshoot the delivery of the classes, and possibly even team-teach some of the first classes. 6. Evaluations: How will you use evaluations to ensure training quality? + We develop measures to assess the quality and effectiveness of the training. The provider should plan to work with you to develop evaluation measures that gauge both the performance outcomes and the quality and effectiveness of the training process. Measuring the quality of the process will enable you to make any needed changes in the training structure. Measuring training effectiveness will enable you to determine the payoffs of the program in terms of your company's goals and objectives. + We involve management, supervisors, employees, and unions in evaluation development. Evaluation should not take place in a vacuum. Management, supervisors, employees, and, in unionized workplaces, union representatives should participate in evaluating program effectiveness and its responsiveness to their needs. The provider should plan to include these stakeholders in planning the evaluations to ensure that the evaluations capture information that is important to the stakeholders and that the evaluation process is one with which they are all comfortable. + We incorporate feedback from evaluations into training on an ongoing basis. If the training program will take place over a long period of time, feedback from evaluations should be incorporated into the training process on an ongoing basis. Evaluations must be conducted regularly to ensure that the training program is meeting its objectives. The provider should have plans for using evaluations to monitor the program and make adjustments when necessary. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= INTERVIEW WORKSHEET --> Feel free to make copies of the Worksheet <-- Instructions: Ask each question along with any follow-up questions needed to make sure that the training provider has had an opportunity to address each of the points contained in the Answers section of the Guide. Probes listed with each of the questions that follow should help you to formulate any follow-up questions you need to ask. 1. Business Objectives: How will you develop an employee training program that is tied to my company's business objectives? Probes: + How will you align the program with company performance objectives and job requirements? + How will you link training success to clear learning objectives and industry skill requirements? + How will you involve management, supervisors, employees, and unions in development? 2. Workplace Requirements: How will you develop an employee training program that reflects my workplace and its requirements? Probes: + How will you align training to my company's structure, processes, and culture? + How will you teach foundational, as well as occupational skills? + How will you integrate training with company work restructuring efforts? + How will you develop interactive, experiential, problem-solving exercises? + How will you create short, discrete, clearly defined training sessions? + How will you time delivery of training with employees' needs for knowledge and skills? + How will you develop activities that use technology and materials like those used on the job? + How will you provide instruction at multiple sites? + How will you reinforce training on the job? 3. Employee Needs: How will you craft an employee training program tailored to our employees' needs? Probes: + How will you assess employee knowledge and skills? + How will you tailor training to individual knowledge and skill development needs? + How will you use instructional methods appropriate to individual students? + How will you allow for self-paced learning? + How will you train employees to transfer knowledge and skills to different work settings? + How will you promote continuous learning? + How will you provide portable credentials for learners? 4. Employee Assessments: How will you ensure that the employee assessments you use will be high quality? Probes: + How will you develop assessments that are reliable indicators of performance? + How will you explain outcomes and assessment methods to employees? + How will you assess participants' needs and develop individualized training plans? + How will you provide employees with ongoing feedback? + How will you assess employees at program completion to measure program success? 5. Qualified Staff: How will you ensure that staff members involved in the development and delivery of programs are highly qualified? Probes if the provider is supplying the training: + How do you know about job performance requirements and what is your industry-based experience? + How will you apply adult learning principles to instructional design and delivery? Probes if the provider is preparing your company's training or operational staff to serve as trainers: + How will you prepare our staff members to serve as employee training instructors? + How will you train our staff members to deliver the employee training program? 6. Evaluations: How will you use evaluations to ensure training quality? Probes: + How will you develop measures to assess the quality and effectiveness of the training? + How will you involve management, supervisors, employees, and unions in evaluation development? + How will you incorporate feedback from evaluations into training on an on-going basis? