The people side of software. A lesson plan for establishing a successful training program

Training is vital to keeping up with industry, customer and employee demands. Specifically, training is necessary for the development of quality software which is dependent on knowledgeable and skilled employees. They, in turn, will perform their roles more effectively and efficiently. It is as important for new hires as it is for current employees. Therefore, training is an on-going and never-ending process. In addition, training plays a key role in handling growth, which is what the GSM project is so fortunate to be experiencing today. However, growth is only positive if you are prepared to handle it and keep up with it. When a high growth rate is added to existing demands, the training challenge is multiplied. It is the purpose of this paper to share the steps the GSM project has taken to produce, implement and improve (through feedback) a well-rounded Software Engineering Institute (SEI) level three capability training program. This paper focuses on the resources (i.e., people and capital) and the components (e.g. mentoring, curriculums, individual training plans, in-house training, metrics) that are essential in establishing and managing a smooth-running training program for a software development organization. This paper also demonstrates the growing demand for knowledge and how its reuse is necessary to increase the Motorola knowledge base at a rate that allows Motorola to remain an industry leader.