Work Ethics Training Improves Workforce Productivity

Over 50% of U.S. employers say they are unable to find qualified applicants for entry-level positions. With that staggering statistic in mind, it is easy to understand why U.S. businesses spend over $30 billion per year on training and re-training their workforce.

What can be done to address these challenges? How can they be overcome so that businesses experience a more productive workforce? One of the key answers lies in how we prepare and educate young people long before they enter the workforce. It’s never too early to begin educating and motivating people about the merits of hard work and being a productive citizen. Instilling ethical work standards in our youth and promoting the benefits of these standards will have a direct and positive impact on tomorrow’s workforce.

The characteristics at the foundation of the building blocks for a strong work ethic are responsibility, honesty, enthusiasm, courage, integrity, citizenship, respect, diligence, trust and fairness. Research has shown that these are qualities that employers most value and reward. With strong work ethic as a foundation, the next building block or layer is the knowledge provided by schools, teachers, counselors and parents. Academic and vocational skills, social skills, self-discipline and overall life skills all contribute to building an individual’s set of core capabilities. When knowledge is combined with the opportunity to explore, prepare and become aware of future possibilities, a holistic program is created, which lifts personal expectations and results in a higher level of individual performance.

All of these programs emphasize opportunity through awareness, exploration and preparation. They expand knowledge by building skills and strengthening student awareness of their own individual skills and talents. When the connection between education, training and employment is instilled, the result is a well-rounded student with realistic expectations, ready to experience success in the workforce.

By Michelle Widger
Employment Communication Consultant
ACS
Originally published in WORK