I am looking for a study that tracks the effectiveness of re-training (in the sense of training again, not in the sense of training in a new subject area because your old job is obsolete or has been outsourced) within manufacturing?

Can anyone point me to something like this?

Thanks in advance,
Madelyn

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Originally posted by LoveLearning:
Hi Madelyn -- Could you please clarify your question?

Thank you for asking for clarification. I'm not in the training field, and I don't know precisely how to ask for what I'm looking for, or where. I assumed that in training, doing the job right after being trained was the main metric of effectiveness, but I can see where there might be others.

We are looking for studies that show the effectiveness of retraining (in the sense I mentioned) on a task that currently has a high error rate. So, yes, we're talking about a group who didn't "get it" the first time around. Unfortunately, I can't find a word for this (as opposed to the accepted meaning of "retraining" as in retooling for a new job), so searching in what seemed like the most obvious places -- Compendex, Bureau of Labor Statistics, ERIC, and so on -- is getting me nowhere fast.

For example, if in the manufacturing process, we train people on how to attach labels to jars correctly, but we're getting 30% sideways or upside down labels and 10% jars with no labels, and we train them again with the same training techniques, by what percentage (if any) do the errors go down.

I've found some vague (non-empirical, non-statistical) results in education, but this has to be specifically in training (a distinction I'd never even though about until last Friday), and somewhere within the manufacturing area.

Thanks,
Madelyn

quote:

Originally posted by LoveLearning:
First, Madelyn, start with investigating precisely what is happening on the line.

I'm not looking to conduct this analysis myself at this point. I am currently trying to review the literature for any studies that show how effective this retraining is, to determine if this is the best method for dealing with a problem we have in our manufacturing process. If no studies exist, I need to know that, too. But, as I said, I can't look for the studies because I can't find the right word for "retraining" in this context.

quote:

Originally posted by LoveLearning:
Hi Madelyn -- an article about the effectiveness of retraining isn't going to tell you if that is going to fix your problem until you know what is causing your problem in the first place.

It is certainly possible that you're right. But for now, I'm looking for that study, if it exists. I need to provide empirical evidence that this has or has not worked in another situation before we can go forward with either this or another technique for improvement. As far as I know, we have not decided on a method, but I'm not really in any position to know.

My task has been pretty straightforward: review the literature. Not design a study or offer up a suggestion.

Indeed, even if we do have to conduct our own study, I'd still want to do a review of literature.

Thank you for your time and information.

quote:

Originally posted by LoveLearning:

Even if there is an article that says retraining can resolve some other manufacturing situation - it's going to be specifically only in the case that training (the knowledge and skill addressed there) was the problem in the first place.

My understanding is that this is okay, that finding this study (if it exists) is merely the first step.

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I ask again (rhetorically because you're obviously unwilling to answer anyway) -- Are the employees able to do what they're supposed to do when they are in training? And as an added bonus, another rhetorical question -- if you held a gun to their heads, could they put the labels on correctly? If so -- it is not a training issue and therefore re-training is not going to help you and therefore no amount of literature is going to help you either.

You confuse "unable" for "unwilling" -- I simply do not have the information to answer the questions you're asking and, as I keep saying, my task was to find out if there are any empirical studies showing an improvement (or lack thereof) of retraining, NOT to evaluate the studies for how they apply to my question. That's someone else's task, or perhaps my task down the road.

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In short - your question still makes no sense.

Let me restate in very plain language: Does anyone know if there is such a study? If there might be such a study, in what journals, books, or online databases would one go about looking for it?

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You admitted you didn't know what to ask -- I am telling you what's missing and you still choose not to heed the advice from someone who HAS done this, so what else is a person to do?

You've told me repeatedly that my question is the wrong one. I assure you that my question is the one I meant to ask. I was happy to clarify what I mean by effectiveness, but beyond that, I stand by what I'm asking.

In my own area, someone recently asked if were studies on the use of screen captures in documentation. There was a big discussion of best practices for screen captures based on a variety of issues and deliverables -- but ultimately, the answer was YES, there's a study, and a link to the study. The discussion was valuable in many ways, but to the person who needed the study itself, it was a distraction.

I hope someone will be able to the question I asked -- are there any studies, and if so, where would they be published? Even if they are not 100% perfect for what I'm looking for, I have to show if someone, somewhere has looked at this question. I have taken your opinions and suggestions under advisement, but I still need something to report back, even if it is simply, "No studies have been conducted on this issue." That would be a completely acceptable answer.

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It seems you are insistent about putting the cart before the horse. I must now throw up my hands and shrug my shoulders. Good luck to you.

Thanks again. Although you are apparently not the right person to answer my question, I sincerely appreciate your time.