Training Plan

Training Plan

A Training Plan is essential when it comes to extending a successful Commercial Construction business. The Training Plan is a working document and is revised on a continuous basis as decisions are made and issues are resolved. A few areas that would need an assessment on are listed below:

• Environmental analysis

• Organizational analysis

• Demographical analysis

• Operational analysis

• Individual analysis

The training methods that will be covered are:

• Types of media

• Learning principles

• Training for learning skills or facts

• Effectiveness of methods

A training evaluation strategy helps generate coherence to your activity. Forcing yourself to write down how you’re going to approach the evaluation of your training helps to ensure that you have a logical and efficient plan in place. Without a strategy, there is a danger that your activity becomes uncoordinated. This has the potential to reduce the business value gained from the resource you have invested. Listed below are a few different training evaluation strategies:

• Criteria

• Pretests

• Monitoring and observing training

• Collecting feedback

• Implementing feedback

Introduction to Needs Assessment

Employee turnover continues to be a significant concern within the commercial construction industry (Chih et al, 2016). Employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that the annual employee turnover rate has risen from 17% in 2011 to 21.5% in 2015 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). Although the upward trend in employee turnover may simply be indicative of the economic climate in the industry, the fact of the matter is that companies cannot ignore the impact on their bottom line. The ability to retain and maintain a stable workforce not only affects productivity, it can also represent significant cost savings. An analysis of several well established medium-sized construction companies revealed that despite the upward trend, they have been able to sustain a much lower turnover rate primarily through the following: 1) Dedication to employee training and development, and 2) Cultivating a culture that values highly skilled and motivated workers (Cascio, 295). Based on a review of your current training and development plan, we would like to submit our revised training and development plan for your consideration. Our recommendations are solely intended to assist Clapton Commercial Construction achieve sustained success in a new market and reduce its current turnover rate.

The training and development process includes three primary phases: a) assessment, b) training and development, and 3) evaluation as depicted below:

Figure A. Training and development process. Retrieved from Managing Human Resources (p. 297), by W. F. Cascio, 2015, New York: Publisher. Copyright (2015) by McGraw-Hill Education.

The first phase in the training and development process is called a needs assessment or needs analysis. The purpose of a needs assessment is to help identify the gaps between required performance and actual or current performance relative to your company’s objectives (Office of Personnel Management, n.d.). Based on a review of industry wide best practices, we recommend incorporating the following steps into the framework of your needs assessment process:

1. Determine the Benefits of Needs Assessment – this part of the process should identify all stakeholders, required knowledge and skills, desired outcome, and key drivers to sustain desired outcome.

2. Plan – the planning process should establish the objectives for the needs assessment, evaluate internal and external factors that may impact a needs assessment, and determine measures of success and milestones.

3. Conduct Needs Assessment – this analysis of the data should identify any problems/issues, the reasons why these problems/issues currently exist, and possible recommendation or solutions to address these problems/issues.

List A. The training needs assessment process. Retrieved 7 June 2016, from the Office of Personnel Management https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/training-and-development/planning-evaluating/#url=Training-Needs-Assessment

It is important to note that sometimes training is not the best or only solution to bridging the gaps within your organization. You may discover that some of the gaps within your organization are caused by other factors unrelated to employee competencies (Office of Personnel Management, n.d.). Regardless of the outcome, an effective needs assessment will provide you with the ability to prioritize resources.

A needs assessment can be used to evaluate various levels within your organization. The level of assessment should be determined by your priorities and desired outcomes. There are five (5) levels or types of needs assessments commonly used in your industry:

1. Environmental - an environmental needs assessment looks at the overall climate of your industry i.e. economic trends, employment/unemployment rates, various consumer and producer price indices, and other business factors. Other common environmental factors that are considered include new tax laws, tariff limits, export/import laws, consumer trends, and new technologies (O'Farrell, n.d.).

2. Organizational – an organizational needs assessment evaluates the performance of the organization in its entirety. It helps identify and mitigate weaknesses and also enhance the strengths within the organization. An organizational needs assessment considers the impact of demographics, political trends, technology, and the economy on your organization objectives (Office of Personnel Management, n.d.).

3. Demographical – a demographical needs assessment is based on the age, sex, and racial composition of a population and how it has changed over time. The estimates derived from a demographical needs assessment can help you assess population changes

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