Skills Development for Engineers: Innovative Model for Advanced Learning in the Workplace

by Kevin Hoag

Overview

This book questions the effectiveness of current employee learning in most organisations and presents an alternative framework model, which is less costly and more successful. Many practical examples of successful approaches are give in a highly readable format, with many diagrams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780852969793
Publisher:	The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Publication date:	10/15/2001
Series:	IEE Monographs
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Kevin Hoag

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	ix
	List of figures	xi
	List of tables	xiii
Part 1	An Innovative Model	1
1	Introduction	3
2	Moving beyond the classroom	9
2.1	Taking a step back	10
2.1.1	Audience size	10
2.1.2	Audience location	10
2.1.3	Required proficiency	11
2.1.4	Technical difficulty	11
2.1.5	Ease of change	11
2.1.6	Cost	11
2.2	Approaches to provide for learning in the workplace	13
2.2.1	Classroom training	13
2.2.2	Teleconference	15
2.2.3	Videotape	15
2.2.4	CD-ROM	15
2.2.5	Intranet	15
2.3	Examples of employee development needs and how they might be addressed	17
2.3.1	New product familiarization	17
2.3.2	A new work system	18
2.3.3	Technical writing	18
2.3.4	Expertise on a specific subject	19
2.4	Developing technical expertise	19
2.5	The learning progression	21
2.6	Proficiency scales	24
2.7	Summary	25
3	Management roles	27
3.1	Defining the requirements	28
3.1.1	Senior engineering management	28
3.1.2	Individual engineers	28
3.1.3	Direct supervisors	28
3.2	Establishing management support	29
3.3	Identifying types of positions	32
3.4	Identifying required subjects	35
3.5	Identifying required proficiencies	38
3.6	Some specific examples	39
3.7	Summary	45
4	Mechanisms for advanced learning	47
4.1	Methods of attaining the higher proficiencies	48
4.2	Fundamentals of experiential learning	49
4.3	Practical approaches to experiential learning	50
4.3.1	Demonstration with a return demonstration	50
4.3.2	In-class case study	50
4.3.3	Critical incidents	51
4.3.4	Poster presentations	51
4.3.5	Case study research	52
4.3.6	Trips and tours	52
4.3.7	Coaching	52
4.3.8	Mentoring	53
4.3.9	On-the-job training	53
4.3.10	Clinics	53
4.3.11	People networking	54
4.4	Putting it all together	54
4.5	Summary	57
5	Communicating the information	61
5.1	Needs of the communication system	61
5.1.1	Common subject definitions	63
5.1.2	Linkage between matrices and subject write-ups	64
5.1.3	Write control	64
5.1.4	Revision and document control	65
5.1.5	Ease of use	65
5.1.6	Accessibility	66
5.2	Hypertext database software	66
5.3	Review of where we've been	69
5.4	Summary	70
6	Employees own their own development	71
6.1	Learning matrix selection and modification	72
6.1.1	Case 1	73
6.1.2	Case 2	73
6.2	Self-appraisal	74
6.2.1	Ensuring that the process is non-threatening	74
6.2.2	Emphasizing personal ownership	74
6.2.3	Minimizing management time requirements	75
6.3	Prioritization of development needs	79
6.4	Individual development planning	80
6.5	Summary	82
7	The supervisor's role	85
7.1	Supervisor review of self-assessment	85
7.1.1	Case 1	86
7.1.2	Case 2	86
7.1.3	Case 3	87
7.2	Supervisor review of priorities	88
7.3	Supervisor role in development plan	89
7.4	Corporate-wide support	91
7.5	Summary	93
Part 2	A Few Further Applications	95
8	Rotational programs	97
8.1	Introduction	97
8.2	Description of the concept	98
8.3	Developing the rotational program	99
8.4	Cummins case study	102
8.5	Summary	105
9	Organizational assessment	107
9.1	Introduction	107
9.2	The needs of the organization	107
9.2.1	Department proficiency assessment	107
9.2.2	Succession planning	108
9.2.3	New project staffing	109
9.2.4	Finding the talent and diversity	109
9.3	Creating the company-wide database	111
9.4	Summary	115
10	Evaluating program effectiveness	117
10.1	Introduction	117
10.2	Review of Kirkpatrick's four-level model	117
10.3	Applying the available tools	118
10.4	Summarizing the resulting data	119
10.5	Summary	120
11	There is no such thing as a free lunch	121
	References	123
	Index	125