An organization probably prides itself on its openness in finding new talent. It is eager to add people with diverse backgrounds and skills to its roster of employees. Yet, like many companies, it might be hesitant to actively recruit persons with disabilities. Recruiting and integrating these individuals may require greater care, but what an…

Top companies realize how vital training is to their success and continue to invest in it, even in trying times. This article presents "Training" magazine's 11th annual ranking of the top companies with employee-sponsored workforce training and development. First-time No. 1 winner Farmers Insurance puts such a premium on learning that its new…

Preparing employees for the immediate work in front of them is a challenge. While most companies are still mastering effectively training their own workforce, some, such as "Training" magazine Top 10 Hall of Famer The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, have set up for-profit academies open to the public. When Ritz-Carlton won the national Malcolm…

Even in an industry where rapid change is the status quo, it takes a special kind of company to handle the training challenges posed by a major corporate acquisition and massive product rollout. No one has ever accused Verizon of thinking small-scale when it comes to training initiatives, but over the last year, the telecommunications giant…

The best learning and development organizations support business initiatives tactically "and" help drive strategic change. Verizon did just that, earning it the No. 1 spot for the first time on the Training Top 125. Verizon and the other 2012 Top 125 winners continued to invest in training, collectively dedicating a mean of 4.52 percent of their…

For flooring manufacturer Mohawk Industries, it is not enough to teach employees how to be great. The long-time Training Top 125 contender focused last year on helping employees to blaze their own learning paths while meeting organization imperatives. That meant improving the technology that supports employee performance, as well as creating new…

The youngest workforce generation seems to crave games and simulations, and even older workers are coming to enjoy them. But what do new trends in these areas mean for the company, the learners, and the organization's strategic goals? In this article, two experts in the field, Clarissa Graffeo and David Metcalf of the Mixed Emerging Technology…

Presents guidelines for starting a training department including reasons why corporations decide to establish one. Includes examples from many companies. (JOW)

Gives statistics on the number of hours devoted to formal training for employees in various job categories. Also examines those courses most often and least often offered to employees across various industries. (JB)

Discusses the role of the Office of Personnel Management in monitoring federal training programs. Offers data on training programs in several agencies, but admits to a wide margin of error and discusses problems involved in collecting data. (JB)

Leonard Nadler, who created George Washington University's doctoral program in human resources development (HRD) in 1962, discusses definitions of HRD and its growth as a discipline. (JOW)

Discusses why employers with a global work force partner with vendors in India, Russia, the Philippines, China, or other countries to recruit workers. Reasons include reduced employee costs, speed, a high level of technically educated and highly motivated individuals, and the uncertainty of the global situation. (JOW)

The author identifies a new population existing within the labor force, the "Growing number of people over 60 who are Retired, Active, Monied People in an Excellent State" (Grampies). He presents a profile of this population and discusses management issues concerning older, reentry employees. (CH)

Suggests that workplace literacy is a serious concern and most companies are doing nothing to address the problem. Discusses how several companies are dealing with the issue. (JOW)

A survey asked respondents to identify the U.S. companies or organizations that do the best job of training and developing their employees, and which industries do the best and worst jobs of employee development. Respondents also identified the 10 most admired training consultants. (JB)