As an industry, cement, like many others, has consistently pushed off training, cut training budgets first when faced with financial challenges, and merrily kicked the proverbial can down the road.
It’s exactly like trying to convince a smoker to quit. They fully understand it’s harmful and increases health risks, but they convince themselves that today’s cigarette isn’t the one that will kill them, so they’ll change “someday.”
Our approach to training follows the same pattern. For years, companies found it easier to poach talent at costs far less than developing existing staff. We’ve rationalized the loss of talent to support short-term financial goals, convincing ourselves that we can “do more with less” regardless of the burnout impact on the remaining employees. We continue to operate, so training never feels truly critical today.
Like the smoker, though, the inevitable reckoning arrives. Then, it’s all hands on deck, and the blame game begins. Suddenly, executives ask how we let things deteriorate so badly without prioritizing training. “Surely we should have seen this coming!”
The luxury of delay has expired. There’s no talent pool sitting on the sidelines anymore, and AI won’t replace or supplement employees fast enough or effectively enough to weather the coming storm.
What’s your experience? Are you seeing companies in our industry finally taking training seriously, or are we still putting off what we know needs to be done? hashtag#CementIndustryTraining hashtag#WorkforceDevelopment