Measuring Training Impact

Pathway to Justice? The Role of Racial Bias Training in Modern Canadian Policing. I’m excited to share insights from a pivotal longitudinal study conducted by Kanika Samuels-Wortley- Adriana Avraam, and Vanessa N. Rhodes, which delves into the effectiveness of anti-racism training for police officers in Canada. This research tracks the perceptions of 14 newly recruited officers immediately after a training program and again 12-18 months later, revealing critical findings about the impact of such training on policing practices. Overview: The program consisted of a 2-hour discussion-based session focused on racial trauma, exploring the historical and contemporary effects of race and racism in Canadian policing. Facilitated by a Black female psychotherapist, the training utilized videos, case studies, and guided discussions to foster engagement and reflection. Findings: Immediate Response (Phase One): - Officers engaged in critical self-reflection and identified strategies for improving interactions with racialized communities. - 64% recommended the training, while 29% found it "confrontational." One Year Later (Phase Two): The study revealed that the effects of training largely dissipated, with three main patterns emerging: 1. Operational Urgency Prioritized: Officers viewed anti-racism training as secondary to essential "survival" skills, emphasizing public safety over equity considerations.    2. "Distancing" from Race: Many adopted color-blind rhetoric, minimizing the relevance of racial considerations and attributing disparities to crime rates rather than bias. 3. Generational Narratives: Some officers claimed their generation is bias-free due to diverse recruitment, dismissing the training as "basic knowledge." Theoretical Insights: Utilizing Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and field, the study illustrates how deeply embedded police culture shapes officer behavior, often overshadowing the impact of one-time training interventions. Conclusions: The findings suggest that anti-racism training alone is insufficient for lasting change. Key issues: - Lack of "cultural capital" within policing institutions. - Operational priorities that override training messages. - Development of deflection strategies by officers to reconcile critiques with their professional identity. Recommendations for Meaningful Reform: To truly address racial bias in policing, we need: - Accountability mechanisms beyond training. - Revised performance evaluation criteria prioritizing equity. - Ongoing organizational commitment to racial justice. - Institutional reforms embedding anti-bias considerations into operational priorities. - Continuous reinforcement of training concepts rather than a "one-and-done" approach. Systemic racial discrimination is deeply embedded in the fabric of policing. This study reveals a clear conclusion: there is an urgent need to dismantle and reconstruct the institution of policing as we currently understand it. Red Coalition Inc.

How strong could you get from just one 20-minute strength session per week? A massive 7-year analysis provides some insight. This great study from James Steele and colleagues modelled data from 14,960 people (average age 48, SD 11) who completed “minimal-dose” strength training once per week for up to 352 weeks (~6.8 years). The program was highly standardised and incredibly simple: ▪️ One (supervised) session ▪️ Six machine-based exercises ▪️ One set (4–6 reps) to momentary muscular failure ▪️ 10 seconds lifting, 10 seconds lowering (each set lasted ~80–120 seconds) As for total time in the gym? Always under 20 minutes. Despite being so brief, the strength gains were substantial. Participants improved their strength by 30–50% in the first year, before plateauing at around 50–60% above baseline six years later. Strength improved fast, then levelled off as expected. But here’s the part we often forget: When it comes to ageing, even maintaining strength is a win. Without training, these same individuals would likely have lost at least 6% of their strength over six years. Instead, they gained 50–60%. All while training (albeit hard) only once per week for 20 minutes. The potency of strength training is incredible. ------------------------- 📊 Data from: Steele J, Fisher JP, Giessing J, Androulakis-Korakakis P, Wolf M, Kroeske B, Reuters R. Long-Term Time-Course of Strength Adaptation to Minimal Dose Resistance Training Through Retrospective Longitudinal Growth Modeling. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2023 Dec;94(4):913-930.

We measure training impact too early. Not because we don’t care. But because it’s the easiest moment to measure. Almost half of us evaluate immediately after the session or program. Fewer than 1 in 10 look again three months later. But real behavior change doesn’t happen that day. It happens back at work. It shows up in small shifts. In repeated actions. In habits forming over time. Three months later is when behavior change becomes visible. Six months later is when performance metrics start to move. That’s when we can honestly answer: Did anything actually change? The reality is, by then, everyone has moved on. New priorities. New programs. New fires to put out. Chasing impact data at that point feels messy, manual and time-consuming. So we measure what’s convenient. And miss what matters. Impact is never about the first survey. It's about what changed long after it. The teams in the top 10% don’t measure once. They build follow-up into the process.

🎯 Key highlights of a study from the Economics of Education Review that looks at how continuous work-related training impacts people's careers in Switzerland🇨🇭. 📘 The research is important because it uses detailed government data on both education and employment over several years to get a very clear picture of the effects. It helps us understand if training truly leads to better job outcomes and who benefits the most, especially in a country with a lot of adult training but little government regulation. 🔍 Purpose & Relevance: - Investigates how CET impacts earnings and unemployment risk. - Uses Swiss data, where adult education is largely privately organized—offering insights relevant to liberal labour markets like those in Anglo-Saxon countries. - Highly relevant for policymakers, employers, and VET practitioners seeking evidence-based strategies to upskill the workforce. 🎯 Key Themes & Takeaways: 💼 Labour Market Outcomes of CET: - CET increases annual earnings by 3.4% on average. - Reduces unemployment risk by 2.1 percentage points—nearly halving the baseline rate. - Shortens unemployment spells by up to 0.17 months. 📊 Methodology Strength: - Uses regression-adjusted matched difference-in-differences with entropy balancing. - Controls for selection bias and pre-treatment trends—enhancing causal credibility. 👥 Effect Heterogeneity: - Strongest earnings gains for low-income workers (8.1% in the lowest tercile). - Unemployment risk reduction most pronounced among high-income earners. - Vocationally trained workers benefit from both higher earnings and lower unemployment—highlighting VET’s dual dividend. 🎓 VET & Skills Focus: - Vocational education emerges as a key driver of CET effectiveness. - Even short, non-formal courses (avg. 48 hours) yield measurable returns. - Employer-financed training (78% of cases) plays a pivotal role—suggesting firms recognize CET’s productivity value. 📉 Limitations & Cautions: - Effects may be understated due to conditioning on pre-treatment income. - Results may not generalize to state-funded or highly regulated labour markets. - Non-work-related training shows negligible labour market impact—reinforcing the importance of vocational intent. 🧠 Final Thought: This study reinforces the strategic value of VET and CET in modern labour markets. It’s not just about formal qualifications—targeted, work-related training can be a powerful lever for economic mobility and resilience. #LifelongLearning #VocationalTraining #SkillsDevelopment #AdultEducation Stefan Denzler Jens Ruhose Stefan Wolter EfVET European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) European Vocational Training Association - EVTA EURASHE eucen EUproVET EU Employment and Skills Cedefop European Training Foundation WorldSkills International OECD Education and Skills SEPIE - Servicio Español para la Internacionalización de la Educación International Labour Organization IEFP - Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional

How Minimal Dose Resistance Training Can Transform Strength Over Time Have you read: “Long-term time-course of strength adaptation to minimal dose resistance training: Retrospective longitudinal growth modelling of a large cohort through training records” By James and James et al. This study is one I reference frequently with patients—and for good reason. Many adults believe resistance training requires hours of effort each week, but this research proves otherwise. Key highlights: 14,690 participants (60% female, avg. age 48). One 20-minute resistance training session per week over 6+ years. Strength gains of 30-50% in 1 year and maintained at 50-60% over 6 years. The data, including leg press, chest press, and pull-down metrics, shows consistent strength gains across gender, age, and body weight. Adjusting for body weight reveals little difference in percentage improvements, emphasizing the program’s broad accessibility. What makes this study remarkable? Hardware/software tracked every rep for precise data. Trainer support at a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio ensured proper form. Consistent movement speeds and automatic weight adjustments minimized variability. Takeaways for clinicians and patients: Even minimal doses of resistance training yield significant, long-lasting benefits. For patients in their 40s+, this is a powerful tool to combat the natural decline in strength, muscle, and bone without requiring hours of exercise each week. Sharing studies like this inspires patients and boosts their confidence. Many light up when they realize they can do this. For those interested, here’s the full study: https://lnkd.in/d4cRBFen What strategies or studies have you found useful for reframing exercise perceptions in your patients? Let’s collaborate to empower more people to take action.

Advances in brain imaging have provided new insights into the relationship between motor learning and brain structure. Imaging investigations have revealed that motor learning and training can evoke plastic changes in brain structures that are associated with distinct training demands, and such learning-induced structural alterations have been demonstrated to arise in both the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in the human brain. Longitudinal investigations focused on motor learning have revealed structural plasticity in specific WM regions. For example, Juggling training increased fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of the directionality of water diffusion to measure the WM microstructure, in the WM underlying the intraparietal sulcus. Furthermore, bilateral upper extremity motor skill training increased FA in the posterior and anterior limbs of the internal capsule, the corona radiata, and the body of the corpus callosum [2], and complex visuomotor rotation training was found to result in increase in FA below the primary motor cortex [3]. Conversely, learning of a complex whole-body balance task decreased FA in prefrontal WM regions.

Third-party, longitudinal data from major air carriers is rare in aviation safety. But APS has it from two of the world's largest airlines. Delta Airlines ran a five-year, five-million-flight study. Precursor upset conditions dropped by 50%. United's academy then asked whether APS training holds up if a pilot does encounter an upset. Across 67 cadets, the pass rate on an unannounced recovery evaluation rose from 16.4% before training to 86.6% after, a 427% gain. And considering this is one carrier's own operational data plus an independently overseen study at another's academy, you should be taking the results into consideration. The question for your operation is no longer whether APS works or not. It's how much risk you're choosing to leave on the table by ignoring it. Note: fine-tuned the wording above for precision (exact metric and figures); the underlying results are unchanged.