Keeping employees current in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively do their jobs is an investment with potentially high returns. Existing employees have knowledge of the organization and its critical success factors so we strongly favor providing learning opportunities to existing employees rather than replacing existing employees with new employees or contractors. By working with management and employees, the First Place Group can help to determine the knowledge and skills that will be needed to support the organization's goals.

We then work with individual employees to determine what additions to their skill and knowledge sets are needed. Each employee would develop a skills development plan with the help of the First Place Group. This plan would be time-phased and include supporting resources and activities such as:

• On-the-job-training
• Seminars
• College Courses
• Technical School Courses
• Distance Learning and WEB Based Learning
• Video / Multimedia Based Courses
• Books and Magazines
• Professional Association Meetings

Our experience with developing skills leads us to believe that:

• Learning is most effective when it is immediately used on-the-job
• Employees who increase their job skills should be rewarded
• Skills are most effectively increased by doing
• Learning is enhanced by taking students away from the distractions of their everyday work environments
• The results of the training investment can be greatly increased by a good training plan