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 expandKnowledge 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?
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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.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 expand“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 expandRead the full June, 2018 Proactive Technologies Report newsletter, including linked industry articles and online presentation schedules.
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