Talent: Training and Development (Chapter 10)

In today’s dynamic environment, it is very hard to keep up a consistent training program. This is my role at work – to build a training curriculum each fiscal year for employees to build skills in emerging technology areas. As the text states, knowledge and skills to be taught are evolving at blinding speed. As adult learners, as soon as we identify that a skill is needed, we want the information now.

I just started this role last year because the training program was under much scrutiny. It ranked low on employee surveys and operated as a separate function to day-to-day work. After 1 year, we still have a lot to learn, but we tied the program to building relevant skills and I hope that the program promotes a flexible approach to continuous learning. There are classroom, small group and virtual learning opportunities available. Computer-based (online) training is a popular choice because it can be delivered to a wide audience and is often flexible as to when an individual can take the course (asynchronous learning). We are recognizing that training and performance are tied together and working to build successful individuals in both areas.