Identifying Future Training Technology Opportunities Using Career Field Models and Simulations

The military continues to face substantial reductions in training and operational resources. Of particular concern are reductions in the budget for in-residence initial skills and follow-on training courses. Although advanced training technologies offer opportunities for reducing the time required for a given course while maintaining levels of proficiency, technology is not a solution in and of itself. This report presents results from a recent application of a career field education and training planning simulation capability to identify cost-effective opportunities for the introduction of advanced training technology to reduce time-to-train and overall training costs. The report also discusses the importance of life-cycle modeling of entire career fields and important cost and utility factors for deriving total training costs and relative return-on-investment timelines. Implications for large-scale implementation of advanced training technology for restructuring future training are highlighted and discussed.