Every Work Task Is A Micro Unit; Everything About the Task Should Be Trained At Same Time For Maximum Efficiency and Effectiveness
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
In an article appearing in EHS Today entitled, “Microlearning’s Big Impact on Safety Training,” a case was made that providing safety training in “short bursts may help workers retain critical safety knowledge and procedures.” The assumption is that the content is relevant, well organized (“structured”) for delivery and delivered for comprehension.
Learning general safety concepts and techniques in an online or lecture format provides the basic knowledge and understanding of general safety. Unfortunately, in a lot of the cases with this type of microlearning, to which tasks of each worker’s job this information needs to be applied, and specifically how, is usually left up to the individual to sort out. This leaves an opportunity for the learner to recall some of the information incorrectly or decide the information does not apply to the task at hand. The greater the time-gap between learning this information and applying it to an applicable task, the greater the chance that the information will be forgotten or not remembered correctly.
click here to expandThis isn’t a criticism of micro-learning as applied to safety learning, it is about micro-learning of knowledge that is intended to improve performance but is not incorporated directly into all applicable tasks of a job that a worker is responsible to perform. Training on a task procedure, as opposed to transferring knowledge about an aspect of a task, requires all relevant task information, a demonstration of the best practice and repetitive practice that reinforces the knowledge while incorporating it into consistent task performance. This is what every employer likes to believe happens anyway, but rarely seeks confirmation to ensure it.
The worker is inundated with training all day, every day. It comes randomly (e.g. here is how to setup this machine, here is how to fill out this report, here is how you order tools, here is how to operate this machine for this part, etc.). Typically there is no structure to this, and every person asked to be an ad hoc or reluctant trainer has a different style, different level of competence and social skills. Every trainee is different; introverted, extroverted, quick learner, slow learner, self-starter, non-starter. Add to this the random, unstructured, disjointed training process and it can be a recipe for failure…everyone’s!
The task and everything about the task, including engineering specifications (or where to find them), quality specifications, safe performance requirements, proper tools and reference documents, are all necessary for quick mastery and accurate performance. De-emphasis or omission of any one of the critical criteria will undermine mastery achievement. Task training should be logically structured (for comprehension) and delivered in one, consistent on-the-job training transaction. If not, the chances of trainee underperformance, malperformance, noncompliance and/or a safety incident increase dramatically. Read More
Knowledge Gap v. Skills Gap, Core Skill Gap v. Task Skill 
Gap; Important to Know Which You Are Trying To Close
by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.
One common, ongoing theme that all of us in workforce development and related disciplines are familiar with is that our educational and workforce development institutions are not, despite the tremendous resources at their disposal. adequately addressing the issue of the “Skill Gap.” A lot has been written about the concern over the billions of dollars spent by employers and education to address the skill gap each year, but after 30 years we still are consumed with concern. Many employers have either learned to discount education as a viable partner in workforce development or have lost their confidence in these institutions all together and moved on. How hard would it to bring them back?
Some have suggested that educational institutions seem preoccupied with controlling the definition of the challenge so the solutions they prescribe can be pulled from their shelf. They have a powerful lobbying presence in Washington D.C. and state capitals to guide their proposals to steer grant money targeted for workforce development to their institutions. In some cases it is what sustains the schools…but for how long without significant outcomes?
click here to expand
As early as the 1980’s, surveys of employers showed a growing “schism of trust” in existing institutions helping meet the skills gap challenge. Today, educational institutions and workforce development groups seem more inclined to defend the institution and its programs. They are less interested in understanding the clear dichotomy between the core skills needed to master an employer’s tasks, and the employer’s de facto role in providing task-based training to ensure core skills are not lost, but are put to a good use that reinforces their utility.
Most “customized training coordinators” at community colleges and career centers would tell you their understanding of customized training can range anywhere from providing classes onsite or offsite to recommending a credit or non-credit course. That is what constitutes “customized training.” Their educational training did not prepare them to seek out such an invasive role in an employer’s internal training. As they try to justify their engagement to that degree, they often provide evidence that they have little to offer that is specific to an employer’s needs.
BUT THAT IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE! Read More
Tips for Workforce Developers – Partnerships 
That Matter…and Last
by Dr. Dave Just, formally Dean of Corporate & Continuing Education at Community Colleges in MA, OH, PA and SC. Currently President of K&D Consulting
Having partnered with Proactive Technologies, Inc. on workforce development projects for the past 20 years, it gave me a chance to innovate and learn what works, what efforts are most appreciated by the employer, trainee and employee, and which projects utilized resources most efficiently and effectively. There are numerous resources available from many sources that can impact a trainee with varying effectiveness, but the secret is selecting those that are appropriate for the project outcome the employer expects.
