Honda adds training wheels - From the Editors - Brief Article

HR Magazine, April, 2002 by Patrick Mirza

Some employers complain they can't find the skilled workers they need. Others expend considerable effort training existing workers.

And some extensively train and screen potential hires before those individuals ever fill out an application.

That's what has been happening in the small town of Lincoln, Ala., where a new workforce is operating a brand-new manufacturing plant, spitting out Honda minivans at a faster clip than anyone anticipated.

In some ways, Honda's decision to locate a new plant in Lincoln might seem strange. True, the area offered an abundant supply of labor (even with Honda, Alabama ranks 40th among the states in employment), but the local workforce possessed absolutely no automobile manufacturing experience.

At least, they didn't until Honda joined Alabama in a partnership that offers prescreening and training to thousands of potential Honda hires.

Thus far, the program has exceeded expectations. The plant is beating deadlines and producing more vehicles than expected at this stage of development. And new hires say the training has prepped them not only for work in the plant but also for life in the Honda culture.

For more information on how Alabama and Honda tackled training and staffing issues that confront many new businesses, see Contributing Editor Bob Grossman's compelling article "Made from Scratch" on p. 44.