Industry News

Drill bits and saw blades seem like the ultimate hands-on tools, the kinds of things you have to pick up to use and practice to learn. While practice is always a good thing, it’s now possible for professionals to learn about tools by putting their hands on a keyboard. LearnIRWIN.com is a still-evolving learning portal that Newell Rubbermaid is using to help train sales professionals, distributors and customers on how to build great things together.

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Trust is an important issue in the worlds of training and business, especially in light of a recent survey that puts sales professionals on a short list of uncertain character. Fortunately, training plays a role here, by helping to create knowledgeable sales professionals who can overcome negative public perceptions. When it comes to training the rainmakers for your organization, who do you trust?

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At the beginning of each calendar year, my staff and I take out our crystal balls to make predictions for how we see the training market evolving in the next twelve months. What I thought would be helpful is to take those predictions out, knock the dust off, and see how we’re doing after the mid-year point. Here are some observations about some of those predictions, as well as some other opinions about the current state of the training industry.

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TV crime fighters have it easy: Within minutes of a crime a clear-eyed and single-minded witness throws out a vague description of criminal, and before you can say “due process,” the police are passing out sketches of a suspect … sketches so good the criminal is usually in jail before the third commercial break. Real life detectives may have a bit more challenges to their law-enforcement efforts, but technology is moving them in the right direction. Identi-Kit Solutions, a leading provider of facial composite software, has a product that makes police sketches easier to produce, and the Citrix GoToTraining online training product helps police worldwide nab the bad guys. Book ‘em Dan-O.

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General Electric, of course, is one of the world’s most-respected businesses, although it might be more accurate to say it’s several of the world’s most-respected businesses. With divisions covering everything from healthcare to aviation, from lighting to water, from your refrigerator to a massive locomotive, GE is a leading manufacturer of all manners of services and solutions.

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If you really want to appreciate someone’s professional contributions, sit down for a few minutes with the U.S. tax code, and ask yourself if you’re getting all the deductions you have coming. If your head spins at that very thought, you no doubt appreciate the depth of knowledge – and training – that goes into becoming a professional tax preparer. Tax season may traditionally be seasonal, but at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, training is an ongoing mission. It’s a collaborative venture that helps arm an annual army of professionals ready, willing and, most of all, able to mind someone else’s business.

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In a recent New York Times article, a series of business and government skills-training experts have questioned the value of training as a solution for the unemployed. It’s fair to say that training isn’t enough to exorcise the demon of joblessness altogether, but it’s at least a step in the right direction. What do you think: Is training a waste of time, or is it a gift that’s often unappreciated?

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Seattle is more than the Pacific Northwest’s shining star, it’s a gateway city that daily launches and receives people and goods from Alaska, Canada and all around the Pacific Rim. Such a diverse city with such diverse traffic deserves a diverse group of people empowered to keep the gateways running safely. At the Port of Seattle, controlling and maintaining airports, harbors and marinas is a team effort bringing together the talents of 1,600 very different people.

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There are environments where mentoring is valuable, and there are places where it’s critical. The 59 campuses of Trilogy Health Care are definitely among the latter places, with a mission to provide long-term care fueled by compassion, knowledge and skill. David Hare is in charge of training in the Trilogy culture, and he’s created a network of mentors to keep caring – and hope – alive.

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Cleveland is home to more than just the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame … it’s a busy, bustling metropolis with the city controlling two airports and a harbor. That means learning leaders must continually be providing training, development and advancement opportunities to keep the energy sharp and the systems flowing. A new leader with a new series of programs is helping build new opportunities for the city, its workers and those passing through.

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