As Dean of Corporate and Continuing Education at community and technical colleges in Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, at the start of each assignment I had to first learn what resources our school had available for the sectors we were targeting, and how current and relevant the courses, materials and instructors were for the specific skills employers were seeking. To be honest, in some areas our products and services were weaker than expected, so the determination needed to be made whether we had the resources and will to upgrade what we had or develop what we needed. We also had to consider if it would be more economical to strategically partner with outside providers who always had the current technical expertise and already created solutions we could incorporate into our offerings.
click here to expandToo often there was internal resistance and a lack of understanding of how important being relevant was to workforce development. Many institutions grew complacent to change or were discouraged by shrinking budgets or misaligned priorities from innovation. Always feeling a sense of urgency to overcome the ubiquitous “skills gap” that cast a shadow on all education and workforce development efforts, there are some important steps that I developed for myself to help me better assess each employer’s need and provide solutions client employers appreciated. This is the reason most employers we worked with kept us engaged year after year. We earned, and maintained, their respect and gave them confidence in our solutions, which ensured our continued role in their business model. This provided a continued revenue stream for the school to continue, improve and expand those efforts.
1) Listen carefully to the employer’s description of the need – not every employer has a clear grasp of their need, but if you listen to their frustration in the context of your experience gained from concerns of other employers facing similar symptoms, you can help the employer discover the root cause. Then a solution that makes sense can be developed; Read More
“Unemployment is at an 18 Year Low.” So Where is the Party?
By Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
For the May, 2018 unemployment report, the U.S. government announced it had reached an “18 year low of 3.8 percent.” Yet, millions of Americans who are still looking for a job, or for one job that sustains them and their family, are holding off popping the champagne…or even buying it. Why hasn’t the mood of American workers been more celebratory?
Politicians thinking about running, again, on the “strong economy” this Fall may be in for a surprise . In a recent Monmouth University poll, “only 12 percent of Americans said they benefited a great deal from recent economic growth, while 53 percent said that they’ve been helped ‘not much’ or ‘not at all.'”
click here to expandDespite the low unemployment numbers, the percentage of working-age Americans who are employed today is actually lower than in 2008, with 1.3 percent fewer jobs waiting for college graduates compared to last year.
Any economist, not paid to tell you otherwise, would admit that one of the more puzzling aspects of the reported low unemployment is that it is missing the accompanying higher wages. If the demand for skilled labor increases, the supply of skilled labor declines. A shrinking supply brings higher prices…at least that is how it has worked.
Wages grew at a 2.6 percent rate – hardly able to erase the years of wage stagnation. The reported inflation rate for 2017 was 2.1 percent. Gas prices have risen on average $ .50 since last year, and many economists estimate the additional cost of fuel will wipe out any gains from the tax cut earlier this year.
The cost of necessities has continued to go up. Housing, healthcare costs – insurance, out-of-pocket costs, prescription drugs – still eroding consumer discretionary spending. At the same time government considers cutting support for Medicaid, food support and housing subsidies for the poorest among us. In many states, citizens have to pay a toll to travel on taxpayer-built highways to/from work. When they arrive at the job, they then have to pay $20 a day to park!
It is no wonder that, in the poll, only 32 percent of the country say this country is headed in the right direction; 52 percent say its on the wrong track.
The United States is a consumer-driven economy, and business leaders are rightfully concerned when more and more of the demand for their supply is on life support. So even if the reported unemployment rate was believable, many still wonder “why the hoopla?” Yes, things are better now than following 2008, but for many it doesn’t feel like pre-2008 levels, nor has it made up for what was lost in the years after 2008. Are the nearly 330 million Americans expected to accept this as the “new normal?” Who benefits when the media repeats the reported low unemployment rate, as if everyone’s worries are over, to an increasingly cynical audience? What good is the monthly University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey if inaccurate or overly optimistic news stories sway the results?
Many are wondering who calculates unemployment and how is unemployment determined? According to the United States Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics website: Read More
Read the full June, 2018 Proactive Technologies Report newsletter, including linked industry articles and online presentation schedules.
Proactive Technologies, Inc.®; PROTECH; Human Resource Management for Tomorrow...Today!® and logo;