Why Actually Read the Articles?

In class we have been constantly reading articles relating to the corporate training and how it has changed and will change for the future with developing technology. Going into these articles I didn't know to what extent they would apply to me, being a college student who has held only part time/seasonal jobs or internships. After reading the articles, I realize that training has become an integral part of a number of corporation’s successes and failures.

Sure, there are jobs for the small town shop that the one or two other workers can teach you in your first few days, throughout the course of the day. However, the percentage of people that are employed at these places is nothing compare to the number of people employed by Corporate America. For example, the number of people employed at “The Shop”, a specialty purse store in my hometown, is nothing compare to the number of employees trained as a Customer Service Representative for Michelin North America. Whereas with a small shop you can have the best employee train the new hires, Michelin cannot have its best Customer Service Representative answering questions for the eight new hires it took on, and expect that same person to continue to excel at their job. On the other hand, Michelin cannot expect for a new employee to be able to provide the service they desire if they are not properly trained.

I worked for Michelin as a summer intern in their Credit and Business Development Department; I was trained with other interns and new hires. We went through a video introduction workshop and then were trained in our respective departments. Reflecting on the articles I had read, I realized that employee-training programs had already affected me. I realized just how widespread employee training was when applied the article to my training for the restaurant business at PF Chang’s China Bistro. Even a franchised restaurant feels the need to properly train its workers, despite the facts the jobs were as simple as running food and seating guest. We had a team representing multiple franchises across the nation and a few individual from National Headquarters.

Seeing that these articles have already applied to my work life and knowing that I will be more affected with the intricate positions my degree will allow me to hold has made the workforce articles more interesting to me than originally imagined.

Workplace Learning and Training Trends for the Future

We are a much different generation than any of those who have come before us, often called the "Net Generation," as the people in our generation grew up with the Internet. The Internet has changed the way people live, work and learn. We are the first generation with the computer in our classroom since day one, and this puts us at a huge advantage. However, we must use this advantage or the American workforce will suffer. Many corporations already have "corporate universities" which allow for in-house corporate learning. The generation that is going to be coming to these corporations in the future is not going to have the patience to sit in a classroom; they are going to need to be working and learning. Web 2.0 tools allow this new generation to take learning and training into their own hands and time. These tools include blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, and other technologies.

Technology has given corporations the advantage of using workforces outside of the U.S. for less cost than American workers. This forces the American workforce to prove their worth over the less expensive workers. American colleges and universities are known as the best in the world, so it is not that our workforce is less desirable on a knowledge basis. The problem is that a company can hire a few number of more knowledgeable American workers or outsource and hire a significant number of less knowledgeable workers. The American workforce needs so be so advanced that they are more knowledgeable and productive than five or so workers. To make American workers so that they are so, the training they receive from K-12 all the way through graduate school has to be the very most advanced especially in the fields of math and science/technology. More than just putting in the extra effort to train our future workforce, the government needs to back schools in their efforts. The American government needs to invest funds in education to improve the future American workforce investment in the future will pay out when American jobs are not being outsourced because using a few American workers is worth more than using a number of less knowledgeable but cheaper labor.

Look to my delicious account for more articles relating to trends and training the American workforce. http://delicious.com/brennan.kellya