A tough economy forces companies to re-think the way things are done. Among all the elements in play, the greatest opportunities are in the way we think about work force education.

“There has definitely been a transition in the types of training companies are seeking,” says Dr. Joseph Weitzer, director of Waukesha County Technical College’s Corporate & Community Training department.

About a year ago, companies were much more interested in lean process and technical skills training.  “Now, there’s much more interest in investing in people skills, leadership development and improving organizational communication,” says Weitzer. “There’s been a trend toward enhancing ‘soft skills’ in the workplace.”

He says that this movement is not unexpected, particularly in a tight economy. 

“We know of several companies who, during the past year, have had to let people go and began cross training as a means of addressing ‘gaps’ within the reduced work force,” he says. “It’s been survival mode for companies, and there’s a definite sense that  ‘everybody is rolling up their sleeves’ to fight for that survival.”

The loss of employees and the associated talent has lead to a gap in the abilities, talent and capacity. This is likely to impact companies during the early phases of the recovery period.

“It has been very hands-on for the past couple of years,” he notes.“Now that orders are starting to come in for some companies, they’re recognizing the need for training to increase efficiency and meet short term demand.”

The ability to provide that training is what brings companies in the region to Waukesha County Technical College’s Corporate and Community Training Department for standard programming and customized, value-added training. Coursework is available in a wide range of subjects and industries, from basic workplace education and broad-based business subjects to topics more industry specific. An ongoing series of public-accessible seminars also enhances WCTC’s educational offerings. 

“Businesses come to us for a variety of reasons,” says Weitzer. “We have a wealth of expertise and diverse resources that we draw upon. Our instructors both work and teach in their industries, and they know how to really make a difference within an organization.”

He adds that the collective skill set of those instructors is also key in helping local businesses.

“We sometimes will have businesses work directly with our content experts in a consultative relationship,” he explains. “They can start with the symptom — whatever the business has defined as a problem — and drill down to the solutions.”

That expert, outside eye often will identify immediate solutions and then add training to not only solve the identified problem, but improve the workplace.

“We’ve seen situations where the layout of the manufacturing floor is not efficient,” he says as an example. “Or perhaps there is no internal inventory process, or processes are being replicated unnecessarily. Our instructors can address that, and then move on to lean process instruction or some other training that will show even greater results.”

In many instances, WCTC is also able to work with companies who may not feel they have the financial resources to pursue work force training.

“The Wisconsin Technical College System makes about $3 million dollars available annually to support advanced training for the local work force,” notes Weitzer. “Over the past two years, WCTC has secured more than a half a million dollars to support training initiatives in Waukesha County.

While we are here to help everyone, we have been particularly successful in supporting smaller companies’ training initiatives.”

For example, WCTC can work with a group of smaller companies with the same or similar training needs and create a program that leverages resources. 

“Combined, a smaller group of companies can  benefit from a shared training agenda while reaching the financial threshold where they could receive a grant to support the initiative,” he says. “We realize that the cost of training can be significant for a company, but the benefits of receiving that training are also significant and long lasting. It’s certainly something for businesses to consider as we reposition ourselves.”

By Laurie Arendt

Laurie Arendt is editor of CRW. She can be reached at crweditor@crwmag.com