Final answer:
Cross training is indeed true to keep workers interested and motivated, as it allows them to learn new skills and enhances their employability across different job sectors. Transferable skills are highly valued by employers, and unions provide important training opportunities to facilitate this. Professional (re)training is critical for those in specialized industries facing unemployment due to industry-specific downturns or international competition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cross training can indeed keep workers interested and motivated, hence the student's question a) True b) False would be correctly answered with a) True. Engaging in cross-training allows employees to perform various tasks and develop new skills that can enhance their motivation and interest in their job. As supported by the concept of 'transferable skills', employers value workers who can adapt their knowledge and skills to multiple contexts. Additionally, when factory workers encounter industry-specific unemployment, options such as cross-training become more vital, as their specialized skills may not directly transfer to other industries. Therefore, it becomes necessary for them to either seek professional (re)training, accept jobs that may be of lower status and pay, or face unemployment. It has been observed by researchers like Torben Iversen that workers losing jobs to international competition can remain unemployed for a long duration without retraining options.
Moreover, the importance of cross-training can be exemplified through the situation of a construction worker who shifts to a fast food job due to being laid off. Although the skill set is different, the ability to adapt and learn is valued in this transition. This underscores the increasing need for workers to possess skills that can be utilized in a variety of employment sectors. Unions play a pivotal role in this aspect by providing job training and apprenticeship programs that enhance the adaptability and employability of workers across different domains.