Synopses & Reviews
Building Effective Technical Training is a practical, hands-on guide for both new and seasoned trainers. Written by William J. Rothwell and Joseph A. Benkowski— who have a combined fifty years of research and in-the-trenches experience—
Building Effective Technical Training is the resource you need to create and implement an effective technical training program within your organization-no matter your company's mission or size. Throughout the book, the authors include illustrative, real-life examples of proven techniques that you can be apply internally and externally to make your technical training sessions successful.
Rothwell and Benkowski reveal the most important characteristics that define an effective technical training program and show how technical training differs from soft skills and management training. The book also offers a blueprint for creating your organization's technical training strategic plan and reveals how to identify the key technical training management players and their responsibilities. Comprehensive in scope, Building Effective Technical Training shows how to
- Build support for technical training within an organization
- Create a benchmarking process for a technical training program
- Plan and manage strategic planning committee meetings
- Determine how and when to conduct a competitive analysis
- Summarize the important issues when evaluating technical training programs
- Work with hands-on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and use training suppliers to develop instructional materials
- Develop meaningful apprenticeship and safety training programs
The authors also review the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) model that gives trainers an invaluable method for designing courses that will get results and outline the important trends that will influence the future of technical training.
In the concluding chapters Rothwell and Benkowski share seven invaluable lessons they have learned from their long years of experience in the field of technical training.
Review
"This book apart from others is that it includes information on issues of special interest to technical trainers. Whether you're new to the field of technical training or have many years of experience, this book will help you to improve the performance in your organization."
— Kevin P. Weaver, senior instructional systems designer, The Forum Corporation, an FT Knowledge Company
"A must-read for all training professionals. The authors have provided a well balanced mix of theory, experience, and case studies for every situation a trainer may encounter. From executive strategic planning to working with unions, it's all here."
— Steve Yahr, senior staff logistics engineer, Fortune 500 Company
Synopsis
Building Effective Technical Training is a hands-on guidebook written by William J. Rothwell and Joseph A. Benkowski-- two experts in the field of technical training-- that includes a wealth of information, guidelines, and suggestions for creating and implementing technical training programs for organizations of all types and sizes. In addition, the book is filled with real-life examples and proven techniques from successful technical trainings and includes the authors' own lessons learned from professional lives dedicated to training.
About the Author
William J. Rothwell is a professor of human resource development in the department of adult education, instructional systems and workforce education and development on the University Park campus of The Pennsylvania State University. He has authored, coauthored, edited or coedited more than forty books about human resource development, human resource management, organization development, and training and development.
Joseph A. Benkowski is associate dean for outreach and program director for the masters in training and development at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He is also director of the Stout Technology Transfer Institute. He was with a Fortune 500 company and worked as corporate technical training manager in that capacity for many years before he accepted the position at the University of Wisconsin.
Table of Contents
List of Exhibits ix
Acknowledgments xii
Preface xiii
PART I FOUNDATIONS OF EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL TRAINING 1
Chapter One What Is Technical Training? 3
Chapter Two What Are the Characteristics of Effective Technical Training? 32
PART II PLANNING AND MANAGING THE TECHNICAL TRAINING FUNCTION 69
Chapter Three Establishing an Organizational Plan for Technical Training 73
Chapter Four Leading and Managing the Technical Training Department 107
PART III KEY ISSUES IN TRAINING COURSE DESIGN 121
Chapter Five Basic Principles of Instructional Systems Design 123
Chapter Six Identifying Technical Training Needs 143
Chapter Seven Preparing Technical Training Programs 176
Chapter Eight Determining and Using Delivery Methods 192
Chapter Nine Evaluating Technical Training 218
PART IV SPECIAL ISSUES IN TECHNICAL TRAINING 227
Chapter Ten Using Vendors and Managing Original Equipment Manufacturers 229
Chapter Eleven Operating Apprenticeship and Safety Training Programs and Working with Unions 241
Chapter Twelve Achieving Results with Alternatives to Technical Training 268
PART V CONCLUDING THOUGHTS 279
Afterword Lessons Learned from Experience in Technical Training 281
APPENDICES 287
Appendix I Assessing and Building Competence as a Technical Trainer 289
Appendix II Guidelines for Technical Training Development and Delivery 292
Appendix III Examples Representing the Work of an Organization’s Strategic Planning for Technical Training Committee 310
Appendix IV A Written Questionnaire to Assess Technical Training Needs 320
References 338
About the Authors 347
How to Use the CD-ROM 349
Index 353