Hi, There, and Happy Holidays to All!
My husband, John, and I have been interested readers of this
listserv for a long time. Quite often, there have been some very
interesting and relevant strands that have been posted by so many of you
scholar/practitioners. We, too, are scholar/practitioners, seeking our
doctorates in the field of Adult Education/HRD/Labor Studies, while
working in the training and development area of two manufacturing
organizations.
I am an education specialist for a nascent corporate university
residing in a large automotive manufacturing firm that serves
approximately 17,000 represented and non-represented employees world-wide.
The virtual university was "launched" on Nov. 1, 1999--that's how new it
is. Needless to say, the launching does not equate completion--nor are
all the loose ends tucked in yet (I don't know if they ever will or should
be.) One of the things that remains to be defined is the corporate policy
on what counts as trackable education at this organization. This is why I
am writing this note to you, seeking to tap into the wisdom and
experiences of those of you who have already traveled this route.
Without getting into a philosophical discussion about the value of
mandated versus voluntary education and what not, I am trying to find out
what IS, to guide the formation of our own policy. Please share with me
your organization's practices, experiences, and personal thoughts on the
following items:
-Does your organization track employee workplace education and training?
-Is there a minimum number of training hours in which employees must
participate within a given fiscal year?
-Is this number the same for represented, non-represented, and all other
organizational levels? Please provide the rationale either way.
-What kinds of learning experiences/forums count as trackable education
within your organization? E.g.: Must they be strictly classroom-based?
On-site? External Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops? College courses?
-Is there any overlap between what counts as trackable education and
training at your organization with degree-earning course work in a higher
education academic institution? Please explain.
-How does your organization track self-study educational options?
-Does your organization track OJT (On-the-Job-Training)? If so, what are
the guidelines?
I anxiously await your response to these questions. At present, it
appears as if the various business units are making up the rules as they
go along, electing to track or not to track earned training hours based on
some random "standards" of what counts as workplace education. Your
input will help us develop a more equitable way of acknowledging the
learning and developmental efforts of our employees.
Thank you in advance for your help. Happy 2000 to all!