Research Brief
The Cost of Producing New Airmen Can Be Reduced with a Better Mixture of On-the-Job Training and Schoolhouse Courses
Apr 8, 2007
Finding the Balance Between Schoolhouse and On-the-Job Training
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The Air Force typically trains 30,000 to 40,000 new airmen in some 300 specialties each year. It utilizes two methods for training its enlistees: centralized initial skills training (IST, or “schoolhouse” training) and decentralized on-the-job training (OJT). All too often, only IST costs are considered when “pricing” training, seriously underestimating the overall cost to train an airman. When all the costs are considered, including those of OJT, decisions related to the length of IST can be better informed. To determine the most cost-effective combination of IST and OJT, the authors developed a methodology based on a cost-benefit analysis of seven Air Force specialties. From a statistical analysis of data taken from surveys of senior enlisted personnel, they were able to assess how productivity changes when IST course length changes and to make recommendations concerning the IST course lengths that would produce the most productive airmen for the least possible cost.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Review of the Literature
Chapter Three
A Survey to Determine Productivity and Effectiveness
Chapter Four
Calculating Total Cost
Chapter Five
Cost-Effective Course Lengths
Chapter Six
Recommendations and Conclusions
Appendix A
Air Force Specialty Code Descriptions
Appendix B
Survey Instrument
Appendix C
Defining “Fully Mission-Effective” or “Mission-Ready” Airmen
Appendix D
Data Cleaning
Appendix E
Statistical Results
Appendix F
Productivity Curves
Appendix G
Comments on Adding/Deleting Content from IST
Appendix H
Cost-Productivity Results for Seven AFSCs
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The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Air Force and conducted by RAND Project AIR FORCE.
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