The American Society for Training & Development has recognized Oak Ridge National Laboratory as one of its 2007 BEST Awards Program winners. The 2007 BEST Awards received entries from 103 organizations in eight countries.
The Department of Energy laboratory's training management program ranked 16th in a field of 42 organizations from Canada, India, South Africa and the United States that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through employee learning and development.
"We are honored to be recognized in the company of leading organizations known for their innovative and effective approaches to learning and development," said Jeff Smith, ORNL deputy director for operations. "Our work-place learning professionals continually strive to offer training and development programs and practices that enable us to move forward in our commitment to achieving excellence in science and technology research and development."
ORNL's entry highlighted a number of organizational learning and development programs and best practices, including the contribution of training to quality program improvements, enhancements to radiological worker training delivery and administration, implementation of the site access training program and implementation of safety leadership training for managers, which is a component of the laboratory's safety leadership initiative.
ORNL Training Manager Allen White facilitated a session on "Managing Staff Training and Qualification Requirements?Identification through Implementation," at the ASTD's "Learn from the BEST" professional development event last month in Washington.
White described ORNL's process for establishing Laboratory-wide training and qualification requirements from a host of external requirements, corporate policies and best management practices applicable to ORNL operations and processes
Previously this year, the ORNL Training and Qualification Requirements Management Process received an ASTD Excellence in Practice citation.
ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy.