| Course | HRM 595 Human Resource Capstone Course (HRM/595) |
|---|---|
| Week | 6 |
| Paper type | Final capstone human resource plan |
| Length | about 1,241 words, 5 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | MBA |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HRM 595 Week 6
The Blade Academy, the Supervisor Program and the Complete Human Resource Plan for Prairie Crest Wind Services, 2026-2030
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
HRM/595: Human Resource Capstone Course
Week 6 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Prairie Crest Wind Services and all program details, costs and targets are composites written for a model paper.
Over five weeks, this capstone found that Prairie Crest Wind Services, a composite turbine maintenance company in Des Moines with 1,050 employees, has a growth strategy its HR practices cannot yet support. It must hire about 1,350 technicians over four years, develop about 80 supervisors, build blade repair capability from nothing and bring early-career turnover down to 20 percent. The change and technology plans set out how to manage the transition and measure progress. The final test of an HR plan is whether each investment traces back to a gap that matters to the business and forward to a result someone will measure. This paper designs the training and development programs and presents the complete plan.
Principles From Training Research
Training design follows evidence. Salas et al. (2012) emphasized that training works best when it begins with a needs analysis, provides practice with feedback in realistic conditions and is supported by the work environment after training. The skills inventory from Week 3 serves as the needs analysis for technician programs, and the supervisor interviews serve for leadership development.
The Blade Repair Academy
The academy will train 45 technicians in three cohorts of 15 over 18 months. Each cohort completes six weeks of training: two weeks of rope access certification, three weeks of composite repair on blade sections in a training facility in Des Moines and one week of supervised repair on customer turbines. Technicians with strong mechanical skills and interest in blade work will apply, and the skills tracker will identify candidates.
Academy Partners and Costs
A community college with a composites program will co-deliver the training, and a blade manufacturer's repair specialists will teach advanced techniques. Equipment, blade sections and instructor fees cost about $620,000 over 18 months, plus technician wages during training of about $380,000.
The Technician Career Ladder
The ladder has four levels: technician one, technician two, senior technician and lead technician. Each level requires specific certifications and demonstrated skills assessed by lead technicians, and each brings a pay increase under the skill-based pay system. Training for each level combines online modules, hands-on practice in the training facility and supervised field work.
Developing Lead Technicians
Lead technicians are key roles. About 60 technicians with lead potential will complete a 12-month program combining advanced troubleshooting, coaching skills and a mentoring assignment with a new technician. Leads who complete the program will train new hires, extending training capacity as hiring doubles.
Research on Leadership Development
Day et al. (2014) reviewed 25 years of research and concluded that leader development is a long-term process shaped by experience, feedback and reflection rather than a single program. Combining hundreds of studies, Lacerenza et al. (2017) showed that leadership training improved reactions, learning, transfer and results, with stronger effects when programs were based on needs analysis, included practice and feedback, used several delivery methods, were spaced over time and were mandatory.
The Supervisor Leadership Program
The program serves about 80 new supervisors and the 95 current ones over four years, in cohorts of 25. It runs nine months: monthly two-day workshops on coaching, safety leadership, employee relations, scheduling and the new pay system; practice through role plays and real situations; 360-degree feedback at the start and end; a peer learning group; and a project improving one aspect of crew retention. Supervisors' managers attend a kickoff and review progress.
Evaluating the Programs
Each program will be evaluated at four levels. For the academy, measures include certification rates, repair quality audits and blade repair revenue. For the ladder, progression rates and turnover by level. For the supervisor program, 360-degree feedback changes, crew turnover and safety. Results will be reported on the workforce dashboard.
Training Capacity for Growth
The forecast requires about 340 new technicians a year, far more than the current training calendar can absorb. The plan adds a second safety trainer, expands certification courses from 24 to 36 seats, schedules them monthly and uses graduates of the lead technician program as field mentors, each paired with no more than three new hires. Without this added capacity, onboarding would be shortened under hiring pressure, the risk to safety identified in Week 3.
Risks to the Plan
If federal policy or market conditions slow wind contracts, the slower scenario from Week 2 applies, and hiring and academy cohorts can be scaled down without abandoning the pay and supervisor programs, which matter at any size. If the pay pilot reveals design problems, expansion waits until they are fixed.
Summary: Alignment and Forecast
Week 1 found that safety culture is strong but staffing, development, rewards and HR influence are misaligned with growth. Week 2 forecast about 1,465 employees by 2030 and roughly 1,350 new technicians needed by 2030, with scenarios from 1,200 to 1,470.
Summary: Gaps and Change
Week 3 put hiring capacity and supervisor preparation at the top of the ranking, followed by pay and advancement, blade capability, HR data and onboarding capacity for safety. Week 4 planned a phased change led by supervisors as change agents, with quick wins, a pay pilot in Iowa and protections for long-tenured technicians.
Summary: Technology
Week 5 recommended an integrated HR system with skills tracking and a monthly dashboard, and a first analysis showed that long rotations and wide supervisor spans predict turnover.
The Consolidated Timeline
Year one delivers quick wins, the HR system's first phase, the community college pipeline and the first supervisor cohort. Year two pilots skill-based pay, launches the blade academy and extends the system to skills and learning. Years three and four extend pay and the ladder company-wide and continue cohorts.
