Stearns-Benton Employment & Training Council: Quebecor Printing Project

Purpose: Develop and pilot a model of continuous training that will be replicable in other printing firms; help incumbent workers develop lifelong learning plans to adapt to changing business conditions and advance to higher positions.

This program grew out of the employer’s desire for help to systematically describe the tasks involved in certain key job classifications in the printing industry, identify the skills needed to perform those tasks, assess current and new employees’ levels of those skills, develop and offer training programs for employees who need skill development, and identify and promote career laddering opportunities building on those skills. In addition to highly specific job skills, the program also identifies and addresses any gaps in basic math and literacy, helps participating employees develop life-long career and learning plans, and provides computer-based, portable career and training portfolios that document their skills. Groundwork accomplished by the time of the site visit included assembling employees in groups of “content experts” to identify job tasks and skills, describing skills in terms of national and industry standards (for transferability), and developing training modules. Training, scheduled to start in fall 2003, will be done by current employees who have been recruited (and who receive additional pay for the added responsibility). Trainers identified by program partners will train these employee trainers, who will then train the other employees, and be available on the shop floor as mentors and leaders.

	Partners: (As of April 2003)
		Educational: St. Cloud Technical College, Adult Basic Education (ABE) consortium
		Employers and business organization: Quebecor World, Inc.
		Non-Profit Organizations: None
		Public philanthropic, and other organizations: Stearns-Benton Employment & Training Center and Minnesota Job Service
	Participants: All employees in seven entry-level job categories at the plant (all bindery and press jobs). About half have a high school diploma or equivalent, and nearly half have some post-secondary education; over half are married (though most do not have children), and over 90 percent are White and native English speakers
	Recruitment: Enrollment voluntary for current employees, mandatory for new hires
	Training: Assessment (using WorkKeys system), training for specific job tasks, literacy, ESL. Hard skills training is on paid time. Post-training aptitude and skill assessments for career laddering, follow-up with career counseling and career path planning
	Support Services: Individualized and long-term training plans include determination of support services needed (to be met through referral); on-the-job mentoring
	Job placement, retention and advancement: Placement is irrelevant because all participants are continuing or newly-hired employees. Participation is not a condition for retention (for existing employees), but may facilitate advancement by identifying skills needed for new position and offering training to acquire them. Participants will receive transferable portfolios documenting their skills. The program will also provide the employer with better knowledge of job tasks and skill requirements to better identify and promote career ladder progressions