One may be the loneliest number, but Verizon isn't complaining. After appearing five times in the Top 10 over the last six years, the telecommunications company captured the No. 1 spot on the Training Top 125 for the first time in 2012. Despite a relatively flat training budget and a work stoppage that resulted from the expiration of union…

Farmers Insurance claims the No. 2 spot on the Training Top 125 with a forward-thinking training strategy linked to its primary mission: FarmersFuture 2020. It's not surprising an insurance company would have an insurance policy for the future. But Farmers takes that strategy one step further, setting its sights on 2020 with a far-reaching plan to…

The author developed an instructional-design model consisting of four simple steps. The model is in a circular format, rather than the usual linear series form, so it is named the training wheel. (SSH)

Provides nine suggestions for those interested in technical training by videotape, including (1) make sure video is the right medium; (2) follow specific objectives; (3) get reliable feedback; (4) know what your client wants; (5) be creative; (6) write the script clearly; (7) use good narrators and actors; (8) plan and organize compulsively; and…

Discusses various aspects of Training's business profiles, including budgets (salaries, raw materials, hardware, facilities, overhead), employee-to-trainer ratio, number of hours of training, training budget as a percent of total sales, and training budget as a percent of total payroll. (CT)

Presents information gathered from organizations with 50 or more employees concerning how the training budget will be spent in 1987 and compares that with information from previous years. Topics include (1) occupations receiving training, (2) use of computers, (3) sources of training, and (4) instructional methods. (CH)

Discusses the unique training problems of Witan Associates Limited, a company with Japanese and American employees. Their three-part training program is described: (1) contact with the training company, (2) two-day classroom seminar for all staff, and (3) corporate and departmental meetings. Results of the program are discussed. (CT)

Summarizes five task analysis approaches to determining what people need to know and do to perform their jobs successfully. (EM)

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)

The uses of interactive video are explored through various case studies. They include cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for the Dallas American Heart Association, Ford Motor Company dealership training, employee training at the Los Angeles Plutonium Facility, and others. (CT)

Describes a survey of "Training" readers that asked: (1) Does your organization conduct basic technical skills training? and (2) If you do provide technical skills training, what subjects are you covering? Results are reported and discussed. (CT)

Discusses the advantages and limitations of a one-person training department in a small organization. Suggests that going it alone is seldom easy, but gives some thoughts and ideas on how to match trainer's skills most effectively with the organization's needs. (WL)

The article discusses micro-training needs and various possible solutions, including existing programs, self-study programs, special assignments, field trips, coaching, seminars and workshops, university programs, and professional conventions and conferences. (MF)

The new J. Carlton Smith Educational Center, training center of Southwestern Life Insurance Company, Dallas, Texas, utilizes a 3,600 square feet facility and employs a wide range of methods to make life underwriting training fast and interesting. Multimedia instruction is the key to their effective educational programs. (MW)