An analysis of an aerospace company's sponsored training program on employee productivity, wages, and retention

The fundamental purpose of this research is to analyze and determine if the level of impact of a company's investments in employee training is resulting in increased employee productivity, wages, and job retention. The company's training program, titled the Learning Together Program, was created in 1997 and implemented on January 1, 1998. It was modeled and designed from best practices of major college institutions and other aerospace companies' tuition assistance programs. The Learning Together Program is currently the largest tuition assistance program in the world. This analysis surveyed graduates from the program between 1998 and 2000 within the company's Southern California region. The participants, 290 employees, were asked to respond to a survey, which corresponded to eight research questions. The survey form was validated by a panel of experts and was followed by a pilot study to establish reliability. A total of 197 employees or 67.93% responded to the survey. The eight research questions identified the demographic characteristics of respondents including gender, ethnicity, position, years of experience, and age. It stratified the perceptions of employees in regard to the applicability of their training to an increase in employee effectiveness and performance. It also stratified employee perceptions of training influencing employee's salary based upon type of degree earned. It then compared and ranked employee's motivational factors in obtaining additional training and job-related retention factors.;Study findings indicate a positive association between investments in employee training with employee productivity, quality, and performance. Study findings also revealed among respondents between the ages of 24 and 30, a positive association in regard to employee training and wages. However, a majority of respondents between the ages of 31 and 64 expressed no evidence of this association. The study also found that a company sponsored training program is a retention factor for employees, but not as high or important as salary, challenging work, or career advancement. And finally, between 1998 and 2000, 4.78% of the company's Southern California Region employees left the company after obtaining their degrees.