For employees, the benefits are economic as well as educational. Training in the workplace also influences earnings in subsequent jobs. Individuals who have had formal training on a prior job earn 18 percent more in their current job than those who have received no training. In addition, employers do not provide training equally across their organizations. Small companies offer less training to their employees than larger companies and the training they offer is likely to be informal.
Occupations dictate the level or provision of training as well.
Clearly, training the work force is a large and complex enterprise and employers, particularly those with small businesses, cannot do it alone. The critical challenges facing the nation require coordinated efforts from business, labor, education, and the government. A wide variety of partnerships are being tried, and successful models provide guidelines for increasing linkages. Employers must identify and communicate new knowledge and skill requirements as they occur. Learning in the workplace should have an ongoing, lifelong focus.