Raytheon Builds Its Own SAIAT
When TREO stole SAIAT’s funding and forced the closure of the training institute, I knew it was only a matter of time before Raytheon, the one company in Tucson (SAIAT’s largest customer) with sufficient resources would replace the loss with a training facility of its own. Conversation already existed about such a facility even with a SAIAT in operation. The ribbon cutting ceremony was Tuesday, and today the Star has a piece discussing the opening of the Raytheon Learning Center on Hemisphere Loop (walking distance from the former SAIAT).
The center features 12 classrooms, a kitchen and two large conference rooms. It also features digital video displays and other high-tech equipment.
Naturally, the article makes no mention of SAIAT and instead projects the image of Raytheon employees taking classes in trailers. While some classes did take place in trailers, the more accurate image is their rental of classroom and meeting space from local hotels and SAIAT (before the Cloth shut it down). Raytheon got the size about right at 10,000 square feet and of course the place has high speed wireless internet, first rate monitors, computers, projectors and screens, whiteboards, copying services, mobile tables and chairs easily moved to alter classroom configurations, and so on.
"This will have lasting effect — it's good for the company, it's good for its employees," Rick Nelson, Missile Systems' vice president of operations, told a throng of Raytheon workers, adding that the facilities are already booked for the next four months.
The major difference between SAIAT and the Raytheon Learning Center is that instead of serving just one company, SAIAT served over 100 local employers to the tune of over 10,000 employees per year. SAIAT also had a rather remarkable cadre of subject matter experts able to deliver first rate instruction in a huge variety of subjects from simple Microsoft Office applications to highly sophisticated quality programs (Six Sigma, etc.) and information technology training (Java, Solaris, MCSE, Cisco..) as well as practical hands on stuff like IPC-610 soldering certification.
TREO decided a flexible training institute of this kind was less important than its own bank account, stealing all of SAIAT’s funding (about $200K) to place in its own cash reserves. Why train 10,000 Tucsonans when you can make a 15 minute video at four times the price?
The center features 12 classrooms, a kitchen and two large conference rooms. It also features digital video displays and other high-tech equipment.
Naturally, the article makes no mention of SAIAT and instead projects the image of Raytheon employees taking classes in trailers. While some classes did take place in trailers, the more accurate image is their rental of classroom and meeting space from local hotels and SAIAT (before the Cloth shut it down). Raytheon got the size about right at 10,000 square feet and of course the place has high speed wireless internet, first rate monitors, computers, projectors and screens, whiteboards, copying services, mobile tables and chairs easily moved to alter classroom configurations, and so on.
"This will have lasting effect — it's good for the company, it's good for its employees," Rick Nelson, Missile Systems' vice president of operations, told a throng of Raytheon workers, adding that the facilities are already booked for the next four months.
The major difference between SAIAT and the Raytheon Learning Center is that instead of serving just one company, SAIAT served over 100 local employers to the tune of over 10,000 employees per year. SAIAT also had a rather remarkable cadre of subject matter experts able to deliver first rate instruction in a huge variety of subjects from simple Microsoft Office applications to highly sophisticated quality programs (Six Sigma, etc.) and information technology training (Java, Solaris, MCSE, Cisco..) as well as practical hands on stuff like IPC-610 soldering certification.
TREO decided a flexible training institute of this kind was less important than its own bank account, stealing all of SAIAT’s funding (about $200K) to place in its own cash reserves. Why train 10,000 Tucsonans when you can make a 15 minute video at four times the price?
posted by x4mr at 6:06 AM
7 Comments:
That Raytheon would spend millions to produce the center validates what x4mr said over two years ago.
Raytheon gets to have a nice place, but obviously TREO doesn't care about the rest of Tucson's businesses.
Raytheon created for itself what x4mr developed for the entire community. For a tiny budget, a center like this (SAIAT) was available and used by over 100 local businesses.
Then TREO shut SAIAT down for the sole purpose of stealing its funding.
What x4mr may not know is that Raytheon learned from SAIAT how to create the optimal training center with maximum flexibility.
That was the costliest $162,000 TREO ever stole.
For them too, with everything that's happened through this blog, the increased awareness of their crimes, etc.
I also knew Raytheon would build its own training center. Once they tasted the "Rolls Royce" of employer context training that x4mr created, there was no way they were going to live without it.
The center is modeled exactly on what x4mr did at SAIAT. It includes food/beverage services and everything.
The lunkheads at TREO, Joe "Swine" Snell, Kendall Bert, and Lee Smith, were arrogant F-heads who thought they could just bitch slap x4mr around with complete immunity.
They did get away with stealing SAIAT's funding (and Goodwill's, and MAC's), but not as they planned. More than TREO will ever admit, people now think of them as the agency that stole the funding of others.
People smile and nod on the surface, but underneath and in whispers everyone knows that Joe Snell is dog shit.
So why is Snell still there when his only accomplishments seem to be stealing funds, printing brochures filled with nonsense, and farting into the seat of his desk chair?
Why is he still there?
Exposure is great and that has been accomplished. It is time, way past time to be sure, to take it to the next level and start clearing the decks.
I agree with the earlier comments that this really is quite the vindication of x4mr and what he has written over the last couple years.
Raytheon easily spent $1-2 million to polish and equip that training facility, and the article talks about their high opinion of that investment. Consider what that implies about the value of a SAIAT that served HUNDREDS of companies and TENS of THOUSANDS of workers.
The economic payoff goes into the tens of millions, and TREO butchered the whole thing so it could steal $150-200K for its cash reserves. Unconscionable.
I don't have the community awareness of Cigar Man, but I imagine he is right that while it is mostly unspoken and politically incorrect, people privately do see TREO for what it is, a worthless "boondoggle" of arrogant thieves who plunder the community.
They get to stay in place, Liza, because the Cloth are totally in bed (and fondling) the corrupt decision makers of this town, and so far as I know Frank Antenori is the only elected official with the courage to speak this truth straight up and on the record.
From what I'm reading at this blog and others, DTP is just as bad as TREO. The city is literally (no joke) paying a guy $100K just to hang out at DTP with no job duties whatsoever. They do this right after laying off "real" workers that performed real tasks for the community.
Wow.
Not that I had any doubts, but that article just cements x4mr's points about employee training at this blog and in "Something Else."
It is unbelievable that TREO was permitted to destroy something so valuable. X4mr was a pearl before swine.
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