Please notice the poll at the bottom of this post. Thanks!
What motivates adult learners? Today, it is most likely the bad economy. Many adults find themselves unemployed and using the downtime to re-invent themselves by obtaining new skills. Those who have jobs may be looking for opportunities there. (I’m in the reinvent category)
How does mentoring fit into the new economy? Training budgets are down if they still exists. Still, CEOs like Jeffery R. Immelt, say they are still dedicated to the continuous development of their employees (Charlie Rose, June, 26, 2009 broadcast). Mentoring could be a low-cost solution for organizations looking to develop their leaders for tomorrow.
What is your experience with training and development where you work?
How does your company approach training and development? Have you experienced an increase in mentoring opportunities at your company or, is everyone just trying to survive the economic bust? Are you on your own in your professional development or does your workplace still support employee learning initiatives?
Please join me in my journey of exploration into mentoring adult learners for the 21st century. I am a graduate student at Oakland University in Michigan. I’m a researching mentoring strategies, the challenges mentors and mentees face at work and in their communities; and all the successes I can find.
