Mission statements, operating principles, and general philosophy statements for a human resources development department were drafted and readers asked to tell which of these philosophies, mission statements, and operating principles come closest to describing the way their training and development departments work. Results are presented and…

Presents an overview of advances in technology-based learning aids and how they can affect training. It discusses five modes of computer-aided instruction applications, creating your own programs, and four types of learner responses to anticipate. (CT)

Discusses results of a questionnaire sent to "Training" subscribers concerning the question: "Should training/HRD (human resource development) practitioners be formally certified?" Answers to another question, "What is your idea of a workable certification system for training/HRD practitioners?" are examined. (CT)

Takes a look at the questions involved in designing customized training: What changes does management expect to see as the result of training? Who has information that must be included and excluded? How "customized" should the training be? and How will the training be delivered? (CT)

Describes the human resources department at West Virginia University. Discusses the training needs assessment project, formation of an advisory committee, targets for training, budget restrictions, department faculty and staff, faculty attitudes about the program, training sites, use of video-based simulation, and how the program is currently…

Nine reasons that training programs do not succeed (for example, limited training resources, reasons for training unclear, critical nontraining factors ignored, management support is lacking, role of supervisor not recognized, little preparation or followup) and five training success factors (value, focus, power, mass, duration) are presented. (CT)