The features of a competitive professional training.

Izvercianu, Monica ; Popa, Horia ; Mocan, Marian 等

1. INTRODUCTION

In the context of the Leonardo da Vinci European program, through the projects FORCREST and TACITUS, the team from the University "Politehnica" of Timisoara, Romania, through the present paper authors, has detected the professional training features for human resources' from the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), from the West part of Romania, before and after the Romania's accession to the European Union.

2. THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FEATURES

Romania is in a period of transformations and transition to a competitive economy that demands another set of features for human resources professional training (Izvercianu, 2006). The great complexity of training contributes to development. Training is not synonymous with it, but development cannot take place without learning (Whittaker, 1992). Investments in the time required for continuing professional development should be regarded as being as important as investments in other activities. (Pickard, 1999), (Quinn, 2003).

3. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IDENTIFICATION FEATURES FOR EMPLOYEES OF SME

These objectives have risen from a vast analysis developed upon 32 small and medium enterprises and at next levels:

High level--when the enterprises' strategic objectives and their socio-organizational evolution were analyzed;

Medium level--in the context of the work collectively (or work team);

Micro level--for each person/ employee.

Study sample--The participant subjects in this study are from 32 small and medium enterprises from different activity domains: Shoe production (5), Textile production (6), Thermoelectrics (2), Apparatus and machines (3), Transports (4), Service (12).

The research methodology--For this research objective we have chosen a qualitative method, namely the group's phenomenological analysis and we have used "the non-direct centred group interview technique", combined with the "questionnaire technique". The thematic of the group interview refers to:

Their position, opinion about an efficient vocational training course/program;

What they have to suggest to the trainer in order to attend the desired results after a vocational training course/program.

At the end the groups retained 12 training features, but after the 178 subjects assigned grades on a scale from 1 (very, very less important) to 10 (extremely important), to determine the importance level of every training features, it was observed that for grades under 6, the importance level is negligible, that is the reason for there were kept only 7 training features (table 1).

From the mathematical point of view, the decreasing ordering of the professional training features importance in students' opinion was made depending on the average value of opinions [K.sub.i]. This was calculated with the following formula:

[K.sub.i] = [[n.summation over (j=1)] [a.sub.ij]/n (1)

Where [F.sub.i] = feature i; i= 1 ... m (m=12); [S.sub.j] = interviewed subject j; j = 1 ... n (n=178). The feature value [F.sub.i] in subject's opinion [S.sub.j]: [F.sub.i], [S.sub.j] [right arrow] [a.sub.ij].

F1--The research sample consists of adult persons who are aware of their professional training basic need as a long life learning process and who have different arguments to motivate them. It must be remarked that:

1. Young people/employees, with a professional experience from 0 to 5 years, who represent 11.8% from the total subjects of the sample; (21 persons from 178), are motivated to accumulate knowledge because this will help them to find a new, and better job which will satisfy them better. The described situation implies a non-fidelity attitude of the young employees regarding the enterprise and, of course, a wrong behaviour of the enterprise regarding their young employees

2. The subjects/employees with a professional experience from 5 to 10 years that represents 25.8% from the total subjects of the sample; (46 persons from 178) were more careful with the answers regarding the personal motivation linked to the vocational training:

--58.7% (27 responders from 46 participant groups) have motivated the technological progress stands at the base of the professional training. We can remark that the 27 subjects/employees belong to those enterprises which produce apparatus and machines and to those enterprises with a thermo-electrics profile. Those justify the subjects/employees answers.

--36.9% (17 responders from 46 participant groups) have motivated their need for vocational training as a necessity for work-place stability, respective for a better paid job. We can remark that the majority of them are employees in textiles industry and services where, is well known, that the level of remuneration is low. Another remark is that women, who dominate the jobs' occupation in this industry and who have comments about the level of their salaries, have declared and sustained the priority on having a stabile work-place.

--4.4% (2 responders from 46 participant groups) with a professional experience from 5 to 10 years have motivated their need for vocational training according to their own professional code.

3. The employees with more than 10 years of professional experience (not necessarily in the same enterprise) represent 63.48% of the groups' participants (111 responders from the total of 178 subjects) and they have the following motivations: 25.22% (28 responders from 111 subjects) were motivated by their job attestation or by immediate, concrete promotion; 19.8% (22 responders from 111 subjects) of the responders had priorities in developing their carrier, the majority were devoted to their enterprise and well motivated; 54.98% (61 responders from 111 subjects) were motivated by the workplace stability and the technological progress which they have to face in order to gain stability. It is worthy to note that from the 178 subjects, 65 were women, who fear that from a specific age it is difficult to find a job corresponding with their occupation.

