Professional Practice and Management

"A company is only as good as the people it keeps." --Mary Kay Ash

Training Ideas
http://www.inc.com/guides/hr/training.html



A recent Accenture survey found that 77% of those who graduated from college in 2013 expected to receive formal training in their first jobs. But only 48% of those in the classes of 2011 and 2012 reported being trained. 


After 20 years in industry myself I remember being sent on just two training courses!  So I can't say I worked for employers who believed in "over training" their staff.  I am a huge fan of life long learning and having returned to education myself last year to complete this post graduate diploma, I have found the experience extremely valuable. 

"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin: Founding Father of the United States of America

The Phillips ROI Methodology (tm)

The Phillips ROI Methodology model provides a step-by-step process for collecting date, summarising and processing data, isolating the effects of programmes, converting data to monetary value, and capturing the actual ROI.

My technology enabled learning element of the Professional Practice and Management was to create a course.

Moodle Link to Sponsorship Design & Evaluation Course

Designing a Training Programme

Instructional design is defined as a system using learning theory that creates specifications for the development and implementation of learning experiences, materials, and environments (Whitmyer, 1999). 

This Dick and Carey model is systematic in nature. It is a procedural system including ten major process components (nine basic steps in an iterative cycle and a culminating evaluation of the effectiveness of the instruction).

The Dick and Carey model is based primarily on learner behaviour and is an excellent instructional design approach for direct instruction methodologies (Willis, 2009).

I particulary liked this model as it is very systematic and intuitive.  Training is  growing business globally and in Ireland.  With the replacement of FAS with SOLAS in October last year, there is now a five year plan for further education and training.  The main objectives of the new semi state body is to:

• Oversee the integration of FET Institutions and programmes
• To manage the funding and performance of FET programmes
• And most importantly, to lead the modernisation of FET programmes so that they are more focussed on lifelong learner needs, especitally the unemployed, to make the system more flexible and reflective of the current jobs market. 

At the other end of the spectrum the multinational and foreign direct investment organisations saw the publication of the Horizon 2020 report in 2013 by the IDA.  This 20 year plan with a budget of €70 Billion. The IDA has agreed to support the local and corporate management of FDI organisations to grow the skills of their employees, to engage in research, development and innovation and develop business processes to make the their operations more efficient.  All this will feed directly back into both further education and training in Ireland going forward.

References:

IDA Ireland, (2010) Horizon Report 2020. Available at: http://www.idaireland.com/news-media/publications/library-publications/ida-ireland-publications/IDA-Ireland-Strategy-2020.pdf (Accessed July 2014)

SOLAS, (An Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanúnaigh Agus Scileanna), The new Further Education and Training (FET) Authority, 2013, Action Plan, Accessed July 2014 http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/An-Action-Plan-for-SOLAS.pdf

Whitmyer, C. (1999). Instructional design for online learning. The University of the Future, LLC (aka FutureU™). Available from: http://www.futureu.com/shared_resources/instructional_design_for_online_learning.pdf

(Accessed July 2014)