Dive Brief:
- In an effort to bring its workforce up to modern standards and prepare for the next wave of digital technology, General Electric (GE) has announced the launch of a new training effort called 'Brilliant Learning'. Some 150,000 employees are expected to participate.
- Philippe Cochet, GE's Chief Productivity Officer told Manufacturing Tomorrow that the goal of the initiative was to "secure jobs" during a time of rapid change. On average, GE invests $1 billion in employee development.
- The US Department of Labor estimates that there were two unemployed workers for every open manufacturing position between 2015 and 2016, mostly due to lack of more modern skills. The GE professional training program is designed to update the skills of current and future employees, teaching them about new technology and processes that will streamline the industry.
Dive Insight:
GE, like other large and well-established companies, is setting a high bar for creating focused training programs to address skills shortages. The Brilliant Learning program is a strategic way of addressing the needs of an industry that has undergone rapid changes in just a few years due to technology.
Blue-collar jobs, in particular, require a new approach to learning. Manufacturing usually has quite a few job seekers, but skills in those fields are changing. For employees to stay on top and employers to retain the right talent, proper learning channels need to be in place.
By offering current and future employees the opportunity to participate in learning as part of their regular career experience, GE may be able to outperform the competition and attract a better pool of talent. Take note that GE is also actively recruiting. Professional development can be leveraged as an incentive to a growing millennial generation that embraces learning.
