Mining Publication: A Performance Approach to Training Research

The goal of the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory's training research is to explore the relationship between valid instruction and improved worker performance. Studies summarized in this paper include: (a) the development and assessment of training techniques that strengthen miners' ability to act competently in emergencies; (b) investigations of classroom simulations that enhance the perceptual, judgment and decision making skills of workers confronted with mine hazards; and (c) field studies of the linkages between financial investments in occupational skills training and measurable outcomes. The authors maintain that better ties between training and performance will aid long-term human resource development. The best way to establish this connection is through the use of objective and reliable data.