An original article from the NIST Manufacturing Innovation Blog.
IMEC is proud to recognize Stacey Curry Lee, Technical Specialist in Workforce Development, who recently achieved the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach (ACC) reinstatement.
Many organizations are experiencing the full force of change. This new speed of change is creating a shift in what employee’s value and what they are looking for in an organization. And because of this, organizations are now reflecting more on their culture and considering ways to enhance employee engagement and retention. Now is the ideal time for organizations to reflect on their legacy learning approaches and ask themselves: “will our existing learning approaches to enhance employee engagement, leadership development, change management, and problem solving help us transform our culture to best meet the future demands of our customers and stakeholders?” Perhaps, if the focus is on developing the team and not just the individual learner.
For years, those of us in operations have heard of or used the term “Gemba.” In fact, we often use the term quite loosely not realizing the Gemba is not just where the work is done, but where value-added work is done. A key understanding is how a well-executed Gemba Walk can help improve flow and value to the organization.
On the heels of the global pandemic comes yet another challenge for manufacturers to face: The coming of the “smart factory”. The factory that requires you to upskill your workers just to stay afloat and will leave you and your employees behind if you don’t start planning now. Right now.
This is an original article from JFF’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the manufacturing industry hard, and apprenticeship may be one strategy toward a stable recovery.
As the novel coronavirus spread across the country and around the world, many manufacturers had to cut back operations and lay employees off. These moves contributed to the overwhelming surge in new claims for unemployment benefits, which had surpassed 40 million in just ten weeks as of May 23, 2021.
This is an original article from JFF’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning.
What Is Work-Based Learning?
Work-based learning refers to meaningful training that takes place at work, usually under the direction of employer coaches and managers, and has been shown to produce high value for both companies and workers.
I remember my mom would make sure I had a quarter in my pocket in case I had to make an emergency call while out with friends. The quarter obviously for the payphone. Do you remember using the payphone? How about when watching your first music video? MTV was a big thing back in the early 80s. Some of us can remember those firsts in our culture yet for some of our colleagues, that transition from “how it was” to “how it is” did not happen. It just always was.
The days of traditional and organic relationship building stopped abruptly in 2020, and the effects are still lingering in 2021. In person meetings were canceled, and virtual meetings took place. Casual run-ins with coworkers at the water cooler stopped, and the way we meet new customers has been altered dramatically.
I grew up in the best place ever. My neighborhood was diverse, just like my family. We are Mexican, Puerto Rican, Black, and all American. I had no idea that I was different or that I was a minority. I believed that what we practiced in our home was the same as every other American.