The Consolidated Budget
Over four years, the plan costs about $9.4 million: $2.6 million for higher per diems, $1.8 million for skill-based pay increases beyond normal raises, $1.0 million for the blade academy, $1.2 million for the supervisor and lead programs, $1.5 million for the HR system, $0.8 million for added recruiters and pipeline programs and $0.5 million for change management and contingency.
Expected Returns
Reducing early-career turnover to 20 percent cuts about 290 technician hires over four years, saving about $2.8 million in recruiting and training. Cutting availability penalties by half saves about $3.8 million over four years. Reduced overtime saves about $2.4 million. Blade repair is expected to generate about $6 million in revenue by 2030. Savings alone roughly match costs, and blade revenue makes the return clearly positive.
The Dashboard of Targets
The dashboard tracks technician hires against 340 a year, time to fill under 45 days, early-career turnover at 20 percent, 45 blade technicians certified by 2027, 80 supervisors developed by 2030, recordable incident rate at or below current levels and monthly workforce reporting in place by 2027.
Executive Summary
Prairie Crest's growth depends on technicians it cannot yet hire, keep or develop fast enough. The plan invests about $9.4 million over four years in pay, pipelines, development, technology and change management to hire about 1,350 technicians, cut turnover by a third, build blade repair and prepare 80 supervisors, with savings and new revenue that more than repay the cost.
Conclusion
The training and development programs close the skill and leadership gaps that the capstone identified, and the complete plan ties each investment to strategy, forecast, gaps, change, technology and measures. With HR now part of strategic decisions, Prairie Crest can grow without losing the safety culture and crew loyalty that are its foundation.
References
Day, D. V., Fleenor, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Sturm, R. E., & McKee, R. A. (2014). Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25 years of research and theory. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 63-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.004
Lacerenza, C. N., Reyes, D. L., Marlow, S. L., Joseph, D. L., & Salas, E. (2017). Leadership training design, delivery, and implementation: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(12), 1686-1718. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000241
Salas, E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Kraiger, K., & Smith-Jentsch, K. A. (2012). The science of training and development in organizations: What matters in practice. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(2), 74-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612436661
What the HRM 595 Week 6 instructions ask
The final HRM 595 assignment typically asks students to present training and development initiatives and integrate all prior work into a complete human resource plan. Common requirements include training programs that close identified skill gaps, leadership and career development, delivery and evaluation methods, a summary of the strategic alignment, forecast, gap analysis, change plan and technology plan, a consolidated timeline and budget, expected outcomes and measures of success. Many prompts ask for an executive summary. Make sure each initiative traces back to a gap, use research to justify development designs, present costs and benefits clearly and cite sources in APA format.
How this HRM 595 Week 6 example is built
With no blade repair skills, no career ladder and supervisors who never received leadership training, Prairie Crest needs development programs that fill those gaps, and the paper designs them before assembling the full plan. A blade academy trains 45 technicians in composite repair and rope access. A career ladder pairs each step with training and certification. A supervisor program for 80 new and current supervisors uses research on effective leadership training. The paper then summarizes each capstone section, presents a four-year timeline and a budget of about $9.4 million, estimates savings from lower turnover and penalties and ends with a dashboard of targets and an executive summary that a busy chief executive could act on.
HRM 595 Week 6 grading rubric: where the points go
A strong final capstone integrates the whole plan while adding substantial new work on training and development. Faculty credit development programs that close specific gaps, designs supported by research on training and leadership development, realistic delivery and evaluation plans and a coherent summary that shows how alignment, forecasting, gap analysis, change management, technology and development fit together. A consolidated budget with expected returns and a dashboard of measurable targets shows business judgment. An executive summary that a senior leader could read in five minutes, plus APA citations, completes an excellent plan. Faculty also look for honest treatment of risk, such as what happens if wind contracts slow, and for evidence that the development programs have the capacity to train the numbers the forecast requires within the timeline.
HRM 595 Week 6 help: mistakes to avoid
Students often treat the final paper as a copy of earlier sections. Summarize them briefly and spend the length on new development work and integration. Another gap is designing training that is not tied to the gaps identified earlier. Trace each program back. Students also present a budget without benefits. Estimate returns, even roughly. Avoid leadership programs built only on classroom sessions; research favors practice and feedback. Make the timeline realistic, with phases. Include measures for every objective. Finally, write an executive summary that states the problem, the plan, the cost and the expected results in plain language. Place it at the start of the document.
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- HRM 595 Week 3: Gap Analysis
- HRM 595 Week 4: Change Management
- HRM 595 Week 5: HR Tools, Technology and Data
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HRM 595 Week 6 questions, answered
What does HRM 595 Week 6 usually cover?
It usually covers training and development initiatives and the complete human resource plan, integrating strategic alignment, forecasting, gap analysis, change management, technology and development with a timeline, budget and measures.
Where can I find a free HRM 595 Week 6 sample paper?
This page presents the complete final HR plan for a wind service company, with margin notes on how each part connects. A free draft of your own final capstone plan can be requested with your earlier sections.
What makes leadership training effective?
A 2017 meta-analysis found larger gains when programs grew out of a needs analysis, built in practice with feedback, mixed delivery methods, ran over weeks or months and required attendance.
How long should the final HRM 595 plan be?
Length depends on the instructor's requirements, but most final plans summarize earlier sections briefly and devote most of their length to new work and integration, with an executive summary at the start.
What should a final HR plan include?
An executive summary, strategic context, workforce forecast, gap analysis, initiatives with timelines, change management, technology, training and development, a consolidated budget, expected returns and measures of success.
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