Competitive Skills Modules

A trained workforce is one of the most important resources that any organization can have. Workforce training is expensive and often doesn't achieve the desired results. However, well designed and expanded training can have a major impact on the competitive success of your business.

CESD's training modules are designed for a discovery-learning approach, which requires a minimum of lecturing. The teacher helps participants discover new concepts, practice using the concepts, and learn to apply them on the job. The approach requires a different set of trainer skills than is typically needed in training programs.

The modules have been designed to be taught by individuals within an organization. A train-the-trainer program exists for training supervisors, managers, engineers, and others to become trainers. In some cases, members of the hourly workforce have also become trainers.

Each module has a teacher's guide containing very specific guidance for the module presenter. A participant's guide provides a carefully structured sequence of displays and exercises for the participants to follow. Testing the participants' knowledge before and after training is an important part of this process. To this end, pre- and post-module surveys are included to measure the effectiveness of the training and provide data to the training department on the use of the modules. In some cases, the modules also contain 'props' that are used in the training.

The modules are designed to be a part of an overall employee development process. Each module contains an applications assignment. Without this on-the-job followthrough, the training will quickly evaporate.