The customized training division of the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center (CTC) has offered quality training and training related services to industry for the past 15 years. The customized training division assists organizations in:
- Identifying performance issues
- Separating performance issues into training and non-training issues
- Defining the desired training outcomes
- Designing training to match outcomes
- Developing a custom curriculum based upon specific industry need
- Evaluating effectiveness.
A training analysis can be conducted at the strategic level (business objectives) or at the task level (operational objectives).
The CTC customized training division provides high quality, convenient, cost effective solutions for quality improvement, employee development, and technical skills training in areas such as blueprint reading, mechanical components, machining, carpentry, welding, electrical, AutoCAD, computer software applications, fluid power and more.
The CTC believes that training should:
- be flexible enough to provide training services night or day, seven days a week.
- have world class standards identified and built into each training program.
- be customized, with an emphasis on hands-on training tailored to an organization’s needs.
- be cost effective, competitively priced, with a targeted training approach that results in a higher return on investment. The organization trains to the skills and knowledge that is less than that required by the job.
- be immediately useful; employees are not just learning theory, the employee is able to apply information and continue to produce while he/she is learning.
Work Keys-Training Needs Analysis
Industry training begins with the proper assessment of employee and organizational needs. Work Keys links required workplace skills to performance-based assessments. It provides an assessment that translates skill requirements for individual jobs into levels of proficiency. Employees can use the assessment results to ready themselves for existing and future employment. Employers can compare the assessment scores to the job and use it as a tool for updating job descriptions, setting compensation, aiding in the selection process, for placement, as a guide to education, training for promotion and as a resource for outplacement. The CTC has two certified WorkKeys profilers.
The Work Keys System Follows A Four Step Process.
1. Job Profiling – Data is gathered to determine and describe job tasks, skill levels, time spent and task importance-criticality. This procedure yields direction before embarking on any training program.
2. Assessments - Skills are measured and compared with job requirements to produce a prescription for training. Assessments quality who needs training, in what areas, and to what degree necessary to meet the job criteria. Companies can determine the skill level at the time of training.
3. Customized Curriculum Development – Targeting skills and knowledge tailored to the job ensure instructional programs are accurate. This saves a company time and money.
4. Instruction - Training is specific to the job requirements is offered, equipping individuals with skills to enhance their performance. Post-instructional testing measures what effect instruction had, validating the gain from the training program. This division is managed by a team of professionals with extensive education backgrounds and business/industry experience.
Workforce Readiness
There is a team of five people who serve as the Adult Continuing Education (ACE) team within the unemployment office (Careerlink) for the purpose of assessing and directing prospective employees (customers) to resources that will align their skills/knowledge to employers needs. The team provides services and products that assess training needs in seven high priority industry clusters. These clusters have been identified by local government and a board made up of local employers. The team works to provide services and products that work toward placing trained workers with employers. The resource room coordinator coordinates the services that help customers identify the industry that most closely matches their career goal. Next an assessment is provided so that customers can see if they need enhancement training in order to align with industry standards. This process is intended to measure a person’s readiness for the job identified by the prospective employee. The information technology instructor facilitates on-line and computer based training to address any skills gaps that might have surfaced. A counselor and assistant counselor provide the service and guidance to help prospective employees determine the necessary track to bridge the gap between current skills and knowledge and the skills and knowledge connected to a job profile. An administrative assistant tracks the prospective employee’s progress. The team stays with the customer until the person has a credentialed report that lines up with pre-identified employer expectations.
