James Michael Logsdon, a Louisville auto mechanic, hadn’t been in a classroom in 40 years when his company went out of business in 2015, but he was keen to learn something new. He enrolled in a free program for blue-collar workers at KentuckianaWorks, a regional job-services group that offers education and training courses and connects students with prospective employers. In five weeks, he got certified production technician (CPT) training and was hired weeks later at Atlas Copco AB, the Swedish tool-and-equipment maker. “I had a long interview, but it wasn’t until I talked about the courses I’d taken and showed my grades that they wanted me,” says Logsdon, 59, who now repairs tools used by automakers and equipment manufacturers. Donald Trump promises to bring factory jobs back to the U.S. from overseas, but many bluecollar workers are hurt more by a lack of skills than by globalization. Unskilled assembly-line work has been replaced by so-called advanced manufacturing jobs that require some computer, information technology, or other technical knowledge. In Detroit, Louisville, Grand Rapids, Mich., and other manufacturing hubs, many employers can’t find workers with those skills. “Manufacturing jobs are here and growing in numbers, but you can’t just show up at a plant after high school and get hired any longer. You need some specialized training and certifications,” says Chauncy Lennon, head of Workforce Initiatives at JPMorgan Chase & Co., which helps fund KentuckianaWorks as part of a $250 million commitment to support training for manufacturing, healthcare, and other middle-income jobs. KentuckianaWorks’ other funders include the Louisville Redevelopment Authority, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and several foundations.

Questions for Discussion 

1. Do you think the kind of training people receive at KentuckianaWorks might contribute to workers’ intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, or both? Why? 

2. From an expectancy theory perspective, how might this training boost workers’ motivation levels? 

3. How might this training help to satisfy workers’ needs? 

4. How might this training boost motivation from a social learning theory perspective?