Building Effective Technical Training How to Develop Hard Skills Within Organizations

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.

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

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