The best learning and development organizations support business initiatives tactically "and" help drive strategic change. Verizon did just that, earning it the No. 1 spot for the first time on the Training Top 125. Verizon and the other 2012 Top 125 winners continued to invest in training, collectively dedicating a mean of 4.52 percent of their…

For flooring manufacturer Mohawk Industries, it is not enough to teach employees how to be great. The long-time Training Top 125 contender focused last year on helping employees to blaze their own learning paths while meeting organization imperatives. That meant improving the technology that supports employee performance, as well as creating new…

An organization probably prides itself on its openness in finding new talent. It is eager to add people with diverse backgrounds and skills to its roster of employees. Yet, like many companies, it might be hesitant to actively recruit persons with disabilities. Recruiting and integrating these individuals may require greater care, but what an…

Top companies realize how vital training is to their success and continue to invest in it, even in trying times. This article presents "Training" magazine's 11th annual ranking of the top companies with employee-sponsored workforce training and development. First-time No. 1 winner Farmers Insurance puts such a premium on learning that its new…

Preparing employees for the immediate work in front of them is a challenge. While most companies are still mastering effectively training their own workforce, some, such as "Training" magazine Top 10 Hall of Famer The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, have set up for-profit academies open to the public. When Ritz-Carlton won the national Malcolm…

Even in an industry where rapid change is the status quo, it takes a special kind of company to handle the training challenges posed by a major corporate acquisition and massive product rollout. No one has ever accused Verizon of thinking small-scale when it comes to training initiatives, but over the last year, the telecommunications giant…

The youngest workforce generation seems to crave games and simulations, and even older workers are coming to enjoy them. But what do new trends in these areas mean for the company, the learners, and the organization's strategic goals? In this article, two experts in the field, Clarissa Graffeo and David Metcalf of the Mixed Emerging Technology…

Discusses the critical ongoing need for skills and education to maintain the work force. Looks at what organizations are doing to maintain employee skills, add to the entry-level work force pool, and work with educators to ensure that students will have the skills they need. (JOW)

There are inherent problems when unskilled or semiskilled workers are retrained for high skilled jobs that do not and will not exist. Although the consensus is that smarter workers will make the nation more competitive in the world market, the occupation that will add the most jobs by the year 2005 is retail clerk. (JOW)

Older workers are seeking new training opportunities to expand their skill base or a schedule that allows them to grow into retirement. However, many businesses are slow or unwilling to accommodate flexible schedules or provide training. Harmony between these discordant viewpoints must be reached to take advantage of senior skills. (JOW)

Presents guidelines for starting a training department including reasons why corporations decide to establish one. Includes examples from many companies. (JOW)

Gives statistics on the number of hours devoted to formal training for employees in various job categories. Also examines those courses most often and least often offered to employees across various industries. (JB)

Discusses the role of the Office of Personnel Management in monitoring federal training programs. Offers data on training programs in several agencies, but admits to a wide margin of error and discusses problems involved in collecting data. (JB)

Leonard Nadler, who created George Washington University's doctoral program in human resources development (HRD) in 1962, discusses definitions of HRD and its growth as a discipline. (JOW)

Suggests that workplace literacy is a serious concern and most companies are doing nothing to address the problem. Discusses how several companies are dealing with the issue. (JOW)