Everyone involved in training for the 21st century faces challenges we couldn’t even have imagined 20 years ago. Today, it’s not just about keeping up with changing vehicle, powertrain and materials technology, you also have to cope with several generations of workforce experience and, in some cases, vastly different mindsets about how an individual wants to learn. Now add to this the critical role training plays in personnel development, recruitment and retention, and it often seems a bit overwhelming for those tasked with managing the training process in any organization, particularly a large fleet operation. Fortunately, it’s a challenge you don’t have to face alone.
The positive power of teamwork is something we all know and employ every day on the shop floor. It’s through the collective wisdom of all employees that a service operation succeeds. The same is true of those engaged in training these employees, and tapping into the vast experience available from others who share that training responsibility provides the knowledge and insight necessary to cope with those challenges. Good ideas are meant to be shared, and having the opportunity to network with peers produces the kind of teamwork we need to identify and leverage best practices in today’s fast-changing world.
One such collection of training wisdom resides in the Automotive Training Managers Council (ATMC), scheduled to meet in Englewood, Colo. on April 15. This non-profit training think tank has been serving the industry since 1984, helping to promote the advancement of training and professional development.
Recently reorganized as a member of the ASE Industry Education Alliance, the ATMC continues to help members stay abreast of innovations in automotive training by facilitating interaction among its members. If you’re looking for training teamwork, this is it.
ATMC uses the collective wisdom and experience of its members to look into the foreseeable future on how people will learn, and then help prepare for that future. It’s a diverse group with about a third of the members coming from the OEMs, a third from the Aftermarket, and the rest from entities that serve the training industry, such as software developers, publishers, educators, and tool and equipment manufacturers. They share a common goal of improving the quality of training and development in the transportation industry.
This year’s ATMC meeting will take a deep dive into the power of collective wisdom with a focus on best practices for helping the group share, learn and help each other by tapping into their collective knowledge and experience to address many of the issues mentioned above. From finding trainable technicians to improving the way information is shared, the discussions will cover such diverse topics as how to use current and future technology to balance training costs, and how training can improve technician retention.
They’ll also offer insights into how to apply these best practices within an organization. It’s the kind of watering hole you’re looking for to make sure your training keeps pace with the challenges.
