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Question 30
Our Government agency (an Army Major Command) is undergoing significant
personnel cuts and changes in mission, with resultant low morale. Our Commander
has initiated a concept that he terms "a future workforce," one
that will see personnel becoming "multi-knowledgeable" (possessing
knowledge of one other area of expertise other than one's specialization),
"multi-skilled" (possessing working knowledge in 2 or 3 other
areas) and, ultimately, "multi-functional" (possessing technical
understanding in 3 or 4 other areas of expertise").
Do any of your readers have experience in, work for, or have knowledge
of, any enterprises that have gone down this road already? What have been
the lessons-learned? The obstacles? The "tenets" that were agreed
upon by all involved before implementation?
Thank you.
STW Wizard Strategies
Strategy 1
Your question seems to focus on the increasing need of employers to have
workers with specialized skills. The trend in graduation requirements is
for more specified graduation certificates. There is some concern that employers
will continue selecting workers who have earned the regular graduation (higher
level skills) and that people with disabilities will be cut out of the workforce
again because they have less. However, the other side of this issue, based
on the IDEA regulations (a suggestion outcome from Bill Halloran who has
helped formulate this) is that because of the graduation requirements, supported
employment will be mandated or strongly recommended as a model for transition
youth who will remain in school (not getting the regular diploma). Several
states, as you already know, have supported employment or some modification
as a regular part of their transition program. (Some non-disabled students
are interested in participating because of the emphasis on skill development
- Alabama.) The crux of everything that I am presenting to you is that the
STW office is in line with regular education (emphasis on higher level,
multitasking skills), not special education and that it appears that in
the actual IDEA regulations the emphasis will be to develop a separate employment
thrust connecting school to work through the supported employment model/or
variations therefore. This is a much as I understand at this point. I hope
this is helpful.
Strategy 2
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, a Department of Defense Agency,
was created in 1991 to consolidate all the finance and accounting systems,
locations, and people of the military services into a few select systems
and locations, with a much reduced work force. I worked for the agency for
six years. As I recall, DFAS had reduced the number of personnel from over
30,000 to about 23,000 when I left in 1997. The DFAS Human Resources office
was quite inventive in dealing with the turmoil cased by these reductions.
They may be a good source for more information. The DFAS web site is www.dfas.mil.
Strategy 3
The PEW Charitable Trust Website (www.pewtrusts.org) contains some information
on Multi-skilled professionals. PEW's health care section particularily
supports and I believe they have provided some funds for demonstration projects. |