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= COMPARISON CHART --> Feel free to make copies of the Comparison Chart <-- Instructions: Put the names of each of the providers you interviewed in the blank boxes across the top. Use the notes from your Interview Worksheets with these providers to place a check mark in the boxes corresponding to the points the different providers made. Add up the number of points covered by each provider. Also note whether the providers' corporate resumes, staff resumes, and references demonstrate quality and experience, and note the providers' costs. In comparing providers, do not rely solely on the totals. Be sure also to compare which points the providers did and did not cover and whether you can address the points not covered by a provider, whether the providers' materials demonstrate quality and relevant experience, and program costs. ------------------------------------------------------------------- | QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | | | | | |######|######|######| | 1. Business Objectives |######|######|######| | 1. - Aligns training with performance | | | | | objectives. |______|______|______| | - Links training success to | | | | | learning ojectives. |______|______|______| | - Involves managers, supervisors, | | | | | and employees. |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | 2. Workplace Requirements |######|######|######| | - Aligns training with | | | | | company processes. |______|______|______| | - Teaches foundational and | | | | | occupational skills. |______|______|______| | - Integrates training with | | | | | work restructuring. |______|______|______| | - Develops interactive, | | | | | experiential exercises. |______|______|______| | - Creates discrete training sessions. |______|______|______| | - Times training delivery | | | | | with employees' needs. |______|______|______| | - Uses technology and materials | | | | | used on the job. |______|______|______| | - Provides instruction | | | | | at multiple sites. |______|______|______| | - Reinforces training on the job. |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | 3. Employee Needs |######|######|######| | - Assesses employee knowledge and | | | | | skills. |______|______|______| | - Tailors training to | | | | | individuals' needs. |______|______|______| | - Uses appropriate instructional | | | | | methods. |______|______|______| | - Allows for self-paced learning. |______|______|______| | - Links literacy with other training |______|______|______| | - Trains employees to | | | | | transfer skills to work. |______|______|______| | - Promotes continuous learning. |______|______|______| | - Provides portable credentials. |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | 4. Employee Assessments |######|######|######| | - Develops reliable indicators | | | | | of performance. |______|______|______| | - Explains assessments to employees. |______|______|______| | - Develops individualized | | | | | training plans. |______|______|______| | - Provides on-going feedback. |______|______|______| | - Assesses employees | | | | | at program completion. |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | 5. Qualified Staff - Provider's |######|######|######| | - Knows job requirements | | | | | and your industry. |______|______|______| | - Applies adult learning principles |______|______|______| | Qualified Staff - Company's |######|######|######| | - Prepares staff to serve | | | | | as instructors. |______|______|______| | - Prepares staff to deliver | | | | | training program. |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | 6. Evaluations |######|######|######| | - Assesses quality and effectiveness. |______|______|______| | - Involves managers, supervisors, | | | | | and employees. |______|______|______| | - Incorporates feedback continuously. |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | TOTAL POINTS |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | MATERIALS DEMONSTRATE EXPERIENCE & QUALITY |______|______|______| | - Corporate resumes |______|______|______| | - Staff resumes |______|______|______| | - References |______|______|______| | |######|######|######| | COST |______|______|______| ------------------------------------------------------------------- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THIS GUIDE IN CONTEXT Employee training is just one of a number of workforce and workplace changes companies must undertake to remain competitive in today's global economy. For many companies, staying profitable involves adopting new technologies, restructuring work processes, and redefining the relationship between employers and employees, as well as upgrading employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities. All of these changes are interrelated. New machines frequently require new work processes if they are to be fully used. New work processes can lead to changes in the locus of decision making and redefining of the roles of both labor and management. Training in a variety of skills, including basic reading, writing, and mathematics, is almost always necessary to put any other changes into place successfully. The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative has prepared a series of tools to help small and mid-sized companies find and select the high-quality service providers and products they need to undertake successful workforce and workplace changes, including the following: * Employee Training Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Training Providers * Employee Training Product Checklist: Judging the Quality of Training Products * Labor-Management Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Labor-Management Relations Consultants * Resource Guide: A Key to Organizations Working in Employee Training, Labor-Management Relations, Work Restructuring, and Workplace Literacy * Work Restructuring Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Work Restructuring Consultants, * Workplace Literacy Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and Effectiveness of Workplace Literacy Providers, and * Workplace Literacy Product Checklist: Judging the Quality of Workplace Literacy Products. Additional Collaborative publications designed for small and mid- sized businesses and the service providers working with them include these: * Resource Listings Workplace Literacy Publications: An Annotated Bibliography of Print Resources - A workplace literacy bibliography. * Newsletters Workforce Briefs - A newsletter series for businesses. Business Assistance Notes - A newsletter series for service providers. * Tools for Companies Pay-for-Knowledge - A how-to guide on the development and implementation of a pay-for-knowledge system. Computer-Based Training - A guide for selecting computer-based training products and services. * Tools for Service Providers Integrated Service Delivery - A publication providing insights into the best methods for delivering integrated services to small and mid-sized companies. Delivering Cost-Effective Services to Small and Mid-Sized Companies - A publication highlighting proven approaches for delivering cost-effective services to small and mid-sized companies. Approaches to Forming a Learning Consortium: A Guide for Service Providers - A how-to guide on forming learning consortia. Marketing to Businesses - Information on how to identify and effectively market services to a local business community. Assessing an Organization's Training Needs - A generic training needs assessment accompanied by instructions on how to approach and "market" the value of training to small and mid-sized business leaders. Assessing the Value of Workforce Training - An introduction to assessing the value of training programs, focusing on quick and easy strategies. * Internet Services Internet Listserv - An electronic forum for discussing workforce and workplace development issues. To subscribe to NWAC-L, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@PSUVM.PSU.EDU saying "subscribe NWAC-L [YourFirstName YourLastName]." Gopher Server - Online access to materials and products produced by the Collaborative. The gopher server address is INFO.PSU.EDU. Open "Information Servers at Penn State"; then open "Research Centers and Institutes." World Wide Web Home Page - Information on the Collaborative and its products and services, as well as links to related information on the Internet (http://www.psu.edu/institutes/nwac). All Collaborative publications can be ordered through the National Alliance of Business Distribution Center, listed on the front cover, or downloaded from the Collaborative's Internet Gopher Server or World Wide Web home page. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ADVISORY GROUPS Stephen Mitchell Project Director Terri Bergman Products and Services Manager ----------------------------------------------------------------- BOARD Chair William H. Kolberg National Alliance of Business Eunice Askov Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, The Pennsylvania State University William L. Batt, Jr. Consultant Robert Baugh Human Resource Development Institute Clair Brown National Center for the Workplace Robert Fien Stone Construction Equipment, Inc. Evelyn Ganzglass National Governors' Association Marshall Goldberg The Alliance for Employee Development, Inc. Andy Hartman National Institute for Literacy Cathy Kramer Association for Quality and Participation David Pierce American Association of Community Colleges Jack Russell The Modernization Forum Benjamin Schneider University of Maryland Dennis Sienko Prairie State 2000 Authority Stephen Sleigh International Association of Machinists Pamela Tate Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Hugh Tranum National Labor-Management Benjamin Tregoe Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. Thomas Tuttle Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity Joan Wills Institute for Educational Leadership John Zimmerman MCI ----------------------------------------------------------------- EMPLOYEE TRAINING Chair Pamela Tate Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Brian Bosworth Regional Technology Strategies Thomas L. Clogston Boeing Defense and Space Group Kenneth Edwards International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Phyllis Eisen National Association of Manufacturers Wendell Fletcher Congressional Office of Technology Assessment Patti Glenn Texas Instruments Ruth Haines National Institute of Standards and Technology Janet Steele Holloway Kentucky Small Business Development Center John Hoops Bay State Skills Corporation Center Tom Huberty Upper Mid-West Manufacturing Technology Center Dan Hull The Center for Occupational Research and Development Victoria Kraeling Southeastern Institute for Advanced Technologies Arny Manseth US West Alfred Moye Hewlett Packard Frederic Nichols National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing Joan Patterson UAW/Chrysler National Training Paula