Starting in 2009, Avilar's long time LMS partner, careLearning, will offer careSkills - a competency management solution for healthcare organizations. This competency management system will allow hospitals to identify, assess and analyze the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to effectively perform and use this data to make informed decisions about their workforce.

careSkills is populated with validated skills for most disciplines within a healthcare organization. Within the product, skills can easily be added, modified, and deleted, and proficiency levels can be assigned for specific roles. Employees are assessed for applicable skills (by themselves, a peer, or manager) and compared to the level of proficiency assigned by the organization to determine competence.
 
The analytical data provided by careSkills can assist an organization with workforce planning, employee selection, strategic learning, performance management, career development, and succession planning. Education can be tailored to address identified gaps in skill, knowledge, and ability. This takes the assumptions and guesswork out of determining what educational offerings need to be provided to employees, resulting in better utilization of resources.

This product offers improved quality, service and competence, and reduced turnover for organizations. The organization can also experience a return on investment through a more efficient and skilled workforce and decreased staffing expense. You can view a press release at www.avilar.com. For more information about careSkills, contact careLearning.com. For information about Avilar's competency management solutions, contact Andy Jaynes.

I'm afraid my competency-based learning needs assessment and development planning project is going to get the axe as part of a huge cost cutting measure. Any ideas on how I can save it?
 
Dear concerned:
No matter what the economic times, it makes sense to position your project in terms of value to the organization rather than cost. If you can articulate real, immediate benefits that exceed the cost of your program, you stand a good chance of keeping it alive. Here are some ideas:
 
1. Pay attention to your organization's revised priorities and think about adjusting yours. If you're refocusing product or service strategies, concentrate your competency project on the specific roles and skills that will be critical for success. For example, Avilar's recent white paper gives some ideas about how to maximize the effectiveness of your training budget.
 
2.  Find internal partners who may benefit from your initiative. If you haven't already partnered with the HR functions involved with hiring and placement, this is an ideal time. Your model could be used not only for strategic learning, but for selection and succession management.
 
3.  Finally, don't neglect your own self-development.  We're all doing more with less, and it takes some real skill to work smarter rather than harder. Take a look at ways to improve your own time or project management skills to find opportunities for efficiency. If your budget doesn't support attending a course, check out some of these books that we've found helpful:

• Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook by Michael Linenberger
• Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office by Russ Edelman, Timothy Hiltabiddle and Charles Manz
• The Milkshake Moment: Overcoming Stupid Systems, Pointless Policies and Muddled Management to Realize Real Growth by Steven S. Little

In case you hadn't noticed, Avilar.com is growing to include a wealth of additional resources and information to help you achieve your talent management goals.
 
A whole new section is being developed to focus on solutions specifically for workforce planning issues such as:

• planning for succession and retirement
• identifying tomorrow's leaders
• aligning training with corporate objectives
• identifying organizational skill gaps

Take a sneak peak.
 
Other additional resources include new videos on the newest features and benefits of our WebMentor product line, tips and articles on implementing successful learning and competency management programs, sample assessments and reports, and The Competency Company Blog.
 
With this evolutionary step, we are working to make the site a more valuable resource while also creating a platform for relevant dialogue and discussion. Be sure to check the site often as new resources and information will be added frequently.
 
Besides our Full Circle Solutions eNewsletter, Avilar is also communicating about relevant talent management topics through the use of several online social networking sites including LinkedIn and Twitter. If you already have accounts with these services, you connect with Avilar using the links below.

• Connect with Avilar on LinkedIn.
  
• Follow Avilar on Twitter.