HRM420: Training & Development
Anna Williamson
DeVry University Online

Verizon Wireless Florida Region LTE Training Plan
The Verizon Wireless Florida region Long-Term Evolution (LTE) project implementation team has recently received an influx of new staff. This staff has very little-to-no project management experience, although most are familiar with LTE technology, and there is no current training plan to train new staff in the processes required to turn-up a new cell site. The purpose of this document is to provide a training program to be followed whenever new staff arrives. All project management employees engaged in the LTE project will follow this plan to ensure that everyone is following the same processes consistently.
The methodology used to develop this training plan will be based on the Instructional System Design (ISD) methodology. In ISD, there are seven steps to designing a training program: (1) Conducting a Needs Assessment, (2) Ensuring Employees are Readiness for Training, (3) Creating a Learning Environment, (4) Ensuring Transfer of Training, (5)Developing an Evaluation Plan, (6)Selecting the Training Method, and (7) Monitoring and Evaluating the Program (Noe, 2008).
Anna Williamson, manager of the LTE implementation team, will be responsible for creating and providing the training. The team members will review each step of the process and will provide feedback and buy-in. Once completed, this program will be used throughout the Florida region to deploy the LTE technology.

Section 1 – Training Needs Assessment
Organization: Verizon Wireless, Florida Region, LTE Implementation Team
Introduction:
The Florida Region LTE Implementation team was formed in early 2012 to facilitate the orderly deployment of the company’s 4th generation wireless network. Unfortunately, the staff hired to complete this extremely important project did not possess the skills and abilities required to effect a smooth deployment. Serious training deficiencies existed, and although the 2012 objectives were met, the staff was overwhelmed in the process. As a result, I have established a formal training program at which when concluded, each employee will have the skills necessary to successfully turn-up 4G on an individual cell site. Periodic refresher training will also be provided on an as-needed basis.
According to HR-Guidel.com, a training needs assessment is “the process of identifying training needs in an organization for the purpose of improving employee job performance (HR-Guide, LLC, 2012).
In January 2013, a training needs assessment was completed to answer the following questions: (1) what skills does each employee possess? (2) On which databases and other tools does each employee require training? (3) How does the implementation manager ensure new staff members are trained upon hire?
Organizational Analysis:
An organizational analysis is a crucial first step in the assessment process. The purpose of the organizational analysis is to evaluate the organization’s level of performance, review the organization’s long-and short-term objectives and determine how the training will meet those objectives (Jackson, Schuler & Werner, 2012).
For the organizational analysis, I reviewed Verizon Wireless’ goal as it relates to the 4th Generation (4G) deployment. In January 2013, the company announced that the 4G network will cover nearly the entire 3G (3rd Generation) footprint by mid-year (Pica, 2013). In Florida, in order to achieve that objective, the region must turn up over 1,000 cell sites or roughly 150 sites per month. Based on this objective, in consultation with VZW’s workforce development team, and based on the experience gained during the 2012 deployment, I assessed and identified the gaps within the team to determine that training was in fact required.
Task Analysis:
Analyzing each task in which training is required is the second step in the training needs assessment process. In order for a project manager to turn-up 4G on a particular cell site, I identified 37 separate steps that must be taken. I have completed an analysis on most of these tasks as of this writing. According to Wikipedia, a task analysis consists of the following: (1) a detailed task description, (2) task and element durations, (3) task complexity and frequency, (4) any particular equipment or clothing that is required (Wikipedia, 2013).
There are many methods by which a task analysis can be conducted: (1) Interviews, (2) Job or position descriptions, (3) questionnaires, (4) Job qualifications, and performance appraisals. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook is also an excellent reference for some of this information as well. I reached out to peers in other regions to gain best practices.
During my task analysis, I found that one particular task, Review Construction Drawings and Structural Analysis, require a particular skill in order to complete and it takes an extended amount of time to complete. I determined this by interviewing one individual who has extensive experience in site construction. This is an important and critical task in order to ensure the equipment is properly placed, there are no special restrictions, no special permitting, no need to relocate existing equipment, etc. Failure to complete this task properly could significantly delay installation and turn-up of the cell site. This could impact our ability to meet the company objectives.
The results of the task analyses will be maintained with the other training information for future use, and will be periodically reviewed to ensure currency and accuracy.
Person Analysis:
Person Analysis is the final step in the training needs assessment process. In this step, each individual employee is rated, on a scale of 1 to 5, which 1 being weak and 5 being strong in any particular skill. An example rating sheet is included at Appendix 1. This purpose of this assessment is for the implementation manager to determine which employee may
Outcome:
The completed needs analysis was an in-depth, comprehensive activity that clearly identifies the training needs for the LTE implementation team. Now that each employee has been fully assessed, the implementation manager will take the following steps: (1) define any performance problems that may be a result of a lack of a skill; (2) determine the best training method to address the areas to be improved; (3) complete a cost-benefit analysis to determine if the training can be completed more efficiently using outside vendors, and (4) determine how the effectiveness of the training will be monitored and assessed once it is completed. The LTE implementation manager will work in conjunction with workforce development throughout the process to ensure training is delivered to meet Verizon Wireless’ standards and objectives.

Section 2 – Lesson Plan and Transfer of Training

Now that the training needs assessment has been completed, the next step was to develop the lesson plan and determine how the training will be delivered.
Each student learns at a different pace. However, the environment which provides the training environment is something we as managers can control. It is also our responsibility to ensure that the methods of delivery are also effective.
One method of providing an effective transfer of training environment is through the use of a four-step process proposed by The Learning Organization. These four steps are: (1) Concrete Experience, (2) Reflective Observation, (3) Abstract Hypothesis, and (4) Active Testing (Martinez, 2006).
In the first step, concrete experience, the learner receives information from their trainer, and other senses. In the reflective observation step, he or she processes the new information and tries to map it to what they already know. In Abstract Hypothesis, the learner integrates this information to test the informationm. When the trainee reaches the Active Testing phase, they execute on the new information they’ve learned.