Reeder Sallie Mae Martha Reesman National Center for Manufacturing Sciences Lee M. Shrader, Jr. Great Lakes Manufacturing Technology Center Duc-Le To U.S. Department of Education ----------------------------------------------------------------- LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATI0NS Chair Hugh Tranum National Labor-Management Association Nick Argona Xerox Corporation William L. Batt, Jr. Consultant Betty Bednarczyk SEIU- Local 13 Barry Bluestone University of Massachusetts Rena Cross Foamade Industries Joel Cutcher-Gershenfield Michigan State University David Fontaine Maryland Labor-Management Committee Pat France Stark County Labor-Management Council Robert Frey The CIN-MADE Corporation Maria Heidkamp Wisconsin Labor-Management Council Edsel Jones Mapleton Local No. 7-7807 Robert Landsman New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations Malcolm Lovell National Planning Association Charlene Powell Kentucky Association of Labor-Management Committees John Stepp Restructuring Associates Brian Turner Work and Technology Institute Earl Willford Bureau of Mediation ----------------------------------------------------------------- WORK RESTRUCTURING Chair Thomas Tuttle Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity Eileen Appelbaum Economic Policy Institute Mike Beyerlein The Center for the Study of Work Teams Jane Reese Coulbourne Restructuring Associates, Inc. John Dodd Computer Science Corporation Ned Ellington Productivity and Quality Center Michael Galiazzo Regional Manufacturing Institute Debbie Goldman Communications Workers of America Bruce Herman Garment Industry Development Corporation Robert King Goal/QPC Vaughn Limbrick Society for Human Resource Management Peter Manella New York State Department of Economic Development Robert Meyer Work in Northeast Ohio Joe Rigali Sanden International, USA Jill Scheldrup U.S. Chamber of Commerce Maureen Sheahan Labor-Management Council for Economic Renewal Peggy Siegel National Alliance of Business Audrey Theis Maryland Department of Economic and Employment Development Edwin Toussaint Xerox Corporation ----------------------------------------------------------------- WORKPLACE LITERACY Chair Eunice Askov Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, The Pennsylvania State University Judith Alamprese COSMOS Corporation Lorraine Amico National Governors' Association Dale Brandenburg Labor-Management Council for Economic Renewal Jinx (Helen) Crouch Literacy Volunteers of America Regina Guaraldi Miami-Dade Community College Karl O. Haigler The Salem Company Mary Ann Jackson Wisconsin Technical College Board Inaam Mansoor Wilson School Donna Miller-Parker State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Michael O'Brian CertainTeed Corporation James Parker U.S. Department of Education James Ryan District 1199C Anthony Sarmiento AFL-CIO Johan Uvin Massachusetts Adult and Community Learning Services Robert Visdos NETWORK Jo Ann Weinberger Center for Literacy, Inc. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NATIONAL WORKFORCE ASSISTANCE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS National Alliance of Business National OFfice 1201 New York Avenue, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 800/787-2848 Fax: 202/289-2875 E-mail: info@nab.com Atlantic Office 317 George Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Phone: 908/524-1110 Fax: 908/524-6275 Capital Area Office 1201 New York Avenue, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 202/289-2897 Fax: 202/289-2875 Central Office 9400 N. Central Expressway Suite 606 Dallas, TX 75231 Phone: 214/373-0854 Fax: 214/373-1941 Midwest Office 1 East Wacker Drive Suite 2410 Chicago, IL 60601 Phone: 312/595-2100 Fax: 312/595-2101 Northeast Office 1 McKinley Square Suite 600 Boston, MA 02109 Phone: 617/624-4190 Fax: 617/624-4195 Southeast Office 1 Midtown Plaza 1360 Peachtree Street, NE Suite 710 Atlanta, GA 30309 Phone: 404/881-0061 Fax: 404/881-0006 Western Office 800 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 960 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Phone: 213/488-9153 Fax: 213/488-9460 COUNCIL FOR ADULT AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING 243 South Wabash Avenue Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60604 Phone: Phone: 312/922-5909 Fax: 312/922-1769 Philadelphia Office Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center 12265 Townsend Road Suite 500 Philadelphia, PA 19154 Phone: 215/969-1286 Fax: 215/969-6652 INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF ADULT LITERACY The Pennsylvania State University College of Education 204 Calder Way Suite 209 University Park, PA 16801 Phone: 814/863-3777 Fax: 814/863-6108 MARYLAND CENTER FOR QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY CMB/SPA Building 4th Floor University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Phone: 301/405-7099 Fax: 301/314-9119 NATIONAL LABOR-MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 819 Jamestown, NY 14702 Phone: 800/967-2687 Fax: 716/665-8060 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1 A separate Workplace Literacy interview Guide is available from the National Workforce Assistance Collaborative and the National Alliance of Business. 2 For more information on industry-developed skill standards, contact the National Alliance of Business Information Service, phone 800/787-7788, fax 301/206-9789, or e-mail INFO@NAB.COM.