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31 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSIONS Only nine agencies measure the impact of training on the employee, and only eight measure the impact of training on the organization. For those that collect data on the impact of training on the maintenance employeeâs performance, the most typical method used was an evaluation administered at the end of training to determine whether participants thought the training would help them complete their work. No states identified using more objective measures to deter- mine the impact of training on an employeeâs performance. For those agencies measuring the impact of training on the organization, the most typical method used was an annual survey to gather feedback on the impact of training on the maintenance program. Almost all of the agencies responded that they develop training in-house, and more than three-quarters of the respondents stated that more than 50% of their training products are developed this way. Finally, agencies identified training needs for every gen- eral content area, although the area of need selected the most was general maintenance skills training. Some of the most- identified topics for training under general maintenance skills were planning and scheduling, customer service, and maintenance quality assurance program inspections. Selecting Delivery Methods The state and provincial agencies surveyed in this study indicated their preference for more traditional deliv- ery methods for maintenance training and certification. Instructor-led training and on-the-job training are not only used the most frequently to deliver training for all content areas, they are the preferred method for delivering training. However, this synthesis also documents agen- ciesâ increasing reliance on alternative methods of train- ing delivery, such as web-based, video conference, and web conference training. Agencies use these methods to save money (i.e., to reduce costs associated with travel, facilities, and instructor time), reduce scheduling issues, and provide greater flexibility to maintenance personnel by allowing them to set the pace and date for completion. Agencies also use alternative methods to deliver certain types of content, such as basic terminology and policy information, in conjunction with instructor-led training or on-the-job training. OVERALL FINDINGS Training and certification programs for front-line main- tenance workers vary considerably across transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. Although there is some relative consistency in the training content provided across the general content categories, delivery methods, requirements, incentives, frequency, and track- ing all differ. The survey of practice shows more than half of the 47 respondents provide training in bridges, highway safety and reliability, pavements, roadway/roadside, and general main- tenance skills. The preferred method of delivering training is instructor-led training, on-the-job training, or a combina- tion of the two. The most common content areas for which training and certification are required is general maintenance skills, highway safety and reliability, and roadway/roadside. Agen- cies provide certification because of concerns about safety, liability, and insurance considerations. More than half of the respondents do not use incen- tives to encourage training participation. For those agen- cies that do use incentives, the most frequently selected incentives dealt with skill development (allowing trainees to keep pace with technology) and promotional opportu- nities. More than half of the respondents indicated that maintenance training is aligned with performance require- ments, with 16 agencies indicating they use training to evaluate performance and 14 stating they document train- ing completion on performance evaluations. In addition, almost three-quarters of the respondents said that supervi- sors regularly recommend training for maintenance work- ers to attend in order to improve performance and possibly advance. More than half stated that the promotion of a front-line maintenance worker is dependent on the comple- tion of certain training requirements. The majority of the agencies indicated that maintenance employees attend mandatory and nonmandatory training at least once a year. Most training is retaken as refresher train- ing after a certain time interval, although a little less than half of the agencies indicated training can be retaken at the suggestion of a supervisor.
32 Maximizing Training and Resource Sharing Opportunities A significant number of highway transportation agencies report that they share training materials. The nature of these relationships is varied. Some have formal partnerships with other states, LTAPs, community colleges, or industry groups. Others utilize informal networks to obtain and share train- ing materials. Regardless of the nature of the sharing rela- tionships, it is evident that the existing relationships provide significant training support to the agencies utilizing them. TC3âs data alone show that states that participate in this train- ing partnership stand to realize a substantial return on their investment, and in turn, a substantial improvement in the quantity of materials maintenance employees can utilize. Aligning Training and Performance Several agencies are putting the mechanisms in place to align training and performance, if they have not done so already. These agencies are doing the following: ⢠Aligning performance requirements with training products; ⢠Acquiring a learning management system that can administer, compile, and disseminate evaluation data quickly and clearly or have an alternative, reliable method in place for completing and tracking training and performance evaluation; and ⢠Developing procedures for collecting evaluation data to determine trainingâs impact on performance and retention. FURTHER RESEARCH The results from this synthesis identified several gaps in cur- rent knowledge that could be addressed by the research and outreach activities described here. The results of this survey indicate that traditional meth- ods of delivering training, such as instructor-led classroom training and on-the-job training, are still the most utilized delivery methods. Although some states are adopting tech- nology-based delivery methods (e.g., web-based or web conference training), the reasons for the limited implemen- tation of such options needs to be explored and examples of successful utilization of technology-based delivery methods with this audience documented. Additional research in this area would provide agencies with information about the bar- riers to successfully implementing this type of training, as well as the following: ⢠The types of content that could be taught successfully by means of technology-based delivery methods; ⢠The steps required to develop, deliver, and track train- ing for technology-based delivery methods; and ⢠The costs associated with developing, delivering, and maintaining technology-based training products. As the survey indicated, a need for more training was recorded in every technical content area and for almost every subtopic area. This list of needs could be utilized by training organizations such as TC3 and Clear Roads as they identify training needs and plan training develop- ments. Greater effort is also needed to identify, compile, and communicate the availability of training materials regionally or nationally, as it is clear that several of the topics indicated as a training need did correspond to exist- ing training products. Finally, the survey indicates that further research is needed to document the alignment between training and performance expectations for front-line maintenance work- ers. The results of this survey indicate that although some states have made a concerted effort to define performance expectations and offer training that aligns with expectations, this is not being consistently done. Further information is needed on how agencies are doing the following: ⢠Aligning performance expectations with training products, ⢠Integrating training requirements into professional development and performance reviews, ⢠Communicating performance expectations and train- ing requirements, and ⢠Tracking and documenting performance achievements and training completion.
