Leadership Training: Hampton Roads Transit’s Success Formula

“By using GoSkills to deliver our LEAD program, we have seen remarkable results...As a result of the overall progress within our department, our team is welcoming a new hire.”

—Jamica Baker, Human Resources Manager of Workforce Training and Development at HRT

Jamica Baker, human resources manager of the Workforce Training and Development department at Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), came across GoSkills in 2021 and chose the platform to deliver the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program, a training initiative designed for both existing and emerging leaders at the company.

Since then, HRT’s LEAD program has seen remarkable outcomes. Completion rates have hit a high of 59.2%, and in the last fiscal year, 24 out of 92 participants got promoted—an impressive testament to the program’s effectiveness. Such results prompted the expansion of Jamica’s department to an additional hire. 

The organization has also reported an uplift in job satisfaction and a renewed, positive outlook on its training initiatives.

So, how exactly did Hampton Roads manage to unlock such success with GoSkills?

The challenge

Before introducing the LEAD program, HRT provided a mix of online and in-person classes. However, this approach presented a host of challenges, including:

• Lengthy training sessions, which ultimately lead to reduced participation rates.
• Use of static teaching methods, like PowerPoint presentations, which failed to engage employees, resulting in less effective learning and decreased knowledge retention.
• Need for relevant and up-to-date content, particularly from managers in roles demanding specific technical skills like project management.
• Need for company-specific training, which typically resulted in a tedious course creation process, as it involved the participation of other areas and subject matter experts (SMEs) at different stages, creating bottlenecks that could stretch the development of custom content for months.

The solution

What was the game-changer that enabled HRT’s Workforce Training and Development department to transform these challenges into the success story that is the LEAD program today? According to Jamica, GoSkills revolutionized their training by enabling:

• Self-paced, bite-sized learning
• Interactive content (e.g., short quizzes, hands-on exercises, and gamification)
• Relevant content, including GoSkills' leadership & management courses
• Efficient creation of custom training
• Detailed reporting

If you want to unlock further insight into how GoSkills supported HRT in the development of such a successful training program, download the full case study and discover three valuable insights to enhance your company’s training initiatives.