F2--The courses have to be practical, concrete with punctual solving. The vocational training is addressed to adults which have a formed personality, who are aware of their vocational training, but who, in majority, want a punctual, practical education, in their professional area (or in adjacent area). Approximately 75% (133 persons) of the responders wish to acquire knowledge for solving the problems they confront with or knowledge necessary for their job attestation or promotion. It has been noticed that young persons (who search another job, adequate to their tendencies) have also underlined the need of theoretical context understanding on a bigger range of information. This group attitude is correlated with the next category of features.

F3--The theoretical part of the courses must be presented by the formative staff in a stimulating manner for students in order to keep the attention up during the course. Once the people get older, new barriers regarding the theoretical accumulations appear, concerning new competencies acquirement. This fact was remarked into the studied groups. Some of them with more than 10 years of experience in their professional field have imposed their point of view in the frame of the discussion concerning the theoretical informational content reported to the practical informational content. This point of view was favourable to the practical informational content. The subjects' need to inform and train themselves was restricted, beaked by their limited availability for the theoretical accumulations, in favour of the practical accumulations.

F4--To this idea, of practical specific problems training, 70.2% responders have totally adhered (125 subjects from 178 subjects), the others, 29.8% (53 subjects) agreed the idea, but they exhibit the need of a continuous training, from different reasons, namely: some want a professional career and have the disposition of continuous information, others want to accumulate new competencies for finding a well paid job for which experience and good professional knowledge is required. It is worthy of note that women, justifying the lack of time and also the number of domestic responsibilities, have adhered in proportion of approximately 90%, to this "feature " stating that the "training has to be made just when concrete situations require that" (Zadel, 2006).

F5--The subjects participating to this study have identified some material, financial and informational facilities for a good learning development, the presence of a competent trainer who has to answer "in a concrete and precise way" to their questions and the theoretical support needed for every student. Regarding the financial resources only 14.0% (25 from 178 subjects) are disposed to pay the course fee themselves, the others want the enterprise to invest in their vocational training.

F6--The future students want to get useful professional information, in an optimal period of time for them, because their time budget for training is limited: professional duties, personal problems, etc. which means that the trainer must use the time efficiently.

F7--Into the rational component of learning, subjects keep in view the learning development by competently trainers who fulfil their implicit expectations from the informational, professional point of view, at the appropriate moment.

4. RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS

The interviewed subjects consider that professional training is a key factor that guarantees their career development. Each employee who participated at the study has different motivations for satisfying her/his vocational training needs (a better job, promotion, new competencies owed to technology's progresses etc.). Women and most of the men with a professional experience more than 10 years need vocational training for work-place stability. The subjects/employees expressed their need for "just-in-time" training and with subjects of most interest for the moment. The subjects/employees have great exigencies for the trainers and for their professional competencies. 14% of the employees have financial disposal for the courses/programs payment. The cognitive behaviour has influenced the learning rhythm and the type of learning method (theoretical or practical competencies learning). The paper was finalized with the training features inventory for small and medium enterprises human resources.

5. REFERRING

Izvercianu, M.(2006). Human Resources Marketing (Marketingul resurselor umane), Ed. Solness, ISBN 973-8472-17-2, Timisoara, Romania.

Pickard, J. (1999). Emote possibilities-sense and sensitivity, People Management, Vol. 5, 48-56, ISSN 0143-5124

Quinn, B., A. (2003). Building a profession: A sociological analysis of the internship development program, Journal of Architectural Education, vol. 56 (4), 41-9, ISSN-0097-8507

Whittaker, J.(1992). Making a policy of keeping up to date, Personnel Management, March, 28-34, ISSN-0036-6439

Zadel A. (2006). Impact of Personality and Emotional Intelligence on Successful Training in Competences, Managing Global Transitions. International Research Journal, vol. 4, no. 4, ISSN 1581-6311, 363-376.

Table 1. The ranking for training features

No. Professional training features [SIGMA ] [K.sub.i]

F1 The vocational training need 1480 8.31

F2 The courses/programs have to be 1425 8.00
 practice oriented, with case studies
 and examples of good practice

F3 The trainer has to present the 1379 7.74
 theoretical part of the
 courses/programs in a motivating
 and attractive manner so that the
 students will be attentive during the
 whole course/program

F4 The training program has to be done 1322 7.42
 only when a specific practical
 situation requires new knowledge
 for the employees

F5 All available facilities for the 1115 6.26
 training courses/programs have to be
 at the students' disposal

F6 The trainer has to use efficiently the 1093 6.14
 time allocated for the training
 courses/programs

F7 The trainer has to be able to answer 1078 6.05
 with high competencies and in due
 time, to all students' questions for
 satisfying their needs