PG&E – IBEW Joint Training Subcommittee Report 2010
The members of the Joint Training Subcommittee as identified below jointly prepared this report.
Company IBEW
Travis Browne – Co-Chair – Human Resources Arlene Edwards – Co-Chair – Business Representative Frances Wilder-Davis – Labor Relations Dorothy Fortier – Asst. Business Manager Linda Floyd – Human Resources Debbie Mazzanti – Business Representative Dawn Cummings – Customer Operations Donna Ambeau – Member Gary Ballard – Energy Delivery Lorenso Arciniega – Member Donna Lau – Customer Operations Anna Bayless-Martinez – Member Ina German – Customer Operations Cecelia De La Torre – Member Patti Williams – Customer Operations Adrianne Franks – Member James Palsgaard – Energy Delivery Jennifer Gray – Member Kristin Punter – Customer Operations Gracie Nunez – Member Jennifer Dowdell – Accounts Payable Tim Ramirez – Member Diane Tatu – Member
Objective: A Joint Training Subcommittee was established in an effort to:
1. Review the content and status of current negotiated training programs and/or agreements to develop training programs and/or to provide employees with training opportunities 2. Identify any training gaps based on current job duties and expectations. 3. Identify what training is needed to best prepare employees for promotional opportunities. 4. Prepare a report to the General Negotiations Committee by March 2010 summarizing findings.
Joint Subcommittee meetings were held on:
January 29, 2010 February 22, 2010 March 5, 2010 March 19, 2010
1. Review Current Negotiated Training Programs
Customer Service Representative Training: Advances in customer support requirements and other information technology have changed the business knowledge, skills and competencies necessary to support the business. Therefore, the Company’s training development processes must be flexible enough to support the dynamic changes in our business. In addition, the duties and work functions of clerical positions can vary significantly from workgroup to workgroup. With this in mind, we need to ensure that training is aligned with the employee’s current job responsibilities, tasks and knowledge requirements. This will result in empowered, well-trained employees that have the knowledge and skills required to successfully perform their jobs.
Considering the information above and after reviewing the current negotiated training programs, the Company presented a business case that would update our current clerical training programs. The business case includes a draft of a training process that would PG&E – IBEW Joint Training Subcommittee Report 2010
prepare a Customer Service Representative to be successful within various departments. These departments are Contact Center Operations, Office Services, Billing Operations and Credit Operations. Currently, the Customer Service training program is structured to prepare a Customer Service Representative to be successful in Contact Center Operations. While the other departments have training programs in place, there is a need to formalize the curriculum and training processes to ensure consistent training and maximum flexibility to adjust to rapidly changing business environments (see attached proposal).
Computer Operator Training: The Union stated that the existing Computer Operator Letter of Agreement is outdated and needs to be updated. The Company reviewed the negotiated training material and agreed that it is in fact outdated. However, the Company stated that the outdated training contained in the Letter of Agreement is no longer being utilized. The training materials currently being utilized by the department have been developed by the supervisor and the most senior Computer Operator. These materials are up to date and relevant for the position. The Company stated that the work has changed tremendously since the inception of the Computer Operator position and a Letter of Agreement exclusively focused on training may not be necessary. The two parties discussed the possibility of creating a Letter of Agreement that updates the Computer Operator Line of Progression and also includes information about the training process.
In consideration of formal training collaboration, it is the Union’s belief; formal training development should incorporate the review and communal approval of the Union. This will parallel the several Letter Agreements that incorporate the approval of both the Company and the Union.
2. Identify Any Training Gaps Based on Current Job Duties and Expectations
Operating Line of Progression: A formal training process does not exist for our Operating Clerks or Senior Operating Clerks. Rather, a mixture of various on the job training and resources are provided to the Operating line of progression. The Company is currently in the process of conducting a needs assessment to determine the training gaps associated with the various tools/resources we are using to train operating clerks. At this point, we have distributed surveys to the employees and supervisors to determine the critical training areas that we must address first. Over the course of the next year, Energy Delivery will be collaborating with PG&E Academy to determine how to best develop and implement the necessary training programs.
The Union also stated that the Operating Clerks in the RMC’s and local headquarters need more cross training. The Company provided an overview of the cross-training that is occurring in the RMC’s and agreed that more structure to the cross-training process would be beneficial. The Company will be incorporating the cross-training suggestion into the larger training improvement process initiative in Energy Delivery.
