Workforce - Iowa's Employee Training Programs, 2002

Manual for employee training.

Iowa New Jobs Training Program Annual Report, 2003

Annual Report

Indoor Multipurpose Use and Training Facility Revenue Bond Funds, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Independent Auditor's Report Financial Statements and Supplemental Information, June 30, 2004

State University Audit Report

Iowa New Jobs Training Program Annual Report, 2003

Iowa New Jobs Training Program Annual Report produced by Economic Developement

Developing an Effective Construction Training Program for Hispanic Supervisors and Craft Workers, January 2004

Hispanics make up a growing percentage of the craft workers entering the construction industry, and this has created several challenges for American construction companies. This study addresses the situation by investigating training needs for Hispanic construction craft workers and developing a training program for them within the industry. In order to evaluate current craft workers’ conditions within the construction industry, Iowa State University researchers conducted a survey, with 98 Hispanic craft workers as respondents from 10 construction companies, to determine current working conditions. The results confirm that the language barrier is an obstacle for both the Hispanic workers and the English-speaking employees involved in construction projects. As a part of this research, two training courses were designed to help both American construction companies and their Hispanic labor force to overcome the barriers that keep them from succeeding safely and productively. A training course titled English as a Second Language Survival Course was developed to facilitate basic communication between Hispanic workers and their American supervisors using construction-focused terminology. This course was delivered once as a trial run for a two-hour duration and twice for a full-length duration of eight hours. Important feedback was obtained from participants as part of the evaluations of the course. “How much of the course contents will be useful in your working environment” was asked; 40% of workers said “all of it” and 60% said “most of it.” Another question was “Was it worth taking the time to attend the course?” to which 94% answered “definitely” and 6% answered “yes.” A second training course titled Stepping Up to Supervisor Course for Hispanic Construction Workers was also developed to provide an effective tool to help companies promote those Hispanic craft workers whose willingness and skills meet the requirements to advance to a supervisory position in an American construction company. This course will be offered in the spring of 2004.

Indoor Multipurpose Use and Training Facility Revenue Bond Funds, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Independent Auditor's Report, Financial Statements and Supplemental Information, June 30, 2005

State University Audit Report

Business Service Training Annual Report, FY 2005

Annual Report

Identifying and Implementing Effective Training for Hispanic Craft Workers, American Supervisors, and DOT Inspectors: Phase III of the Hispanic Workforce Research Project, May 2006

The number of Hispanic workers in the U.S. construction industry has been steadily increasing, and language and cultural barriers have sometimes arisen on the jobsite. Due in part to these barriers, the number of fatalities among Hispanics at construction sites in 2001 jumped 24%, while construction fatalities overall dropped 3%. This study, which constitutes Phase III of the Hispanic Workforce Research Project, addresses these language and cultural barriers by investigating the most effective way to deliver training material developed in Phases I and II to Hispanic workers, American supervisors, and department of transportation (DOT) inspectors. The research methodology consisted of assessing the needs and interests of potential and current course participants in terms of exploring innovative ways to deliver the training. The training courses were then adapted and delivered to fit the specific needs of each audience. During Phase III of this project, the research team delivered the courses described in the Phase I and II reports to eight highway construction companies and two DOT groups. The courses developed in Phases I and II consist of four construction-focused language training courses that can be part of an effective training program to facilitate integration among U.S. and Hispanic workers, increase productivity and motivation at the jobsite, and decrease the existing high mortality rate for Hispanic workers. Moreover, the research team developed a course for the construction season called Toolbox Integration Course for Hispanic workers and American supervisors (TICHA), which consists of nine 45-minute modules delivered to one construction company over 11 weeks in the summer of 2005.

Indoor Multipurpose Use and Training Facility Revenue Bond Funds, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Independent Auditor's Report, Basic Financial Statements and Supplementary Information, June 30, 2006

State University Audit Report

Concrete Paving Training & Field Reference for Preventing Common Problems, August 2006

To ensure that high-quality materials are used in concrete mixing, all materials delivered to the site should be inspected to ensure that they meet specification requirements. All materials should be delivered with the proper certifications, invoices, or bill of lading. These records should indicate when the shipment arrived, the amount and identification of material delivered, and the laboratory report certification number, invoice number, and ticket number.

Evaluation of Virtual Reality Snowplow Simulator Training: A Literature Review, September 2006

Each winter, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) maintenance operators are primarily responsible for plowing snow off federal and state roads. Drivers typically work long shifts under treacherous conditions. In addition to properly navigating the vehicle, drivers are required to operate several plowing mechanisms simultaneously, such as plow controls and salt sprayers. However, operators have few opportunities during the year to practice and refine their skills. An ideal training program would provide operators with the opportunity to practice these skills under realistic yet safe conditions, as well as provide basic training to novice or less-experienced operators. Recent technological advancements have made driving simulators a desirable training and research tool. This literature review discusses much of the recent research establishing simulator fidelity and espousing its applicability. Additionally, this report provides a summary of behavioral and eye tracking research involving driving simulators. Other research topics include comparisons between novice and expert drivers’ behavioral patterns, methods for avoiding cybersickness in virtual environments, and a synopsis of current personality measures with respect to job performance and driving performance. This literature review coincides with a study designed to examine the effectiveness of virtual reality snowplow simulator training for current maintenance operators, using the TranSim VS III truck and snowplow simulator recently purchased by the Iowa DOT.

Evaluation of Virtual Reality Snowplow Simulator Training, January 2007

Each winter, Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) maintenance operators are responsible for plowing snow off federal and state roads in Iowa. Drivers typically work long shifts under treacherous conditions. In addition to properly navigating the vehicle, drivers are required to operate several plowing mechanisms simultaneously, such as plow controls and salt spreaders. There is little opportunity for practicing these skills in real-world situations. A virtual reality training program would provide operators with the opportunity to practice these skills under realistic yet safe conditions, as well as provide basic training to novice or less-experienced operators. In order to provide such training to snowplow operators in Iowa, the Iowa DOT purchased a snowplow simulator. The Iowa DOT commissioned a study through Iowa State University designed to (1) assess the use of this simulator as a training tool and (2) examine personality and other characteristics associated with being an experienced snowplow operator. The results of this study suggest that Iowa DOT operators of all ages and levels of experience enjoyed and seemed to benefit from virtual reality snowplow simulator training. Simulator sickness ratings were relatively low, implying that the simulator is appropriate for training a wide range of Iowa DOT operators. Many reported that simulator training was the most useful aspect of training for them.

Report on a special investigation of programs administered by the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium (CIETC) and Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) for the period July 1, 2003 through December 15, 2005

Report on a special investigation of programs administered by the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium (CIETC) and Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) for the period July 1, 2003 through December 15, 2005

Improving Transition Outcomes: CASE (Career And Self Awareness) Prototype: Training Brochure

Promotional brochure for CASE (Career And Self Awareness) curriculum trainings.

Audit of the Indoor Multipurpose Use and Training Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2007

Audit of the Indoor Multipurpose Use and Training Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2007