Are some encouraging, however. The Los Angeles public school system is offering a guarantee to employers, stating that if any high school graduate is found to be deficient in basic skills, such as computation and writing, the school system will retrain the graduate at no cost to the employer
Other industrialized nations have systematic changes in order to bridge the skills gap. For example, Japan and Germany , two of the United states, biggest competitors , have educational systems that do a better job of teaching students the basic skills needed by most employers . Among other things, Germany emphasizes vocational education and school – to-work transition programs so that school-age children can begin apprenticeship programs as part of their formal education . these and other approaches to public education will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 8.
The Need for Lifelong Learning
Given the rapid changes that all organizations face, it is clear that employees must continue the learning process throughout their careers in order to meet these challenges. This need for lifelong learning will require organizations to make an ongoing investment in HRD.
Lifelong learning can mean different things to different employees. For example ,for semiskilled workers, it may involve more rudimentary skills training to help them to build their competencies . To professional employees, this learning may mean taking advantage of continuing education opportunities. This is particularly important for certified professionals who are required to complete a certain number of continuing education courses to maintain their certificates . To managers , lifelong learning may
THE CHAIIENGE TO HRD PROFESSIONAIS IS TO PROVIDE A FULL RANGE OF LEARNING OPPORUT-NITIES FOR ALL KINDS OF EMPLOYEES.ONE WAY THAT SOME ORGANIZATIONSARE MEETING THIS CHAL-LENGE IS BY ESTABLISHING MULTIMEDIALEARNING CENTERS. THESE CENTERS OFFER A VARIETY OF INSTRUCTIONALTECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN BE MATCHED TO EACH TRAINEE S UNIQUE IEARNING NEEDS. INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS CAN DETERM CADENIC DEFICIENCIES IN EMPLOYEES WHILEALSO ALLOWING THEM TO SET THEIR OWNPACE. A MULTIMEDIA LEARNING CANYER COULD LSO PROVIDE TELECONFERENCING FACILITIES FORTECHNICEI AND PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES TO PARYICIPACE IN A SEMINAR THAT IS BEING CONDECTED THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY. THESE AND OTHER DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO LEARNING WILL ALSO BE DISEUSSED IN FUTURE CHAPTERS. WHAT RENAINS CLER, HOWEVER,IS THAT WHETHERYJEYUSEMULTIMEDIA OR OTHER TRAINING APPROACHES,ORGANIZA-TOONS MUST FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL OF THEIR EPLOYEES.
FACILITATING ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENY SCHOIARS SUCH AS CHRIS ARGYRIS,RICHARD BECKHARD,AND MOER RECENTIY PETR SONGEAUTHOR OF THEBEST-AELLING BOOK THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE,HAVERECOG-NIIERN,ADAPT,AND CHANGE. SENGE (1990) ADVOCATES THAT A LEARNING ORGANIZAYION MUATEMBRACE THE FOLLOWING FIVE PRINCIPLES: SYSTEMS THINKING, PERSON MASTERY, MENTAL MOD-ELS, BUILDING SHARED VISION, AND TEAM LEARNING. IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN TREMEN-DOUS INTEREST IN THIS CONCEPT OFALEARNING ORGANIZATION. FOR EXAMPIE,A 1995 SURVEY OF