Employer-sponsored Training Research Articles

Worker Reciprocity and the Returns to Training: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Is there a correlation between reciprocal workers and higher returns to employer-sponsored training? The study employed a field experiment that utilized random assignment to training, along with the collection of survey data on workers' reciprocal tendencies. The findings of the study indicate that workers who exhibit reciprocal behavior are more likely to reciprocate their employers’ expenditures in training by demonstrating higher levels of performance after completing the training program. The findings of this study remain consistent even after accounting for observed personality traits and worker-fixed effects. These results indicate that individuals respond to the firm's investment in human capital by exerting greater effort, aligning with theoretical models that propose a reciprocal relationship between gift exchange in the workplace. This discovery offers an alternate justification for corporate training investments, notwithstanding the potential danger of employee poaching.

On-the-Job Training and Intra-Family Dynamics

his paper shows that marital status and gender crucially impact whether individuals receive certain types of on-the-job training. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey, we show robust evidence that when training is self-financed, married workers have significantly lower participation rates, whereas women have higher rates. The correlation between demographic characteristics and the likelihood of receiving employer-sponsored training is instead much weaker. We rationalize the relationship between training incidence and marital status with a simple two-period collective model of the household with limited commitment, where contemporaneous training decisions affect future bargaining power within the household. The core prediction of the model is confirmed empirically: the likelihood to participate in self-financed on-the-job training is negatively affected by higher levels of (a proxy for) intra-household bargaining power of the spouse of the individual. The results suggest there is scope for policy to increase workers’ training participation rates by targeting individuals with weaker bargaining power within the household.

Vocational Employer-Sponsored Education of Employees of the Water Supply and Sewage

Abstract The provision of a complex development of an enterprise, the implementation of innovative projects, the introduction of the efficient management systems requires the assistance of the corresponding staff. The rates of engineering and technological development stipulate the demand for constant increase of the level of professional skills of the staff. The requirements to the systems of training and improvement in specialists’ skill are changing as well. Nowadays traditional requirements to the level of pedagogical staff and technical equipment are supplemented with the requirements of versatility, the ability to respond to technical innovations and socio-economic changes promptly, to foresee a possibility of individualization of the training trajectory according to the professional requirements of an employer. The experience of O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv in cooperation with the public utility company “Kharkivvodokanal” on implementation of the project of industry-specific employer-sponsored training of an enterprise staff aimed at increasing the level of their theoretic and practical training has been described in the article.

Enhancing the sustainability of employees' careers through training: The roles of career actors' openness and of supervisor support

Adopting a quasi-experimental design with four points in measurement, this study developed and tested a model whose variables represented key elements of the sustainable career process as captured in up-to-date thinking. The model posited that employees' openness to experience and supervisor support for training would lead to increases in employees' job performance and employability via learning as the result of an employer-sponsored training course. Training represented the contribution of the employer, who is the other key stakeholder in sustainable careers. The model was tested on 334 salespersons who attended an in-house job training course. Job performance and employability, as assessed by line managers, increased substantially and significantly following the training with respect to their pre-training levels, and learning as a result of the training mediated the relationships of openness to experience and supervisor support with the increases in job performance and employability. Contrary to expectations of a positive synergy, a substitution effect was found between openness and supervisor support in fostering learning as result of training, and subsequently, increases in job performance and employability. The study provided a comprehensive albeit short-term picture of the sustainable careers process as conceptualized in the theoretical literature. In addition, it illustrated the effectiveness of job training in the enhancement of employability. The implications of the study for theory and further research on sustainable careers and employability are discussed.

Productivity benefits of employer-sponsored training

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of employer-sponsored workforce training on employee productivity in the Australian transport and logistics industry. It challenges the quantitative notion of the ratio of input–output per labour hour as the single most important measure of productivity.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilised a mixed-method approach, involving online and on-site survey questionnaires and on-site semi-structured interviews of employers, employees and students within the industry. Survey questionnaires were administered to Vocational Education and Training (VET) learners to determine the dimensions of productivity gains, while qualitative interviews were conducted specifically to capture employers’ perceptions and expectations of the benefits of training.FindingsResults show that the relationship between employer-sponsored training and workforce productivity is multi-dimensional where, ideally, all essential dimensions must be fulfilled to effectively achieve sustainable productivity level. One dimension is the quantitative measure of increased performance as an outcome of enhanced knowledge, skills and competencies. Another relates to the increased self-confidence, job satisfaction and pride. The third dimension is the cost savings that come with increasing employees’ overall awareness and appreciation of occupational health and safety. The results show that, aside from the dominant theories on training and labour productivity, the perception of the benefits of training on workplace productivity is not merely limited to the conventional understanding of productivity as a simplistic relationship between resource inputs and tangible outputs.Practical implicationsFirms should consider redefining the benefits of training to include employee well-being and individual contribution to common team and organisational goals. Organisations therefore should broaden the notion of productivity to incorporate intangible benefits.Originality/valueThe use of multi-method approach to investigate the views and perceptions of employees, employers and trainers about the productivity benefits of training and key concerns and challenges for the industry.