Accounting Line of Progression: A formal training process does not exist for our Accounting Clerks or Senior Accounting Clerks. Rather, a mixture of various on the job training and resources are provided to the Accounting line of progression. The Company has indicated an interest in developing customer service related training programs for Accounting Clerks in the Payroll Department.
On the Job Training Improvement Opportunities
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While the two previous sections of the report address base training needs for the Accounting and Operating lines of progression, the Union identified the following areas of continuous training that is necessary for an employee to be successful in PG&E’s changing environment:
Read & Learn: This is a short communication to Contact Center Operations (CCO) employees between 1-15 minutes in length. It is used to provide updates to an existing process, notification of programs that will be implemented in the near future, or an update to how a recently implemented program is doing.
The Union stated that these communications are often cancelled and not rescheduled. The Company conducted a random audit of 100 Read and Learns that were not completed and concluded the following:
24% - employee here at work but didn't log out to complete RL 27% - employee absent and RL was not rescheduled 49% - employee logged out of phones, took the time, but didn't complete the assigned RL (note – the employee may have completed a previous RL during this time)
With these results, the Company is working with the appropriate groups to ensure Read and learns are re-scheduled when cancelled or missed and also, re-establishing expectations with supervisors that it is necessary for our employees to review the Read and Learn material.
The Union stated that the Company is using the Read & Learns as the main source of training. The Company provided the “Communications and Training” matrix to educate the committee on the various training and communications methods currently in use in CCO. The Union stated that the matrix indicates the types of training available in CCO and does not negate the Union’s concern over the main sources of training be utilized in CCO. The Company also stated that the current high absenteeism rates in the Contact Centers make every week challenging from a resources perspective which in turn affects the amount of time that can be dedicated to training.
Since the last sub-committee meeting, the Company made additional improvements to the Read and Learn process. Prior to the general Customer Service Representative population receiving the Read and Learn information, the Senior Service Representative’s in the Contact Centers will receive the information in advance. This will allow the Sr. Service Representatives to become familiar with the information before receiving questions from the Customer Service Representatives. In addition, knowledge checks have been added to the process for Read and Learns that contain “need to know” information. Knowledge checks will provide a measurable indicator of who has read, completed, and comprehended the content provided in the Read and Learn.
Employee Involvement in Training: The Union stated that the Company should involve Bargaining Unit employees in the training development process. This would ensure the training is developed in a manner that works for the employees who are providing the service. The Union also stated that employees should be involved from the very beginning of the training development process and not just brought in at the end.
The Company agrees that employee involvement may be the right model to use in developing curriculum and can lead to more effective training outcomes. However, the Company stated that employee involvement in the beginning phases of the training
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development process is not always the most effective philosophy. In some cases it makes sense, however, in other cases of emerging technology or certain company/regulatory programs, the subject matter experts must first establish the base knowledge portion of the training curriculum and involve the end users after the foundation has been created to review/validate content for comprehension.
Feedback Process Associated with General Reference and Training: The Union stated that there have been instances when employees have asked questions about General Reference and received answers that do not satisfy the inquiry. As a result of the feedback, the Company has modified the process that includes an escalation to a supervisor if a Customer Service Representative is not satisfied with the inquiry.
The Union also stated that it may be helpful to postpone classroom training assessments until the Customer Service Representative is able to utilize the training when serving customers. This will allow the employee to fully assess whether or not the training was effective in preparing them to do their job successfully. The Company sees the value in establishing a process that will allow feedback to be provided during the training session and after the employee returns to work and implements the learning. Additionally, the Company sees value in assessing the employee for training comprehension once they have had the opportunity to put the training to practice.
3. Identify What Training is Needed to Prepare Employees for Promotional Opportunities
Formal training programs or exams associated with the training and promotions of Sr. Operating Clerks and Sr. Accounting clerks do not exist.
Advances in customer support requirements and other information technology have changed the business knowledge, skills and competencies necessary to support the Business. Therefore, the Company is also proposing modifications to the Sr. Service Representative training Letter of Agreement.
4. Next Steps
The Company and Union proposed to continue discussions on the following topics:
Computer Operator Line of Progression / Training Letter of Agreement Clerical training business case
5. Attachments
1. Clerical training business case 2. Overview of training methods used in Contact Center Operations
For the Company: For the IBEW:
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Travis Browne Arlene Edwards
Date:
5/24/2010 5/24/2010
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