Models of Upskilling: Employee Training

June 1, 2017 • UpSkill America & Jaime S. Fall

Many companies have programs specifically designed to equip new hires with the skills necessary for success in their new positions and to prepare them for the next step in their careers.

Amazon Web Services

AWS Educate is available to veterans, transitioning military personnel, and their spouses residing in the United States as part of the White House Joining Forces initiative. AWS Educate provides access to credits, training, and the option to choose their desired cloud career. AWS Educate delivers a personalized path that includes content, knowledge checks, and badging that guides them through the learning process. By offering cloud computing training, AWS Educate can help veterans and their spouses transition into the civilian workforce and develop the skills necessary to pursue jobs in the high-demand cloud computing space.

Disney

Disney’s CODE: Rosie program gives women employees in non-technical roles an opportunity to switch careers. After three months of training—in everything from basic computer-science concepts to programming languages such as Python—they’ll segue into a yearlong apprenticeship consisting of two six-month chunks in different teams within the company. Then they’ll have the opportunity to take a job within one of Disney’s technical groups. Among the aims of Disney’s own 700-member Women in Tech group is attracting talented women to the company’s engineering ranks and then keeping them happy once they’re there. It was that goal that led to CODE: Rosie’s unique mission. (Excerpted from How Disney is turning women from across the company into coders.)

JPMorgan Chase

In an op-ed in the New York Times, Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, announced a pay increase for 18,000 minimum-wage workers and discussed the company’s $200 million upskilling investment in thousands of entry-level employees.^[i]

News: Jamie Dimon: Why We’re Giving Our Employees a Raise (July 2016)

Los Angeles Rams

To better prepare their customer-facing employees, the Los Angeles Rams have turned to phone-based games. By using games on handheld devices, the Rams are teaching their new Los Angeles-based employees the history of the franchise as well as sales techniques and strategies to prepare them for success.

Interview: 5 Questions for Greg Kish, VP of Sales & Service, Legends @ Los Angeles Rams

Manpower MyPath Program

The Manpower MyPath program includes a full college tuition coverage program offering eligible US associates the opportunity to pursue a college education through Western International University, along with career counseling to help associates make career choices that are right for them. MyPath provides associates with assessment, guidance, development, and an education that positions them for career opportunities with Manpower in the US. In 2017, ManpowerGroup expanded its MyPath program through a partnership with University or Phoenix to offer more degree courses in a wide range of in-demand subjects including cybersecurity, information technology and health administration.

Service Employees International Union Labor-Management Training Funds MOBILE UP Program

In California, long-term and home health care companies, and facilities service companies, provide MOBILE UP training over cell phones through to accelerate education and career advancement for service workers. MOBILE UP training accelerates learning through anytime, anywhere instruction over any mobile phone in partnership with Cell-Ed. The program primarily assists low-income immigrant incumbent service workers employed in building and facility services as well as long-term and home care positions so they can gain skills and improve their English language skills.

Walmart Academies

The Walmart Academies are a network of facilities where frontline hourly supervisors and assistant store managers receive hands-on training in retail fundamentals, leadership skills, and the specifics of how to run individual store departments. The training is designed to help associates be successful in their careers and to meet the changing needs of customers.