Immigrants’ participation in non-formal job-related training

ABSTRACTParticipation in job-related training among immigrants is becoming more important in Europe in view of large immigration inflows. This paper considers differences in training participation rates by immigrant background including by whether they are from Western or non-Western origins. Also considered is whether differences by immigrant background depend on whether the training was supported by employers. The analyses are based on individual-level data from the PIAAC database. Four countries are included in the analysis: Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway, countries that feature a highly educated labour force and social policies designed to support and incentivise skill development over the life span including disadvantaged groups. The analyses reveal that the differences in participation rate according to immigrant backgrounds are relatively small, in all countries except Finland. Still, the immigrants receive less employer-sponsored training than non-immigrants. The results indicate a high demand for training among immigrants.

Predicting Rehabilitation Manager Knowledge of Medicare Guidelines in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Aims: Rehabilitation managers in skilled nursing facilities need a clear understanding of regulatory guidelines to support successful payment of clinically appropriate and medically necessary services. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to determine perceived and actual knowledge of 374 rehabilitation managers regarding Medicare documentation and reimbursement guidelines. Results: Respondents perceived their overall knowledge to be much higher than their actual knowledge. Scores were significantly different by practitioner level, gender, and across categories of level of education, current clinician manager role, and hours of employer-sponsored formal training related to Medicare guidelines. Perceived knowledge, level of education, current clinician manager role, years of experience in current role, and gender accounted for 20.9% of variance in overall Medicare knowledge. Conclusions: Having insight into how well clinician managers understand Medicare documentation and reimbursement guidelines can help guide educators and providers in structuring trainings to limit the spread of misinformation and keep clinicians well-informed.

Has complementarity between employer-sponsored training and education in the U.S. changed during the 2000s?

ABSTRACTThe study reveals that the positive correlation between formal education and job training (complementarity) has weakened during the 2000s. Using U.S. Census Bureau data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the study finds that although workers in all categories of educational attainment felt the decline, the effects were strongest among workers in the middle of the educational spectrum. Decomposition analysis indicates that workers’ education profiles in 2009 were more conducive to training than in 2001, which implies that policies focusing on individual characteristics to elicit additional job training will likely not be effective.

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT OF TARGET TRAINING OF TEACHERS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF ALTAI TERRITORY

The article covers teacher training according to the needs of regional educational system. The authors analyse the experience of professional support modelling of employer-sponsored teacher training in Altai Krai by participation of the Altai State Pedagogical University. The conclusions are drawn following the approbation of experimental approach in the Altai Krai in the framework of Federal Target Program of Education Development for 2016-2020. It is approved, that experimental model made by Minin University includes effective procedures of training and employment of students that are the most motivated for pedagogical job, but this model needs certain adjustment according to the social and economic characteristics of concrete Russian regions.

Assessing Cultural Competence Among Oncology Surgeons.

Racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States have the highest mortality rates for the most common cancers. Various factors, including a perceived lack of culturally congruent care and culturally competent providers, might lead minority patients to decline or delay care. As part of a large multimethod study to understand barriers to care among American Indian and Alaskan native patients with cancer, we examined surgical provider attributes associated with culturally congruent care. Surgical providers from six hospitals in the Puget Sound region of Washington State were invited to participate. Participants completed a 50-item survey that assessed demographic data and incorporated the Cultural Competence Assessment (CCA) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Survey response rate was 51.1% (N = 253). Participants reported treating diverse patient populations; 71% encountered patients from six or more racial and ethnic groups. More than one half of participants (58%) reported completing cultural diversity training, with employer-sponsored training being the most common type reported (48%; 71 of 147). CCA scores ranged from 5.99 to 13.75 of a possible 14 (mean, 10.3; standard deviation, ±1.3), and receipt of diversity training was associated with higher scores than nonreceipt of diversity training (10.56 v 9.82, respectively; P<.001). After controlling for Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale score and hospital system,participation in diversity training was the variable most significantly associated with CCA score (P<.001). Culturally competent care is an essential but often overlooked component of high-quality health care. Future work should compare training offered by various hospital systems.

