In this panel discussion we will explore two trends: Developing frontline workers & apprenticeships.
Research by i4cp and the Aspen Institute's UpSkill America found that while 89% of organizations currently offer development opportunities to frontline workers, the vast majority of organizations (73%) either don't track or report on the number of frontline workers who take advantage of these development opportunities. And yet, when frontline workers take advantage of development opportunities, it has a high correlation to the market performance of the organization.
As recently reported in CLO magazine, apprenticeships help people upgrade their skills and keep pace with the demands of the 21st century. Today, in part thanks to strong cooperation between labor and management, 87 percent of apprentices find employment after completing their programs, and their average starting wage is more than $50,000. Over the course of their lifetimes, workers who complete an apprenticeship may earn hundreds of thousands of dollars more than their peers who do not.
According to the Department of Labor, apprenticeships produce highly skilled employees. Once established, apprenticeship programs also reduce turnover rates, increase productivity, and enhance safety in the workplace thanks to training curriculums that are specifically created to meet the organization’s needs.
To help guide the roundtable discussion, our facilitator will focus the panelists on some or all of the following discussion points...
- The major challenge to upskilling frontline workers is the large gap between strong employer intent and weaker follow-through (73% don’t know how many frontline workers take advantage of development). This is significant because when these workers take advantage of development, it has a positive impact on market performance.
- Frontline worker development has the strongest impact on market performance when it's tied to two distinct advancement initiatives.1) advancing the corporate social responsibility aims of the company & 2) providing career advancement/upward mobility opportunities to frontline workers.
- The importance of manager involvement