Category: Learning & Development

Employees are valuing career development more than ever—it’s a sign that the company is willing to invest in their future. How are businesses approaching training today? What are their pain points, and what topics are being addressed in training?

Government Guidance on Paid and Unpaid Internships

“Every spring, as college students nationwide prepare for finals and pull all-nighters to wrap up their spring semesters, many simultaneously ramp up their search for the perfect internship,” says Laura Fortman, principal deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) in a blog. “The WHD understands that these “foot-in-the-door” […]

Survey Says: Training Problems in Medical Industry

S4 NetQuest, a leading corporate learning services firm, recently conducted a survey on training quality among new hires in the medical industry. Over 700 medical professionals, ranging from nurses to medical technicians, participated in the survey, with 46% percent reporting that the training they received did not appropriately prepare them for their jobs. Other key […]

Employee Development: Using it as a Retention Tool

Some employers fear spending on employee development, citing the risk that the employee might take those new skills and leave. This fear is pervasive. It affects decisions not only for new hires, but for long-term employees wanting to advance their skills. This can become a catch-22, however, since employees who are not given opportunities to […]

An Internship of Olympic Proportions!

A University of Connecticut journalism student had an exciting and successful internship at the Winter Olympics thanks to her own research, her college experience, great communication by her employer, and a job description that said “expect the unexpected.” After completing an internship at the NBC affiliate in Hartford two summers ago, senior UCONN journalism student […]

The Importance of Training in Instructional Design

“If trainers are asked to be designers, they have to be familiar with adult learning theory in instructional design if they are going to be effective,” Guilkey insists. And the same applies to subject matter experts if the task of designing a training session is assigned to them. “A lot of people being asked to […]

Best Practices in Training: It’s Personal

Training has been a priority for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., throughout its 150-year history. In fact, the commercial construction company states on its website that “learning is at the core of everything we do.” McCarthy was recently recognized for its training efforts as a Training magazine Top 125 Best Practice Award recipient for the fourth […]

Safety and Health Training for the Public Sector

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) jurisdiction doesn’t extend to the public sector, but that doesn’t mean the agency is neglecting the safety and health of state and local government employees. Late last year, OSHA launched a new certificate program for public sector employees titled Public Sector Safety and Health Fundamentals. Aimed at training […]

Best Practices in Workforce Training and Development

From day one of employment, associates at Capital One Financial Corporation have access to a variety of award-winning training and development opportunities. Capital One (www.capitalone.com), a McLean, Virginia-based financial holding company, was recently named to FORTUNE magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” and Training magazine’s Training Top 125. Both magazines honored Capital […]

Best Practices in Training: Wellness Coaching That Works!

In a pilot project over a 12-month period, more than half of participants in a pilot program sponsored by Onlife Health, a national health and wellness company, and Government Employees Health Association (GEHA), a national health plan for federal employees, lowered their blood pressure through education, coaching, and monitoring. Onlife coaches worked with GEHA members […]

Expert Advice on E-Learning

There are four key “land mines” that trainers might encounter when developing e-learning modules, but careful planning can help trainers sidestep those problems, says Jennifer DeVries, president and chief solutions architect of BlueStreak Learning (www.bluestreaklearning.com). The first problem deals with delivery. Even the most innovative, cutting-edge e-learning module won’t be effective if it is designed […]