Page 14 - SKILLS Workforce Development Guide 2021

For Employers: Case Studies
participants analyze a problem together and provide recommendations. For example, one year, participants studied whether or not having a large coffee roaster on-site like at the Yonkers store increased coffee sales. Their research validated the investment in purchasing smaller coffee roasters for additional stores that utilized less energy and space, but still provided customers with the “show and sell” experience leading to increased coffee sales overall.
The company has grown its footprint rapidly, with three new stores in the past five years, and ranks on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” list. Interest in the bootcamp program remains high, with 38 applications for a coveted five spots in the next class.
Not only is Stew Leonard’s providing training through the leadership bootcamp, but the company also launched a management training program about five years ago for both in-house talent and external candidates who are more entry level. The 12- to
18-month program serves as a new talent pipeline to help advance candidates
to the manager level quickly when
those opportunities arise. Many of the management trainee graduates have moved on to the leadership bootcamp.
Both programs are widely sought after by employees. Out of 45 bootcamp graduates in the past decade, 24 have been promoted
and nine have been promoted twice. With the COVID crisis, the leadership bootcamp pivoted to Zoom group meetings and presentations, which was a benefit for employees since they no longer had to travel for in-person meetings. The program this year will also conduct Zoom panel interviews
to choose the lucky few who become bootcamp participants.
WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL
Earn While You Learn Credential Program
While healthcare is a booming industry in the Hudson Valley, some
White Plains Hospital launched the Earn While You Learn program to encourage employees to train as OR scrub techs.
hospital jobs are harder to fill than others. At White Plains Hospital (WPH), the human resources team had trouble filling the position of operating room (OR) scrub tech. This position helps the surgical team prepare for operating procedures with duties
such as laying out sterilized surgical instruments or assisting with suturing. The position does require specialized technical training, but not necessarily a four-year college degree. Diane Woolley, chief human resources officer at WPH, explained that the pool of applicants for this position was low
as employees were either obtaining their four-year degrees and looking for different jobs or they were not seeking additional education beyond a high school diploma.
In an effort to address this recruitment challenge and help employee career advancement, WPH created a program called Earn While You Learn. Full-time employees at the hospital were eligible to apply for the two-year program, where they could go to class to obtain their OR scrub tech certification during the day at local accredited colleges
but also got paid their hourly rate plus benefits while working their remaining hours in the week at the hospital. This proved to be an attractive incentive to employees who otherwise would
not be able to go to school due to a lack of resources or due to childcare issues. WPH paid full tuition for the classes and, upon obtaining their certification, the employees were committed to working as an OR scrub tech at WPH for a minimum of four years. On average each semester,
the employees worked 20 hours at
the hospital, with the remaining 20 hours spent in the classroom. The program proved so successful that WPH expanded it to other technical positions such as medical technologist and respiratory therapist.
12 SKILLS What’s Hot. What’s Next. What’s Needed.
© Courtesy of White Plains Hospital