Training with Industry

Finding New Purpose

By CW3 Michael Rodriguez, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps

Article published on: April 1, 2024 in the April-June 2024 Edition of the Warrant Officer Journal

Read Time: < 7 mins

Have you ever felt like something is holding you back? Or do you think your organization could do more but need to know where you would begin? Do you feel disconnected from your organization’s strategy? Yearning to be part of a more significant cause is why uncovering a fresh purpose can wield considerable influence. Yet, its potency hinges on collective alignment (Rigby, Smith, First, & Cochemé, 2024). The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps spearheaded this collective alignment by choosing me to participate in the Army’s Training with Industry Program (TWI). Over the past year, I have engaged in the TWI as an Army Fellow at Deloitte. TWI aims to provide selected Army personnel with the opportunity to gain career-broadening experience while working in an industry environment (U.S. Department of the Army, 2024). It also provides the participant’s organization the means to acquire needed skills or expertise to accomplish its mission (U.S. Department of the Army, 2024). The Army’s Training with Industry Program fosters collective alignment between Army units and their personnel by synchronizing collaborative objectives, facilitating learning experiences led by industry experts, and bolstering organizational commitment by retaining top-tier talent.

The TWI program revitalizes purpose by harmonizing the Army’s organizational and personnel objectives. An organization’s mission and vision statement embody objectives to fulfill a need or serve someone (Rigby, Smith, First, & Cochemé, 2024). Organizations in both the private and public sectors publish their mission and vision statements, but they rarely provide clarity of purpose. When the purpose is clear, compelling, and consistently fulfilled, it has the power to align staff toward shared objectives, ignite exceptional dedication, direct resources to essential priorities, enhance accountability, and establish an organizational culture that fosters mutual benefits for all employees (Rigby, Smith, First, & Cochemé, 2024). One mutual benefit is the development of leaders and expertise versus hitting an organizational metric.

Purpose refers to “aspirations that motivate our activities” (Ivtzan, Lomas, Hefferon, & Worth, 2016). TWI’s alignment of personal and organizational goals creates “synergy,” where the combined effort of both parties results in upskilling-driven employees to achieve organizational goals and boost morale, motivation, and job satisfaction, leading to higher engagement and reduced turnover rates. When the purpose is aligned between employees and their organization and the employees achieve their goals, the organization benefits from their success (Dhingra, Emmett, Samo, & Schaninger, 2020). Employees often become more efficient and productive in their work, contributing to overall organizational success. When individuals and organizations achieve goals through TWI, the organization will foster a culture of innovation and creativity as employees seek out new ways to solve problems and improve processes.

TWI program enables participants to seize learning opportunities and glean insights from industry experts. As an Army Fellow with Deloitte, I gained invaluable exposure to real-world scenarios by working directly within their industry settings. This experience allowed me to immerse myself in real-world situations and gain firsthand insight into industry practices, challenges, and trends. TWI participants may have access to specialized knowledge, tools, and resources available only through the private sector but not readily available within their assigned branch. This accessibility partnership will provide TWI participants with an unparalleled learning experience and valuable insights into their industry’s best practices and innovations.

Participants typically can work closely with industry experts who serve as mentors or supervisors. These mentors can provide valuable guidance, feedback, and insights based on their experience in the field. At Deloitte, my assigned supervisors made me feel that their loyalty was to me, not just to the company (Tjan, 2017). I had the privilege of meeting with managing directors, and they treated me as a peer rather than a subordinate. By collaborating with professionals from diverse backgrounds, industries, and disciplines, TWI participants can gain exposure to diverse perspectives and approaches to problem-solving, enabling the Army to maintain an employer-educator partnership with industry leaders and keep up with the rapid pace of change in the public sector because the pace of technology change has outpaced the ability for educators to produce a talent pool to meet demands (Fuller & Raman, 2023). This exposure can broaden TWI participants’ thinking and help them develop more innovative and practical solutions to challenges today.

Organizations participating in TWI offer participants the opportunity to build professional networks and establish connections with industry experts. These connections can open doors to future collaboration, job opportunities, and ongoing learning opportunities. Overall, TWI can be a valuable way for individuals and organizations to enhance their learning and gain valuable insights from industry experts, contributing to the professional development of the individual and the organization’s success in improving mission capabilities. Moreover, the benefits of TWI extend beyond individual professional growth and networking.

The TWI program enhances organizational commitment to retain top talent effectively. It helps Army organizations balance the need to retain and develop talented individuals with the immediate need to fill gaps or vacancies with available personnel who may have different expertise or skill levels. It is about finding a way to manage both strategic talent development and operational staffing needs effectively. However, our education and training system needs to be in line with demand.

Army organizations are leveraging TWI opportunities to demonstrate a commitment to investing in their Soldiers’ growth and development to meet demand. For example, the Army announced a new warrant recruiting military occupational specialty — designated as 420T Talent Acquisition Technicians, “This occupation will serve at multiple echelons as a leader, advisor, trainer, and technical expert through the Army’s Recruiting Enterprise” (Winkie, 2024). The first cohort will complete their Warrant Officer Basic Course in three phases. The first phase will be completed at the Adjutant General Corps’ human resources schoolhouse located at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The second phase will be completed at the U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s Recruiting and Retention College located at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The last phase will be at an undetermined third location associated with industry/academia partnerships training (Winkie, 2024). The Army is adopting a culture where top talent feels recognized and appreciated, with clear pathways for career advancement. TWI talent supply chain trained, skilled professionals within real-world industry settings. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s investment in professional growth is one example of its commitment to the Army People Strategy (U.S. Army, 2024). The return on investment is an established and proven supply chain for a talent pipeline that values and supports the career advancement of Army Recruiters to meet the demands of the Army.

Participation in TWI programs allows top talent to gain a new purpose, expand their knowledge, and develop new skills, increasing job satisfaction, engagement, and fulfillment. This sense of belonging and community can strengthen their ties to the organization and increase their commitment to staying long-term. Both the company and the employee thrive when their purpose aligns (Smith & Kouchaki, 2023). Offering TWI opportunities creates a competitive edge in the talent market and makes an organization more attractive to top talent in its talent pool. The opportunity to participate in such programs can serve as a valuable incentive for recruitment and retention, helping the organization maintain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining top performers.

In conclusion, the Training with Industry (TWI) program is a powerful catalyst for aligning individual and organizational purposes within the Army. By providing selected personnel with the opportunity to gain career-broadening experiences in industry settings, TWI fosters professional growth, enhances job satisfaction, and strengthens commitment to the organization. My experience as an Army Fellow at Deloitte underscored the immense value of this program, as it allowed me to engage with industry experts, build professional networks, and gain insights into best practices and innovations.

The TWI program ensures personnel possess the latest knowledge and skills, benefiting individual participants and the Army’s operational capabilities. This strategic investment in talent development helps the Army meet immediate staffing needs while nurturing a pipeline of future leaders. As organizations across both the private and public sectors strive to achieve purpose congruence (Smith & Kouchaki, 2023). TWI exemplifies how aligning individual aspirations with organizational goals can lead to mutual success. TWI strengthens the Army’s mission capabilities, fosters a culture of innovation, and ensures that top talent remains engaged and committed to long-term service.

Graphic: Army Training with Industry Logo created by ChatGPT 4o

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