Lately, I find myself singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” twice while washing my hands. I definitely think twice about stepping outside in a thunderstorm. And I feel queasy every time I attach a document to one of my e-mails.
Why? You’ll understand after watching the winning 2015 Top Training Videos (Ttvs)—visit http://www.trainingmag.com/training-magazine-announces-2015-ttv-winners.
Indeed, video seems to be employees’ learning method of choice these days. According to a recent survey of 1,800-plus employees conducted by BizLibrary, respondents said video is more effective than instructor-led training (ILT), virtual classroom sessions, and traditional “click-and-advance” e-learning when it comes to teaching new things, improving performance, and preparing employees for the future. Employers do seem to be getting the message: According to Training magazine’s 2015 Training Industry Report, video is one of the most used training technologies (see the Soapbox article, “On-Camera Instruction” for video tips).
In other Industry Report news, we saw training expenditures soar 14.2 percent to $70.6 billion in 2015 as mergers and acquisitions increased the number of large companies in the U.S. In keeping with that positive trend, average training salaries rose 3 percent to $83,494 in 2014-2015, according to Training magazine’s 2015 Salary Survey. We look at what a strengthening economy has meant for training investment and examine why only some organizations invest in their human capital as a key business strategy to improve their productivity, performance, and profits.
One organization that recently made a significant investment in training is car care company AAMCO. The company invested more than $1 million in a new learning management system (LMS) and the creation of AAMCO University, a state-of-theart training facility in Newnan, GA, that opened in February 2015. “We view training as an investment, not a cost,” explains Rob Rajkowski, COO. “We wanted to align our training strategy with our five-year plan and use training as a strategic foundation for growth.” Rajkowski and other AAMCO leaders recently gave Training magazine an exclusive tour of the new facility and detailed their amped-up focus on learning and development.
As I write this Editor’s Note, I’m watching Game 2 of the National League Championship Series in which my beloved Mets are battling the Cubs for the chance to enter the World Series. I have to admit I’m glad my Mets finally decided to invest in their talent development this year—and even more glad to see it paying off! Hopefully, that magic continues for a few more games after we go to press…
Speaking of magic, I hope you will join me in Orlando February 15-17, 2016, for our Training 2016 Conference & Expo (www.trainingconference.com). It promises to be an amazing event, where we’ll imagine the possibilities and collaborate to innovate with our Training Top 10 Hall of Famers and keynoters from Backyard Brains, Cirque du Soleil, and Pixar.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and magical holiday season. I look forward to seeing you in the Magic Kingdom next year!