Building Workforce Strength

This book explores the perspectives of experienced practitioners, sharing ideas about building and sustaining organizational strength through workforce development practices and systems. In an environment where information, service, and knowledge are primary sources of value creation, workforce strength is central to securing prosperity. Written by practitioners for practitioners, Building Workforce Strength: Creating Value through Workforce and Career Development bridges the disciplines of organization and individual development, showing those charged with organizational progress why workforce strength is a key component of prosperity—and how it can be achieved. This hands-on volume is organized in three sections that establish a foundation for workforce and career development, explore implementation in organizations, and examine the process's implications for working with individuals. Showcasing workforce and career development practices and systems for both represented and nonrepresented populations, it provides a framework, techniques, and examples that will guide approaches to building workforce strength. Applications of workforce and career development principles in a variety of sectors, such as healthcare and high technology, offer tangible examples of these principles in practice.

An invaluable resource for general readers at any career stage, this book explains why, when, and how to engage in a fulfilling, nontraditional career path that is both inspiring and practical. The paradigm of the successful career has shifted. No longer is working for a single company or even within a single career field throughout one's lifetime the norm. Today, many people are considering nontraditional paths to achieving success. How to Build a Nontraditional Career Path: Embracing Economic Disruption explains what such a career path looks like and details the benefits and challenges of pursuing this option. Author Ron Elsdon identifies the types of individuals who will likely find nontraditional careers attractive and examines critical strategic issues, thereby enabling the reader to assess whether and how such a path might fit their personality, life goals, and career objectives. The information presented will benefit those considering "something different" at their entry to the workforce, individuals in middle or later career stages re-assessing their direction, people re-engaging with a career at an encore stage, or those whose previous career paths have been disrupted by an external event such as job loss.

Trust is the key to developing a positive workplace culture in which employees have pride in what they do and enjoy their colleagues. This training package and assessment shows how to implement this concept in the workplace by providing strategies and development activities. Created by the authors of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For List, it is designed to increase employee productivity and boost performance. Companies currently on that list or trying to get on it, consultants, executives, team leaders and managers, will want to learn and utilize the effective strategies in this program.

Toward a more sustainable society.

It has been estimated that 70 percent of employee development takes place through informal learning, rather than through formal learning events. Employee Development on a Shoestring offers insights and lessons for leveraging non-training activities for on-the-job employee development. This hands-on resource delivers specific implementation techniques for developing motivated, engaged employees in today’s “do more with less” business environment. A handy toolkit for any employee developer, this book provides templates and detailed guidelines to help busy managers develop their workforce in a way that is tailored to each employee’s strengths, development needs, and constraints without breaking the bank. Employee Development on a Shoestring provides general employee development best practices as well as in-depth descriptions of the how-to specifics of 11 different employee development methods, including: -Step-by-step guidance for initial goal-setting and preparation for effective development planning for every employee and development method. -Templates, worksheets, checklists, and guidelines to make your employee development efforts effective and sustainable. -A modular, customized approach to developing employees by tailoring the development method to each employee’s unique needs and each organization’s budget and constraints. -Ways to capitalize on development ideas that are easy to implement immediately and cheaply such as self-directed learning, volunteering, sabbaticals and mentoring. -The hidden value of job rotation, stretch assignments, and special teams for addressing your employees’ development needs while enhancing organizational results. -The benefits of peer teaching and how to turn development into fun games and contests. -Tools and techniques for developing employees by letting them turn stories from the frontlines into digital content for everyone’s benefit and why developing “innovation zones” within your organization may bring huge learning and development rewards. -An examination of social learning and the use of multiple collaborative online tools for real time, on-the-job employee development. Employee Development on a Shoestring is a comprehensive tutorial for all managers, supervisors, trainers, human resources (HR) personnel, coaches, and other professionals who are involved in developing employee competence efficiently and cost-effectively.

Skilled technical occupationsâ€"defined as occupations that require a high level of knowledge in a technical domain but do not require a bachelor's degree for entryâ€"are a key component of the U.S. economy. In response to globalization and advances in science and technology, American firms are demanding workers with greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy, as well as strong interpersonal, technical, and problem-solving skills. However, employer surveys and industry and government reports have raised concerns that the nation may not have an adequate supply of skilled technical workers to achieve its competitiveness and economic growth objectives. In response to the broader need for policy information and advice, Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce examines the coverage, effectiveness, flexibility, and coordination of the policies and various programs that prepare Americans for skilled technical jobs. This report provides action-oriented recommendations for improving the American system of technical education, training, and certification.

This Urban Agenda, the 6th in a series, was issued by Andrew Cuomo during his successful campaign for Governor of New York in 2010. Cuomo¿s ambitious agenda addresses the chronic problems of underserved communities and people. These policies include initiatives for affordable housing and community development; combating poverty through education and workforce training; expanding access to quality health care; making streets safe by stopping the flow of illegal drugs and reforming adult re-entry and juvenile justice systems; and ensuring that minority and women-backed businesses have a fair chance to compete. This is a print on demand report.