ADULT LEARNING: CULTIVATING AN ADULT

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AT GF& P, LLC

Mary Deloris Sims CarterMHRD 830 Concepts of Human Resource DevelopmentDr. BronackClemson University

COMPANY HISTORY – GREENWOOD PLATING 1986

• ELECTROPLATING SERVICES FOR THE ELECTRICAL, AUTOMOTIVE, RAIL, & AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES

• 2 FACILITIES – GREENWOOD & WARE SHOALS, SC

• CUSTOMER BASE INCLUDES EATON ELECTRICAL, SQUARE D COMPANY, SIEMENS, ALCOA & TIMKEN CORP.

• COMPLETE RANGE OF FABRICATION & MACHINING

• 40,000 SQFT WAREHOUSE FACILITY TO PROVIDE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

COMPANY PROFILE – GF&P, LLC

GFP LLC is dedicated to Market Leadership and Continuous Improvement. We strive for success by Safely satisfying our Customers with:

• HIGHEST VALUE PRODUCTS• ISO 9000 REGISTERED SYSTEMS• OUTSTANDING QUALITY, DELIVERY, &

SERVICE• “ Work as a Team to Safely produce products that exceed our

Customers’ quality expectations with Continuous Improvement” – Quality Statement

QUALITY POLICY

Introduction

• Senior Employee of the company• Member of Management Team

• Purchasing – Six Years• Quality - Four Years

• Customer Service & Scheduling – Five Years

• Shipping & Receiving – Two Years• Acquisitions Startup – One Year

Why Adult Learning?

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007 Current Population Survey, workers 16 – 17 years old make up only 24.8 percent of the civilian labor workforce (USBLS, 2008). The majority of our workforce in the United States are adults over 18.

Pioneer of Adult LearningMalcolm Shepherd Knowles

(1913 -1997)

•Focused his work in the area of adult learners. •He defined the differences in child and adult learning.• He coined the term and principles of Andragogy.

Anadragogical Model :What Do We Know About Adult Learners?

• Need to know why they should be learning something.• Deep need to be self directing.• Greater volume and different quality of experiences than

youth.• Ready to learn when they experiences, in their life

situation a need to know or be able to do in order to perform more effectively and satisfyingly.

• Enter into a learning experience with a task-centered or problem centered orientation to learning.

• Motivated to learn by both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators.

How Have We Incorporated Adult Learning Principles?

Redesign – Plater I Training• Introduced Learner Contracts (PPI) Personal Performance InitiativeProblem Solving Teams• Safety Committee/5S Lean Manufacturing PrincipleMotivational Program• Production Efficiency (Extrinsic)Management Philosophy• “Create an environment in which everyone has the

opportunity to prosper (Karner, 2008)”.

Contact Information

Mary Deloris Sims Carter

Email:

mary_deloris_carter@hotmail.com

Website: www.gfpi.com

References

• Company historical slide information provided by Kirk Husser, Operations Manager, GF&P, LLC

• Original Plater I Training Session provided by Mark Karner, Plating Manager, GF&P, LLC.

• Hawthorne Effect Production Studies Data for Plating Area provided by Steve Smith, Plating Supervisor, GF&P, LLC.