Strategic planning of training is a systematic approach to the creation of effective training initiatives to insure desired results. The value of this process translates to making training investments pay off in higher profitability through increased employee productivity. The goal of this process is to improve your business operations through the implementation of continuous improvements and best practices for employee skill development, resulting in higher productivity and lower turnover. Some employers have already established “corporate universities” within their organizations. Many struggle with where to begin.

To build an effective training plan for your organization, I recommend the following steps:

• Identify the internal team members necessary to implement your individualized company plan.
• Develop a formalized training plan, with training linked to specific business goals and where training objectives are measurable.
• Develop the tools necessary to measure your success in achieving the training objectives.
• Define what successful training will look like to your organization before you even start!
• Develop a budget that aligns with these training objectives.

The result of this process is a strategic training plan that will implement human resource “best practices” in employee skill development and continuous improvement that can successfully enhance your operations. Investment in the training plan process translates to effective employee development, which can directly impact turnover and bottom line costs such as lost productivity and the re-training of new hires.

So what are you, Lehigh Valley employers, doing in this area? We decided to ask. A recent survey of seventy-five local employers was conducted by the Business Training Resources Department at NCC to determine what best practices exist. Here are some of the results. When asked how training activities are planned at their organizations, responses ranged from “on an as needed basis” to “the use of surveys and matrixes.” When asked how training aligns with their business goals, responses ranged from “It has little to do with actual business goals” to “It is part of our strategic plan.”

New Planning Service

In the continuing effort to best serve our customers, CBI's Business Training Resources Department will be launching a new consulting service in strategic training plan development and outcomes reporting. Services will include:

• Assessment and analysis of skill gaps impacting business goals
• Training and objectives development connected to business goals
• Training development, timeline and barrier forecasting
• Training implementation
• Learning measurement and evaluation tool development
• Data collection
• Outcomes reporting

When asked how favorable your reaction was to these services, 90% of employers reacted favorably, and 80% of employers viewed these services as important to their training efforts.

For more information about these services, contact Michele Pappalardo at 610-861-4588 or e-mail at mpappalardo@northampton.edu.

Back to Home