CASE STUDY: Determining Training

Needs at Union Pacific Railroad

By:
Afshan Saeed
Hira Afridi
Rida Siddiqui
SobiaKausar
Syeda Maheen Mehmood

CASE REVIEW

How would you conduct a need

assessment to determine what
type of trainings conductors
need to effectively use the new
system?

Need Assessment
A systematic process for determining and
addressing needs, or "gaps" between
current conditions and desired conditions
or "wants".

Types of Training Needs

Democratic Needs
Analytical Needs
Diagnostics Needs
Compliance Needs

Training need for Union Pacific

Railroad
Both Analytical & Diagnostics Needs
because it adopts new and better ways to
improve performance and focuses on the
factors that lead to effective performance.

Why is Need Assessment necessary?

Provides important input into most of the
remaining steps in the training design.
Helps to determine whether the company would
outsource its training

Why is Need Assessment necessary?

Provides information that helps the company to

choose the appropriate T & D method
Provides information regarding the outcomes
that should be collected to evaluate training
effectively

Causes & Outcomes Of Needs Assessment

Participation Of Managers And Trainers In

Needs Assessment

Need Assessment Process

There are three levels of training needs
assessment:

Organizational Analysis
Person Analysis
Task Analysis

Needs Assessment Process

Organizational Analysis

A tool used when trying to improve an

organizations efficiency, it looks at the structure
and design of an organization and how it
influences outputs.

Organizational Analysis
It involves three components:
Companys Strategic Direction
Support of Managers, Peers and Employees for
training activities
Training Resources

Strategic Direction of Union Pacific

Railroad
Union Pacific Railroads strategic direction is to
increase productivity, timeliness and accuracy of
shipping to customers by introducing new
technology.
Its aim is to maintain its position on the cutting
edge of train technology.

Support of Managers, Peers and Employees

for training activities
of Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad develops and delivers
quality programs and services to attract,
develop, motivate and retain a skilled, diverse
workforce.

Training Resources
of Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad has to identify its budget,
time and expertise for the training to make a
decision whether to outsource its training
purpose or provide training in-house.
Union Pacific Railroad is in an agreement with
United Transportation Union for its
training purposes.

Person Analysis
Person Analysis helps to identify whether
employees current performance or expected
performance indicates a need for training.
It also helps determining Employees Readiness
for Training

Person Characteristics Required at Union

Pacific Railroad
Conductors with high self-efficacy and cognitive ability are
likely to be successful in training and accommodate
themselves according to the changing technology trends.
They also need to be aware of their career interests and goals
so they take interest in the training and be productive.

The individual should be motivated or else there would be no

benefit of training.

Input at Union Pacific Railroad

Situational Constraints would be only in time as
the training would be outsourced due to budget
constraints.
Also social support would be necessary to
accommodate work schedules with training and
other responsibilities.

Output at Union Pacific Railroad

A test would be conducted at Union Pacific
Railroad, to evaluate the learning of the training.
If poor results are found than new training
design would be made to upgrade employee
performance.

Consequences at Union Pacific Railroad

A reward or incentive should be given to the
conductors to motivate and indulge them in
training practices to provide with work results or
it may affect their learning in training programs.

Feedback at Union Pacific Railroad

At Union Pacific Railroad, it should be identified

whether feedback is properly provided or not,
after and before the training, so the learning can
be properly evaluated.

Task Analysis
Task analysis results in a description of work
activities, including tasks perform by the employee
and the knowledge, skills, and abilities require
completing the tasks.
Other things refer to the conditions under which
tasks are performed; which include identifying the
equipment and environment that the employee
works in, time constraints for a task, safety
considerations, or performance standards.

Task Analysis at Union Pacific Railroad

At Union Pacific Railroad, current jobs would be
analyzed and then compared with the future change in
job responsibilities.
Training would be designed according to the gap
between these responsibilities after the incorporation
of technology.

Knowledge, skills and abilities would be evaluated and

through it training would be designed.

Task Analysis at Union Pacific Railroad

Furthermore, a questionnaire would be designed to
find out the gap between work responsibilities, before
and after, the incorporation of new technology.
Moreover, a focus group would also be formed,
comprising of individuals who would be trained from
before, so to judge whether the technology should be
installed or not.

Training & Need Assessment

The need assessment process helps determining

the types of training conductors need to
effectively use the new system.

Graph
80

70

Performance

60
50

Training
Gap

40
30
20

10
0

4
Time

Before adoption of
technology
After adoption of
technology

Training Programs For Railway Road

Conductors
Comprehensive railroad
safety trainings

Customized training
programs(according to
job responsibilities).

Operating rules training.

Technical training.

General code of operating

rules.

Derailment investigation
and prevention training.

Channel code of
operating rules

Thank You !