Workforce Development in the United States: Facilitating Opportunities to Work at Older Ages

The aging of the U.S. baby boomer cohort, born between 1946 and 1964, has had a dramatic impact on the aging of the labor force. Of the projected labor force in 2022, workers age 55 and above will comprise 25.6%, a considerable increase compared to the 11.8% they represented in 1992. Over the past several decades, labor force participation rates (LFPRs) have increased for both the 55–64 and 65–74 age groups. Increases in the female LFPRs have been especially dramatic, projected to increase from 46.5% in 1992 to 64.3% in 2022 for the 55–64 age group and from 12.5% to 28.3% for women age 65–74 ( Toossi, 2013 ). These are by far the highest LFPRs of older women since 1947, when the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) began tracking such data. Shifts in the age structure of the U.S. labor force, combined with the increased LFPRs among older adults, require policies and programs that encourage and support employment at older ages. An increasingly international, technological, and knowledge-based economy mandates continuous learning over the life course to effectively compete in the global economy ( Keeley, 2007 ). Older workers are less likely than younger workers to participate in employer-sponsored training programs ( Eyster, Johnson, & Toder, 2008 ), but the potential benefits for them may be greater since they face multiple workforce challenges including ageism and obsolete job skills. Unemployment and displacement rates of older workers in the lowest income quintile have consistently been 3–4 times greater than the rates for all workers age 55+ ( Sum, Khatiwada, & Trubsky, 2011 ). Older job seekers have disproportionately higher rates of long-term unemployment (>27 weeks), which in turn reduces likelihood of re-employment ( Rix, 2015 ).

Employer-Sponsored Training And Job Retention Of Mid-Career Employees

Recent research on training has been focused on explaining the empirical finding that many employers often sponsor training that employees could potentially use in other firms (i.e., general training). This paper studies employer-sponsored general training for mid-career employees, who form an important but neglected subset of workers in the training context. The results indicate that college-educated workers in specialized professional occupations are the most common recipients of employer-sponsored general training. Analysis of employee retention rates indicates that mid-career workers that receive employer sponsored training are less likely to voluntarily quit their jobs post-training. Cross training and computer training have the most significant positive effects on employee job retention while only a regular training program to upgrade skills appears to produce positive employee job retention effects.

Determinants of Employer-sponsored Training Participation for Young Workers during Economic Downturns: Evidence from the Past

This study is devoted to learning from the past and understanding the determinants of training participation for young workers during recessionary periods. Evidence is found that the post-training wage growth expected over a few years after training, rather than an immediate wage gain upon completion of training, was a significant motive for young individuals to invest in training in the midst of the post-Black Monday recession. An immediate wage gain due to training, in contrast, provides no statistically significant evidence. These results indicate that young workers’ decision to invest in skill acquisition was made reasonably based on a stretched span of wage profile even during the period of economic slowdown rather than based on a myopic view as is often believed to be typical behaviour of young individuals. An important implication of this study is that the human capital of young workers continues to accumulate even in recessionary periods if an employer plans workers’ career development and earnings growth potentials beyond the time of economic hardship.

Worker Mobility, Employer-Provided Tuition Assistance, and the Choice of Graduate Management Program

This paper links inherent mobility to observed schooling choices. A job search model with graduate education predicts that more mobile workers are more likely to enroll in full-time MBA programs. Adding to the literature on employer-sponsored general training, the model predicts that employers are likely to provide tuition assistance to workers who find quits costly. I use a panel survey of GMAT registrants to test some of the empirical implications of the model. I show that observable measures of job attachment are correlated with the probability of attending part-time and, conditional on part-time attendance, with the likelihood of receiving tuition reimbursement.

PARTICIPATION IN WORKPLACE EMPLOYER-SPONSORED TRAINING IN CANADA: ROLE OF FIRM CHARACTERISTICS AND WORKER ATTRIBUTES

I. INTRODUCTION To be successful in the highly innovative and internationally competitive knowledge-based global economy, Canada must produce, attract, retain, and upgrade the well-educated labor force. In addition to producing new graduates and attracting skilled immigrants, renewing and upgrading skills of the existing labor force remain one of the most challenging and important tasks. Employer-sponsored training is one important vehicle for skills upgrading. On the one hand, employer-sponsored training in Canada has been falling short of international standards (Government of Canada 2002a, p. 59) but is increasingly demanded across industries (Government of Canada 2002b, p. 41). This is of particular importance considering the Canadian aging population and smaller future cohorts of new workers who would enter the labor force in the years and decades to come. On the other hand, as illustrated in this work, international evidence indicates that increased market competition, organizational changes, research and development, and technological innovation have raised the demand for job-related training in the United States. But the empirical evidence for Canada is quite limited. Many existing studies on employer-sponsored training are primarily based on household-based surveys (such as the Adult Education and Training Survey [AETS] for Canada) where the information on firm characteristics is not as rich as that in firm-based surveys (such as the Workplace and Employee Survey [WES] for Canada). Lin and Tremblay (2003) note that many existing Canadian studies have examined employer-sponsored training in programs and courses from the perspective of households but few studies have examined directly workplace job-related classroom and on-the-job training from the perspective of firms. Many studies have examined the relationship between worker attributes and participation in employer-sponsored training based on surveys that contain limited information on firm characteristics (e.g., firm size, industry, and union status) but few studies have examined the role of other critical firm characteristics such as market competition, research and development, technological innovation, and management practices. The WES data link these firm characteristics to their workers' attributes and record workplace classroom and on-the-job training. Therefore, the WES data enable us to better understand workplace training. This work adds to the literature in the following ways. First, we attempt to evaluate the role of firms' training provision in workers' participation. We find that when firms provide more training, their workers tend to participate more in workplace training. This finding has an important implication to firms and their training decisions. Second, we try to examine how workers' participation is correlated with changes in market competition, organizational changes, and technological innovation. The new evidence from the WES data indicates that changes in market competition, organizational changes, and technological innovation affect workers' participation in workplace training. This finding explains in part why workers in some firms participate more in workplace training than those in other firms. These new findings suggest that there is a strong and direct relationship between those important firm characteristics and workplace training. The remainder of the work proceeds as follows. In Section II, we review the existing literature and state our key hypotheses about workplace training participation. In Section III, we describe the WES data and highlight some observations based on the statistical analysis of workplace training participation with reference to all of the firm characteristics and worker attributes. In Section IV, we use the econometric models to analyze workplace training participation by taking into consideration all firm characteristics and worker attributes so that we can identify and interpret the net marginal impact of each of these determinants on workplace training participation. …

