PET projects - pre-employment training

HR Magazine, May, 2001 by Stephenie Overman

L. Candice Hawkins, assistant supervisor of adult and continuing education at the Knox County Career Center, says she was originally worried about designing the curriculum but it "was easy." After surveying the needs of the companies involved, she found that many were similar.

"I had some preconceived ideas--I thought blueprint reading and computer skills would be important," she adds. For the first set of classes, the companies "went with that. Then they came back and said, 'We don't want time spent on computer skills at this level. It would be better to have something like another four hours on team building."' Now, she is preparing to have the teachers critique the curriculum for possible changes and updates.

For their part, students are required to have a high school diploma or GED. "If they don't have the basic skills, we tell them to get those skills and then come back. Companies are looking for a baseline competency," Hawkins says.

Classes are held four times a week, usually in the evenings, for about a month at the local career center. "I always come the first night of class," says Blackburn, with a certain pride of ownership. "I helped design the curriculum and I like to monitor it.

Customer service classes are participatory, says Hawkins. "There's some traditional classroom work, but most of the time it's getting them working in pairs and teams. Employers want them interacting to see how they get along with each other. Problem solving is a big thing."

Both manufacturing and customer service companies have told Hawkins that the way they do business today is to have a team study a problem, consider possible solutions and then bring the various options back to the larger group.

So, the final exam for the customer service program includes case studies in which students work in teams to identify a problem, look at options and agree on a solution, she says. Each person on the team has a role. The team presents to the class, and I and one member of management grade them. We give each one an individual grade plus a team grade."

Successful completion of the PET program has become a credential and recognized throughout the state, Hawkins adds. And as the employment scene changes, she believes the program will be even more valuable. If the economy weakens further, the need for the program strengthens because employers "need to be more selective," she explains.

Blackburn sees the Knox County program working much better now than it did at the outset with five companies. "It would have been better to get more companies involved, which we've done now," she says. "We were draining our own people to be teachers; now we have backups.

Demand dictates the number of training programs, which also helps to protect resources. "We do not have a program unless one or two companies are hiring," says Hawkins. "we tend to recruit [students] all year long and put individuals on a waiting list" for the program. "Now we're gearing up a new manufacturing program because [company participant] TRW sees hiring needs."