Investing in employees pays huge dividends

By Mark Dolinski, VP of Professional Development & Training, GRCA

In the chaotic world of 2022, manufacturers are confronted with a multitude of challenges ranging from sourcing product, increasing costs of raw materials, inventory issues, new disruptive technologies and skilled labor shortage. The challenges seem endless. One of the most effective, long-term strategies to stay in front of these challenges is to invest in the professional development of your employees to create the culture that drives productivity and innovation and attracts the talent to expand business capabilities.

Investing in your employees pays back dividends through improve productivity. As employees see the commitment the company is making in them, engagement, productivity and quality increase. The investment in professional development differentiates your company from others in attracting talent.

One of the most significant changes over the last 20 has been the expectations of Millennials and Generation Y employees who no longer accept the sink or swim mentality of the past. These generations are keenly aware and value how employers will invest in their development. Lastly, investing in your employees simply improves the bottom line. The reduction of employee turnover lessens the costly burden of hiring new employees. An engaged and experienced workforce creates an environment leading to higher-productivity, teamwork and loyalty — tangibles that differentiate your company from the competition.

Professional development can be parsed into two broad categories — essential skills and technical skills. These are very much like the bicep and triceps in your arm as both are needed to maximize function. The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) has been working with manufacturers since the inception of WEDnetPA in 1999 to facilitate essential skill training programs for their employees. GRCA’s Lead Worker Certificate and Supervisor Certificate Programs are two examples of successful training programs that have been invaluable in helping companies both large and small to develop their future leaders and sustain organizational growth. With the health concerns of COVID-19, GRCA offers these essential training programs and others in a hybrid format, which allows attendees the option to participate in-person or virtually.

WEDnet assists companies develop their existing workforce. Employers determine their critical training needs and select providers such as GRCA to deliver training to their employees. During 2020 and 2021, WEDnet “invested over $8.1 million to help train more than 20,000 people.” WEDnet grants are available for a maximum of $2,000 per employee or $100,000 per company. The assistance in defraying the cost of investing in employees has been a successful collaboration between the state and the business community. Investing in your employees is no longer a luxury, but is a foundational strategic component for creating and sustaining a productive and innovation company that will be thriving today and tomorrow. To learn more about WEDnet, visit www.wednetpa.com. To learn more about the professional development programs offered by GRCA, contact Mark Dolinski, Vice President of Training and Professional Development, at mdolinski@greaterreading.org.