Closing the Skills Gap with Effective Training and Development


In every area of Human Resources Management there are a few books that serve as the hallmark references for understanding and strategizing common HR reresponsibilities. While human resources departments are considered the backbone of any organization, the role of Training and Development is often thought of as one of the main components of cultivating a dynamic workforce that will grow to meet the challenges of an expanding set of skill requirements due to rapidly changing competitive scenarios.

Meeting the challenge of a workforce that can respond to changes mandating an ever growing skill set for accomplishing their role within the organization is paramount to the economic viability and success of any business.



One book stands above all the rest in helping the Human Resources manager understand the complexities facing them today and how to surmount them with literally hundreds of smart techniques that have been tested and qualified as effective for helping workers understand new responsibilities via self-training exercises, manager moderated training sessions, methods for goal focused empowerment, and more.

That book is the ASTD Training and Development Handbook. ASTD stands for the American Society for Training & Development, an association dedicated to the practice of workplace learning. Founded in 1944, the ASTD is the workplace training and development sector what SHRM is to human resources professionals. Naturally, the ASTD handbook is the industry's leading book on the subject and highly recommended for every workplace manager and HR executive.

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