The Development of Employers’ Training Investments Over Time – A Decomposition Analysis Using German Establishment Data

SummaryUsing establishment data covering the time period 1997 to 2007, this paper investigates trends of employer-sponsored further training in Germany, with a focus on the share of establishments investing in training. In West and East Germany alike, I find a positive time trend in the share of training active establishments. Applying Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition techniques shows that changes in some establishment characteristics affect the trend, however, not only in a positive way.While the increase of the fraction of skilled workers, changes in industry composition and the risen share of innovative establishments contribute positively to the trend, the decreased fraction of establishments engaged in collective bargaining operates in the opposite direction. In spite of these findings, the overall characteristics effect is rather small.

Recouping Returns Through Increased Retention: An Explanation for Why Firms Offer Tuition Reimbursement

Using administrative data from a large establishment, this paper examines two channels by which tuition reimbursement programs, a type of employer-sponsored general training program, increase employee retention. The first channel operates through the type of workers that sort into firms with tuition reimbursement programs versus firms without a program. The second channel is the direct effect on retention through participation of employees in the program. I find that 80 percent of the program’s overall effect on retention comes from worker sorting and that the cost-savings from reduced turnover more than covers the cost of the program. Furthermore, this paper exploits information on degree ma jor to evaluate potential mechanisms outside of standard human capital for how general training directly increases retention.

Hidden knowledge: Working-class capacity in the ‘knowledge-based economy’

The research reported in this paper attempts to document the actual learning practices of working-class people in the context of the much heralded ‘knowledge-based economy’. Our primary thesis is that working-class peoples' indigenous learning capacities have been denied, suppressed, degraded or diverted within most capitalist schooling, adult education institutions and employer-sponsored training programmes, at the same time as working class informal learning and tacit knowledge are heavily relied on to actually run paid workplaces. Our analysis is based on five case studies of Canadian union locals which document the learning practices of hired workers based in different industries and employment sites with strikingly different support systems for education and training and working-class learning generally. We criticise dominant theories of adult education for preoccupation with a historical and individualised, psychological processes and motives while ignoring the collective learning processes that working-class people rely upon most. For this reason we rely on a cultural-historical theory of adult learning. These case studies show that workers are generally active learners, that they do much of their learning informally and that much of this learning is of high quality.

Marketable Human Capital Investments: An Empirical Study of Employer-Sponsored Training

This study examines the predictions of human capital theory in relation to on-the-job training. The analysis is based on a unique dataset from a consulting establishment and includes direct measures of profitability, training, and each employee's acquired human capital stock. Consistent with recent findings in the training literature, the present observations indicate that the employer is financing as well as extracting the rents from marketable human capital investments. A salary increase in connection with employer-sponsored training may function as a means of safeguarding these investments and, to a lesser extent, as a consequence of shared return.

How pension accrual affects job satisfaction

Using a sample of 429 employees in a large, unionized public utility company in Canada, we examine the incentive effects of a final-earnings pension plan on employees’ job satisfaction. Contrary to rational economic expectations, job satisfaction is found negatively related to expected accruals under the pension plan. Satisfaction was also lower among those who perceived a higher likelihood of being declared redundant, had better nonmarket alternatives, and who viewed conflictual approaches as most effective in resolving prior disputes at work. Conversely, employees who perceived greater support for employer-sponsored training, perceived such training to be effective, and believed cooperative approaches to dispute resolution worked best, were more satisfied. Implications for pension theory, research, and policy are discussed.