Training and Development Solutions

 

 

Training News from Contract Education at
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District

April 2015   
Workplace Universities Not Just for
Big Corporations
Corporate universities were first created in the late 1980s as centralized strategic entities within large corporations designed for the education and development of employees and for building company culture. A primary goal of these internal learning organizations was to promote the development not only of job skills, but also core workplace skills, such as leadership, creative thinking and problem solving.  Today it is estimated that over 4000 U.S. corporations operate their own universities.
 
Building on the corporate university model, a growing number of small to mid-size business owners are recognizing that their organizations can greatly benefit from developing their own in-house universities that align their employees' learning opportunities with company goals and initiatives.  Since it's not always financially viable for most small businesses to hire their own staff to manage and deliver in-house training, many owners and executives are turning to external training and development organizations with the experience and staff to develop and manage in-house universities scaled to fit each company's needs and budget.
 
Contract Education at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District is currently partnering with a Bay Area designer and manufacturer of high performance lighting systems to develop a university for the company's managers, supervisors and leads. The company founder had already demonstrated his commitment to employee learning and development by working with Contract Education to provide an on-site customized skill building program for frontline employees, and is now strengthening that commitment by adopting the corporate university model to develop the leadership skills of the entire team.
 
Contract Education can help your organization explore the potential for creating an on-site company university to deliver leadership development and employee skills training programs. For more information, contact MariAnn Fisher at 925.249.9372 or mfisher@clpccd.org.
Understanding Adult Learning
Adult learners respond more successfully to employee training programs that are relevant, practical and applicable to their jobs. Adults learn best when the subject is of immediate use, and they are able to apply what they learn to practical problem-solving.

Effective training reflects the workplace environment and the real-world issues and challenges employees are experiencing. In order to capture the attention and interest of adult learners, instructors need to incorporate problem solving exercises, case studies and other hands-on activities that stimulate thinking and improve retention of information. 

Fully engaging adult learners by understanding how they learn is the most effective way to transform training into improved job performance.
Written Injury and Illness Prevention Program Required in California
Employers in California are required to have an effective written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). The benefits of an effective IIPP include improved workplace safety and health, better morale, increased productivity and reduced costs of doing business.

Workplace injuries and illnesses can increase employers' direct costs, including medical treatment, higher worker's compensation insurance premiums, indemnity and litigation.  Costs per injury can average more than $50,000 for a back injury, $62,000 for a slip and fall injury and $40,000 for a carpal tunnel or repetitive motion Injury.  Indirect costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses often include lost productivity, re-training, hiring new employees, administrative time and repair or replacement of equipment.

 

If you need to develop a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program or improve your existing program, visit the Cal/OSHA IIPP etool webpage for extensive information and resources.

If you're interested in OSHA standards-based training or general information related to workplace safety and health, please visit the OSHA Training Center website.
Standard Operating Procedures an Essential Element of Manufacturing Best Practices
While standard operating procedures (SOPs) are important for manufacturing in all industries, policies, procedures and meticulous documentation are especially vital in food manufacturing. Maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety in the production of food is essential for the protection of consumers as well as employees.

Contract Education has been engaged in a multi-year project with a San Francisco Bay Area manufacturer of specialty food items to establish and maintain best practices in plant operations and safety. The project has focused on developing standard operating procedures along with safety policies related to the operation of plant machinery in all areas of the company's production line.

Based on significantly improved processes and increased plant safety following the initial project phase, the company is currently focused on documenting lockout/tagout procedures, including best practices to safeguard employees from the unexpected startup of machinery and equipment or the release of hazardous energy during service and maintenance activities.

The final SOP documentation, complete with step-by-step procedures, charts and photos, is being assembled into documents that are placed strategically throughout the plant for easy reference and on-the-job training. In addition, Contract Education will partner with plant management to ensure that all workers receive training in how to follow the SOPs.
In This Issue
Training Tip: Communication
Here's a fun and easy exercise to help improve employee communication skills:

Participants pair off and arrange chairs or sit on the floor with their backs to each other. One of the pair is given a picture of a shape, and the other is given a pencil and pad. The person with the picture gives verbal instructions on how to draw the shape, but cannot directly identify the shape. Each pair then compares the original shape with the drawing, and discusses the communication process, such as how well the shape was described, how well the drawing matches the shape, or how the communication could have been more effective.
About Contract Education
Contract Education at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District delivers employee training, consulting and related support services to public and private sector organizations, such as manufacturing, healthcare, construction, technology and government agencies. We provide customized, on-site learning solutions that are innovative, practical and cost-effective, including leadership development, management and supervisory training, skill building programs, compliance training and curriculum development.


For more information about how Contract Education can help your organization develop leadership and employee capabilities to meet current and future challenges, call MariAnn Fisher at 925.249.9372 or email mfisher@clpccd.org.

Contact Us
MariAnn Fisher
Economic Development and Contract Education
925.249.9372

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Economic Development and Contract Education

Chabot-Las Positas Community College District

7600 Dublin Blvd., Suite 102 ● Dublin, CA 94568

925.249.9372 ● www.tdsolutions.org

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