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Ask the Trainer: Lean Six Sigma

A: Whether your company hires a third-party vendor to provide training on Lean Six Sigma or tackles training in-house, there are a few factors that will help ensure training success, says Jason Piatt, president of Praestar Consulting (www.praestar-consulting.com). First, he recommends finding an executive who will act as a champion of the Lean Six Sigma […]

Case Demonstrates Importance of Training on Same-Sex Harassment

What happened In April 1990, “Kerry” was hired as a parole officer by the New York State Division of Parole. In February 2005, “Shannon,” a female area supervisor, was transferred to oversee the Queens, New York, office where Kerry worked. Kerry alleged that on three occasions between mid-April and mid-September 2005, Shannon sexually harassed her […]

Utilities Company Creates Programs to Fuel Leadership Pipeline

Those challenges included recognition that a large percentage of industry leaders would be retiring within a few years, and that regulatory and infrastructure requirements were changing rapidly, reports Korn/Ferry International (www.kornferry.com), a provider of talent management solutions. In partnership with Korn/Ferry, OGE (www.oge.com) developed the Coaching for Effectiveness and Foundations of Leadership programs. Offered to […]

Ask the Trainer: Social Media Tools

A: Social media tools offer enhanced opportunities for learning outside of training courses, and companies are increasingly using these tools to support informal learning, says Jane Bozarth, author of Social Media for Trainers (www.bozarthzone.com). Social media can help learners stay connected—and keep the training topic in mind—long after a course is completed. Social media also […]

Contractor Cited for Violations Points to Toolbox Talks in Its Defense

What Happened Gioioso Sons, Inc., constructs and installs water supply and sewer pipes. On July 10, 2009, while the company was performing trenching work to install water service lines at a Boston worksite, a compliance officer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) arrived for an inspection. The compliance officer saw a Gioioso employee […]

Study: Higher Training Spending Limits, More Counseling Yield Better Results

The study, which is the first long-term evaluation of the relative effects of alternative training models used under the Workforce Investment Act, found that combining support from training counselors with more flexible individual limits for expenditures on state-approved training would be cost-effective and increase the long-term earnings of jobseekers.  Specifically, U.S. jobseekers could realize potential […]

Firm Continues to Earn Accolades for Its Commitment to Learning

Late last year, PwC (www.pwc.com/us) received three coveted Brandon Hall Excellence Awards. The firm earned the following bronze awards: Best Custom Content and Best Use of Video for Learning for its “Finding Black and White in Shades of Grey” course, which promotes a respectful work environment, and Best Onboarding Program for its “101: PwC Internship […]

Ask the Trainer: Physical Space

A: Content physical space where training takes place can influence how effective training is; yet many trainers do not take that into consideration when designing and delivering training, says Jill Greenbaum, Ed.D., coach, speaker, and author (www.icoachidesign.com). Ideally, trainers should know during the design phase where the training will occur and how many learners will […]

Did Supervisor Stop Giving Evaluations, Raises Due to Age Bias?

What Happened In 1985, “Phyllis” was hired to work at a hotel in Dorchester, Massachusetts—initially known as a Howard Johnson Hotel, then as South Bay Hotel, and, starting in 1997, as a Holiday Inn Express operated by Jiten Hotel Management, Inc. As the executive housekeeper of the Holiday Inn Express, Phyllis oversaw the housekeeping staff […]