The Business of Effective Workforce Development

Jill Buckner, Director of Corporate Training, S&H Systems

Jill Buckner, Director of Corporate Training, S&H Systems

Defining Workforce Development Across Organizational Contexts

Over the last 30 years of all the process that make up Workforce development I have found it depends on how it is defined within the company. The baseline of the tasks usually remain the same, however; there is a such a wide range of “how” these components get disseminated, it can look like a Sonic drink at times. I think there is a best practice for sure, but I have seen it work with many different approaches for different products.

For example: if you define workforce development as a coordinated set of strategies, programs, and policies designed to help people gain the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed for productive employment—and to ensure employers have access to a skilled, prepared talent pipeline. The components may include:

• Training and Upskilling: Job training, apprenticeships, certifications, on-the-job learning.

• Career Pathways: Clear routes for individuals to enter, advance, or transition within industries.

• Education Partnerships: Collaboration between employers, schools, colleges, and training providers.

• Talent Pipeline Development: Aligning training with employer needs to ensure job seekers are job ready.

• Support Services: Childcare, transportation, coaching, and other wraparound services enabling people to work.

• Economic Development Alignment: Ensuring workforce skills support regional industry growth.

In my experience the size of the company and how these roles are assigned depends on their success. Let me explain. If the HR Generalist must do a little bit of each of the tasks, the success of the components may be there, but it will take a very long time to build what you need and you won’t be able to keep up if the company grows. However, if it is possible under the HR umbrella to hire a HR Generalist, Recruiter, Training Manager and Talent Management personnel and the focus is spread, amazing things can happen. Each works in tandem on all the components with a significant amount of team overlap and synergy to gain success in each component.

This structure becomes even more important when aligning training with constantly evolving operational and technical demands. The key is complete flexibility. Training should be broken down into small, manageable lessons that can be easily updated and quickly deployed as changes occur. Regardless of the delivery method, this approach ensures that learning remains relevant, responsive, and aligned with real-time business needs.

New Forces Shaping Workforce Training

With the development of AI and the evolution of technical advances in every industry, it is extremely important to have someone as the “strategic look ahead” to determine how the trends will affect ALL the parts of the trade. For example,

• What is coming?

• What do my employees need to upskill themselves as a result?

• How will this impact our work within the company and for our customers?

• What is the ROI for utilizing new technologies and how quickly will the return happen?

Evaluating Learning Through Practical Application

Training is only as effective as its development and delivery. The biggest hurdle for the “old school” trainers of PowerPoints and quizzes, is understanding how the brain truly learns. The fact that we are all human and physically our brains work the same, the methodology of training to how the brain learns is the most effective regardless of the type of business you are training in.

The second most effective way for me has been “Theory to Practice.” By providing follow up and intentional opportunities to practice what has been taught and applied first hand, is the most efficient in my experience. It also provides a very natural way of holding each other accountable to what is being taught.

Building a Meaningful Training Career

Learn the business first. Learn the acumen and how your industry or organization functions.

Then, start to apply the goodness of what you know as a training professional. Doing it in this order promotes trust, buy-in and saves so much money by providing what is truly needed not just what we think is good.

ROI

AI