Content area
Full Text
Whether it's a lineman training to climb a utility pole or a secretary learning to improve communication with coworkers and customers, the 1,500 employees at Washington Water Power Co. have an array of training programs at their fingertips.
Some of those programs are required, especially those designed for union employees who specialize in a specific craft, such as the installation of gas or electric meters. Other programs, however, such as leadership and teamwork classes, are taken on a voluntary basis.
The Spokane-based utility's approximately 600 union employees, for instance, receive extensive training geared toward their crafts, both in the field and at a specialized training facility in Hillyard. But they're also encouraged to enroll in some of the programs offered to nonunion employees, which can range from decision making to the use of computer software.
Diane Quincy and Tom Tusler, who coordinate a majority of the training programs at WWP, say such programs save WWP money, prevent work-related injuries, boost employee moral, and improve customer service.
"We view employees as our most valuable asset." says Quincy, a senior business partner in WWP's human resource department.
Training is a big investment for WWP. The company spends about $200,000 a year on training programs, which are handled by the utility's 10-person human-resources department, and must be provided to employees scattered among WWP's far-flung regional facilities.
Tusler, WWP's craft training administrator, coordinates field training for union employees, both male and female, in 10 apprenticeship programs, aimed at positions ranging from maintenance linemen, to gas or electric metermen, to hydropower operators.
The non-union training is organized into three areas--leadership development, team development, and individual development, says Quincy.
The leadership-development program, which recently completed a one-year test run, is designed to give employees who have formal...