Industry News and Notes

Minimizing Recession Mistakes

   Wealth accrues for those who don’t make mistakes frequently made during recessions, says McBassi & Company. “Many firms will panic and will make excessive use of layoffs as a way of managing through tough times,” the company’s April newsletter said. “In so doing, these firms will destroy productive capacity that will be needed, but difficult to create, when the economy turns around (as it always does). Those firms that do not succumb to mistakes #1 or #2 will be much better positioned to benefit from the forthcoming economic upturn.”

   McBassi & Company recommends companies not panic, use layoffs as a last resort, tap the workforce to find creative alternatives and“invest in the future by increasing training; the true cost of training is at its lowest during a downturn because the opportunity cost of employees' time declines during downturns.”

Analyzing the Cost of Instructor Compensation

   A recent survey of over 100 training leaders identified training delivery as the largest expense category in the training budget. The survey, conducted by Training Industry, Inc. and Expertus, found that delivery costs totaled 35% of the overall training budget and included instructor compensation, travel, lodging, facilities and other expenses directly related to providing training programs.

   At a time when many training organizations are working to optimize cost efficiency, delivery expenses are going to be under review to make sure all costs are justified.  Instructor compensation is a major component of delivery costs and the decision to use staff or contract instructors will have an impact on overall delivery expenses.  This white paper provides a methodology for analyzing the true cost of instructor compensation.

To read the white paper, click here.

E-Learning Hits Its Stride
   About one-third of corporate training hours are delivered via technology, according to a February article in Workforce Management. Experts predict an increase in technology use due to the rising costs of instructor-led training.

   For a majority of companies, the focus of training is on building key leadership, according to data from Bersin and Associates. Conversely, retention ranked last among priorities, and only 16 percent of companies surveyed by the private firm direct training initiatives toward building a long-term workforce.

Creative Tip: iPhone Holder

   Perhaps you’ve seen the email forward which spoofs Bluetooth headsets—I mean, who needs to spend the cash on a hands-free receiver when a rubber band will do just as well? Now YouTube has a video, uploaded by ndarwin, which shows you how to turn a simple miniDV (IS THIS SUPPOSE TO BE DVD CASE?) case into an iPhone holder—either horizontal or vertical, and then doubles as an earbud holder. Check out the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mj3s4ONvLY . You can also see other creative iPhone holder suggestions at YouTube by typing in iPhone stand.

Travel Tips: Airplane Exercises

   NWA’s website has travel tips for exercising while flying. Some are as simple as wiggling your toes and flexing your ankles. They also have tips for traveling while pregnant or with children. That link is http://www.nwa.com/travel/tips/tips.html .