Recently, I had occasion to attend a meeting between several community college representatives, including The Victoria College, two workforce boards, and four large, multinational, industrial corporations. No, the meeting was not being held to discuss Exxon's (record breaking) $39.5 billion profit for 2007; rather, these stakeholders came together to discuss the need for customized training for their respective employees. These employers voiced the familiar refrain of an aging workforce, the difficulty in finding qualified employees to replace them, and the ongoing need for soft and technical skill training.
These are very pragmatic concerns, not just for the employers at this table, but also employers around the globe. The particular concern that caught community college representative's attention was the fact that many of these corporations were not aware that community colleges do customized (contract) training for business and industry. We do in fact do customized training, and have done so for many years. It is a part of our organizational mission. What exactly is customized training and why should employers use it? Customized training is training that is tailored for the specific needs of a particular employer, organization or group of employers.
Training may involve an assortment of training areas/topics including, but not limited to: safety, leadership and management, quality, sales and marketing, pro} ect management, finance and budgeting, diversity, customer service, six sigma, teambuilding, Command Spanish, OSHA, ISO 9000/9001, computer skills, industrial hygiene and environmental protection (Hazwoper Refresher), CDL, lockout/tagout, core compliance, welding, pipefitting, maintenance' and mechanical, allied health, workplace skills, and a variety of technical and non-technical training. Training is certified by organizations such as the American Management Association.
The community college designs the curriculum per the employer's specifications and offers the training on location, at the college or online. The step-by-step process includes:
. An initial meeting to assess training/job needs.
· Curriculum design tailored to the individual business.
· Instruction provided by industry experienced, highly skilled subject-matter experts.
· Collaboration and guidance throughout the training process.
· Continuous evaluation and review of training through customer satisfaction reports/surveys.
· Ongoing relationship with the college for future training and educational needs.
Obviously, the training is not free. The costs are reasonable and customary based on standard rates for similar training. There may be some financial assistance available for some targeted industries/occupations (call for details). Some employers also utilize their employee education/tuition reimbursement benefits to pay for the continued development of their employees.
The return on investment is immeasurable through increased productivity, fewer workplace accidents, retention of skilled employees, increased technical competence, less workplace conflict, more customer satisfaction, and an increase in the bottom line. The greatest asset in an organization is the employees who work for it.
Because we are moving at the speed of light with advances in technology, communication, finance, exploration and research, it is important to ensure that employees have the right tools with which to be successful. Without the proper training, employees and organizations will find themselves falling further behind in the global business arena.
I recently read that Dell has fallen to No. 2 in the computer market. Hewlett-Packard is now No.1 in this highly competitive business. The reason, industry analysts suggest, may be due to customer service, and the fact that consumers are now buying more laptops and notebook computers (a HP niche) than PCs.
This recent development speaks to how important training is in the business world. Customer service, in particular, is a highly valued attribute to any business. Whoever answers your business telephone is, by definition, an extension of your business. Without the proper training, your company may not be communicating just how good it is, or how great it can be. Moreover, if your front line employees cannot communicate in Spanish, you may be losing half of your potential market.
The Victoria College offers a phenomenal course called "Knock Your Socks off Customer Service." It is world-class training designed with "real world" situations in mind. Previous attendees have commented on the difference it has made to their organizations through the many positive comments from clients. There is also a course called Command
Spanish that teaches those phrases and words associated with particular industries such as banking, hospitality or law enforcement. There are a myriad of other industries that Command Spanish is available for as well.
We know that there is a positive correlation between happy customers and increased profits. We also know that there are markets out there that companies are not fully realizing because of the inability to find ways to communicate with them. You will be surprised to learn how many of our Golden Crescent businesses do business, or wish they could expand business, across the Mexican border.
The Victoria College Continuing Education Department has several focus areas that are called institutes. These institutes are a grouping of similarly themed training areas. These institutes include:
· Business Office Technology Institute.
· Computer Institute.
· Construction and Maintenance Institute. .
· Entrepreneurial Institute.
· Health Professions Institute.
· Hospitality Institute.
· Language Institute. .
· Law Enforcement Institute.
· Personal Enrichment.
· Real Estate Institute.
· Transportation Institute.
· Life Transitions Institute.
I once had an employer lament to me: What happens if I train my employees and they leave." My response was "What happens if you don't and they stay?" When things are going full bore in the oil and oil field services industry they use the term "blowing and going." This slogan indicates that business is really good and employees are needed on the front lines to keep the operation moving. Historically, there are various times when industry has found it difficult to pull people off the line to get training. Now, with the aging workforce, and the lack of a pool of new talent, there is a realization that real attention must be paid to training and advancing the skills and talents of their workforce.
Training may not be the answer to all of industries concerns, but it is certainly one of the major ones.
To be sure, the community colleges will still continue to provide education to half of the college going public in America. And, if you should ask if they can also customize training for your business, yes, they can do that too. You can contact a VC continuing educational professional at 361-582-2575 to schedule an onsite training needs assessment.
Craig Follins is the vice president of workforce and economic development with The Victoria College. He can be contacted at craig.jollins@victoriacollege.edu.
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