PET projects - pre-employment training

HR Magazine, May, 2001 by Stephenie Overman

Danny Shepherd, a coal miner in Last Creek, W. Va., wanted to change careers but didn't quite know how to do it.

Companies, community learning institutions and local governments collaborate to provide pre-employment training--before workers are hired.

One day, he saw an ad in the newspaper for a pre-employment training (PET) program in nearby Clarksburg that trained students in the aviation industry. After looking into it, he learned he would be able to develop the necessary skills to enter a new field as well as have the opportunity to meet industry employers that would hire him if he completed the program successfully. And with class fees at $100, it wasn't much of a financial risk.

Still, it wasn't easy for Shepherd. While still working 40 to 50 hours a week in the mines, he took classes four times a week. There was no room for slip-ups; the program required perfect attendance.

After 12 weeks, he successfully completed the program, and Pratt & Whitney, one of the partners in the PET program, hired Shepherd in an entry-level position. He has since moved up the ladder to a more skilled job.

Shepherd is a success story. But so is Pratt & Whitney. The company recognized an innovative way to find, train and hire--in that order--workers through a collaborative PET program.

PET programs bring together local training providers and several employers within the same industry to offer training to individuals on specific skills. Although the parameters vary, companies generally pay roughly $500 to participate and hire students. Students pay $100 to $200 to take the classes. Companies also commit current employees to teach the classes and help create the curriculum, and employers pledge to hire students who successfully complete the program. Classes run about four times a week at night, and most PET programs require perfect attendance.

The first PET program began in 1994 in, Licking County, Ohio, and has since spread to about 30 communities across the nation. The reason?

"It's working," says Kelly Wallace, supervisor of PET programs with the Center for Workforce Development in Licking County, who over the years has spoken to communities in six states about PET programs. Employers get a low-cost program, control over the curriculum and the opportunity for managers to interact with the trainees by teaching the classes. Students get industry-specific training, an opportunity to meet managers and learn about the hiring companies and a pledge to be hired if they successfully complete the training.

Only 3 percent to 4 percent of the students who complete the course fail to receive jobs in the areas in which they received training, according to Wallace. Usually that's because there wasn't a fit or because the students took a job in a different area.

People like Shepherd who are looking for a career change especially benefit because the PET programs offer a road map on how to get a job in a different industry.

"A strong work ethic, high standards [and] an employer-driven, relevant curriculum are the hallmarks of this program," Wallace adds.

Manufacturing Roots

The first Licking County program concentrated on the manufacturing industry, which, like so many other industries, has changed dramatically in recent years. Today, manufacturing companies "expect people who can work in a team environment," Wallace says. "They expect a higher level of skills in statistical process control and quality standards. They are giving workers a lot more autonomy. They're lean, which causes every worker to do more problem solving."

PET programs focus on developing those skills among trainees. Because the program is industry-specific, it is more comprehensive. As the employer needs change, the program changes, Wallace adds, so no one is stuck with out-of-date skills.

The manufacturing program now has more than 1,200 graduates, and its success has spurred interest in other industries.

"Companies came to us and said, 'You fixed manufacturing's problem, help us with customer service, help us with health care and now with training truck technicians,'" says Wallace.

Piggy-backing on Success

Neighboring Knox County, Ohio, was one of the first to imitate Licking County, initially with a manufacturing program and then with one for customer service.

"We talked to people in Licking County. It was a tremendous help to see what they had done," says Kathy Blackburn, vice president of human resources at First-Knox National Bank in Mount Vernon, Ohio. The bank partnered with the Knox County Career Center, the Country Court Nursing Center, Knox Community Hospital, McDonald's Management Inc. and the Mount Vernon YMCA to develop critical thinking, teamwork, communication and telephone skills among the workforce.

The costs were minimal: Each employer contributed $600 in seed money and received six free placements. Additional placements cost the company $100 per employee. And some companies reimburse new employees for the $100 fee they paid for the classes.

The program has created a bond between employees and employers that boosts retention, says Blackburn. "Employees learn a lot about us and learn about other companies that are part of the program," he says. "And we learn a lot about them before we make an offer. They know they want to work for us." He adds that of the four or five workers hired in the past year or so, only one resigned, for personal reasons.