Volkswagen is a popular car brand, and well known entity in the automobile industry, but it found itself a few years ago in need workforce management help.
In 2006, Volkswagen of South Africa (VWSA), in Uitenhage, initiated a $55 million employee training and skills development project—"People for the Future"—to support the achievement of strategic company goals in customer service, global cost competitiveness, market leadership, quality, and efficiency. The initiative allows VWSA employees to gain occupational skills in a variety of ways and according to each individual's unique career path.
Building employee skills and knowledge
The company says "People for the Future" has resulted in a more robust Volkswagen Learning Academy and training offerings. The VWSA training facility, which is divided into five sub-academies—Technical, Commercial, Production, Leadership, and Sales and Marketing—is supported by experienced trainers and features a unique set of learning pathways, or routes, employees can follow to progressively build their knowledge and skills.
"These learning paths are clearly aligned to our core competencies and allow employees to have individual development plans in place," says Lesley Lee, head of the Volkswagen Learning Academy. "Each training academy has a dedicated
training team providing the knowledge and skills to its employees through theoretical classroom-based training, standardized work/line simulation, e-learning, and fundamental skills training," says Lee. Moreover, most of the courses align with South African Qualifications Authority requirements. This ensures employees earn a nationally recognized qualification, or credit toward qualification, for skills gained.
Pulling together the e-learning component with help from WIDS
A major addition to VWSA's training offering is e-learning. "E-learning is a new and exciting way of learning that puts all employees in the driver's seat of his or her own personal and professional development," says Lee. "Employees can access learning online by viewing their personalized, job-specific learner paths, and by launching modules from any computer within the organization. The e-learning courses give employees the opportunity to study in their own time and at their own speed, and at a place of their own choosing."
To create the e-learning modules, VWSA performed Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) occupational analyses to determine the required skills of specific jobs. Groups of co-workers went through a two-day Worldwide Instructional Design System (WIDS) DACUM training, according to Lee, where they identified needed occupational skills, values, and knowledge. WIDS is a non-profit organization offering competency-based curriculum design software, consulting, and training. WIDS Software, says Lee, is in use throughout North America and Europe, as well as in South Africa and Kuwait. During the workshop, participants learned to use WIDS Software to capture DACUM process data, create DACUM charts, generate validation surveys, and develop the DACUM-driven performance-based e-learning modules.\
Using WIDS Software, 27 e-learning modules have already been developed, says Lee. "WIDS offers a good learning program where all aspects of a curriculum are taken into account, including motivation, comprehension, and application practice," she says. "Assessment criteria and assessment standards can also be clearly defined for the learner upfront. The WIDS methodology is sound and simple."
Since e-learning was launched in May 2009, 1,100 employees completed 74 modules in July, 118 in August, and 274 in September. VWSA's e-learning management system, iCAN, allows them to complete online training modules, book
workshops, and view individual learner paths from any computer with an Internet connection.
Altogether, VWSA has a $408 million investment plan in place to upgrade the Uitenhage operation, which includes the $55 million skills development commitment along with the $4 million construction of three production-training
facilities.
"Volkswagen of South Africa believes very strongly job creation and skills development will fuel black economic empowerment," states the VWSA Website. "Our first priority, therefore, is to build a strong and successful business which protects and creates jobs within Volkswagen of South Africa and the broader Volkswagen family of suppliers and franchised dealers."
For more information about VWSA, visit www.vw.co.za.