BIRMINGHAM WATER WORKS: COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE (CDL) TRAINING PROGRAM
The demand for commercial drivers is at a critical point nationwide, and there has never been a greater need for commercial drivers to assist in maintaining Birmingham Water Works’ (BWW) 4,100 miles of cast iron, ductile iron, and galvanized line pipes. The latest commercial driver’s license (CDL) training requirements became effective on February 7, 2022. This entry-level driver training (ELDT) established a single national standard for obtaining a commercial driver’s license. The ELDT requirements only apply to drivers seeking to:
1. Obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time
2. Upgrade their existing CDL from Class B to Class A (see definitions at right)
3. Obtain a new hazmat, passenger, or school bus endorsement.
Alabama classifies commercial vehicles that need a CDL to operate as follows:
- Class A: A Class A licensee may operate vehicles weighing more than 26,001 pounds that tow trailers or other vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds.
- Class B: Class B allows drivers to operate vehicles weighing more than 26,001 pounds and tow trailers or vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) also requires behind-the-wheel training for three weeks before a driver can test for a commercial driver’s license.
Program Details
BWW’s Training team partnered with a local community college to make entry into commercial driving obtainable, affordable, reliable, and, most importantly, safe. BWW employees complete a four-week training: one week for the driving permits and three weeks of hands-on driving training. By the end of the training, drivers test and obtain their commercial driver’s license.
This training provides employees with basic driving skills relating to the safe operation techniques of commercial motor vehicles and other related regulations. Training delivery includes blended learning via online and instructor-led training. After the employees complete the initial training, BWW provides safety and defensive driving training yearly to ensure drivers use safe driving practices.
Results
Some 10 percent of BWW’s Distribution department has been trained. Employees have completed 140 hours of training with a pass rate of 95 percent to obtain commercial driver’s licenses.
Because of this training program, 35 percent of the training participants have been promoted to essential CDL-required jobs within BWW, impacting the water utility’s yearly internal promotion rate of 13.7 percent and surpassing its goal of 5 percent.
KLA CORP.: KLA, A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF THE KLA OPERATING SYSTEM
KLA Corp.’s biggest product division came to its Corporate Learning Center (CLC) with a specific ask that aimed to raise the engagement score of the division’s 800 employees: They wanted the senior director of Learning & Organizational Development to personally lead a one-year in-person management program consisting of one six-hour session a month.
The other requirement? The program could not duplicate any of the current CLC course offerings.
Program Details
As part of the CLC’s charter, the team documented the “KLA Operating System” or KLA-OS. This is the annual process by which the company is run, including its execution processes for talent, engineering, service, operations, finance, etc. This became the basis for the year-long course, with the following objectives:
- Participants will be able to articulate the KLAOS, how it impacts them, and how they impact it.
- Participants will better understand the myths, realities, and expectations of managing, including how their own division and leaders run the business and approach problems.
- Participants will understand and own their role in people and performance management— including retention, engagement, and compensation.
Participants will improve their engagement scores by improving the employee experience—specifically, the relationships between employees and managers.
A senior fellow in KLA’s Engineering community did all the data analysis for the division, built the target audience list, and managed the program. She personally gathered input and feedback from each participant every month and then met with the facilitators to construct the loose agenda for each month’s session.
The format for each live, in-person facilitated session that ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. one day each month was:
- Content based on where KLA was that month in the Operating System cycle. For example, in January, the company rolls out strategic objectives. So in February’s class, the facilitators covered KLA’s corporate approach to strategic goal setting, then the division’s Marketing VP was a guest speaker, covering this division’s specific goals. As homework, participants created SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goals that tied their work to the strategic objectives and shared them in March.
- Guest speakers. Each month contained at least one VP-level presentation. Each presentation was tied to three themes: a component of the KLA-OS; one of KLA’s 10 leadership competencies; and the leader’s personal struggles and tips from being a first-time, frontline manager who transitioned from a technical role.
- Participant-generated themes. Each month, the senior fellow pulled questions and themes from the participants, which the facilitators addressed in the following session.
- Capstone. Each session ended with every participant taking one to two minutes to recap their “aha’s” from the day and how they would apply those over the next month.
Facilitators also offered support in between sessions, including coaching, counseling, or facilitated events for participants’ teams.
Results
The program began as a pilot with 15 managers. They were invited to mentor the following year’s participants and will continue to receive ongoing coaching and facilitation support from the Corporate Learning Center.
Engagement in the 2023 survey jumped to 35 eNPS (engagement net promoter score), exceeding KLA’s target.
The general manager is extending the program to the other division he leads, and other GMs have expressed interest, leading to the program expanding from 15 to 60 seats in 2024.