SESSION ABSTRACT: Utility operators face numerous challenges: aging equipment and an aging workforce, increased fuel costs, and ever more stringent and complex environmental and certification requirements - all with flat or decreasing budgets. In this forum, we will discuss how these challenges were met at Argonne National Laboratory. Learn how we are partnering with community colleges and vendors to produce targeted training with measurable ROI that engages workers in life long learning. Design, implementation and evaluation of training will be presented from the perspective of the department manager, the division instructional designer, the college that provided much of skills training, and a vendor whose blended approach to training has improved boiler water treatment. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify opportunities for partnerships to increase technical skills. Discuss and share learning opportunities at lower costs. Evaluate and apply tools for diagnosing performance gaps and the measurement of effective training