Our people are our most important competitive advantage.
We help people develop and succeed at every level of their careers through extensive resources and capability-building.
Learning and Leadership Development
86%
of eligible employees have completed The PPG Way to Lead assessments
100%
of eligible employees participated in the performance review process
97%
Training programs offered in 11 languages, covering more than 97% of PPG employees
The PPG Way to Lead
The PPG Way to Lead is a research-based behavioral competency model based on The PPG Way. The model identifies specific behaviors that employees at all levels of the organization can use to become better leaders. We are continuing to develop competency pathways, with the goal of providing more structured educational curricula across each of the nine competencies covered in The PPG Way to Lead.
The PPG Way to Lead provides a comprehensive learning journey for leadership growth, including foundational programs, coaching opportunities, mentorship, assessment tools and top talent programs. For example, our use of the GALLUP® CLIFTON STRENGTHS® team workshop is a key experience for helping employees and teams understand and leverage their unique talents. In 2024, our Global Learning team delivered 74 workshop sessions to 1,100 PPG employees. During the workshop, participants gain deep insights into their strengths and those of their colleagues through engaging, interactive exercises. We found that teams that adopt a strengths-based approach experience higher levels of engagement, productivity and quality of life, ultimately helping them achieve their goals.
Enterprise learning needs assessment
In 2024, we launched a comprehensive Enterprise Learning Needs Assessment to review our current learning and leadership development programs, identify organizational knowledge and skill requirements and better align our learning portfolio to business goals. The assessment began by conducting research into best practices and programs offered by peer companies and engaging directly with HR leaders to identify gaps in our existing offerings. We held focus groups with members of leadership, commercial sales and technical training to identify which programs are working well and where teams require additional support. Our team unpacked and reviewed the outputs of focus group conversations and used the insights to begin developing an updated learning strategy.
Our analysis of employee feedback provided valuable insights to enhance our learning programs and ensure they align with the needs of our global workforce. One key finding highlighted the importance of online self-paced learning opportunities, with employees expressing a strong desire for expanded access to these resources. To address this, we are exploring ways to provide additional support, such as tools to help leaders and managers create customized learning paths for their teams, maximizing the value of available learning subscriptions.
Another important theme that emerged was the need to access comprehensive online language learning platforms, reflecting the priorities of our global workforce. To meet this need, we are identifying opportunities to improve our offerings and will partner with a more robust language learning vendor in 2025.
These enhancements are part of PPG's larger learning strategy, designed to provide employees globally with the tools and resources they need to deliver, grow and thrive. By focusing on impactful, employee-driven improvements, we aim to create a more dynamic and supportive learning environment for all.
Investing in frontline leaders and plant managers
PPG’s frontline leaders play a critical role in fostering the workplace culture and learning environment at our sites. In 2024, we expanded our Frontline Leader Program to help support a culture of growth and innovation for frontline supervisors in manufacturing and distribution roles. The program focuses on the key pillars of leadership, people management, safety, quality, continuous improvement and production. It provides participants with skill frameworks and consistent learning paths focused on helping leaders maintain high levels of engagement, strengthen PPG culture at their sites and drive employee performance.
We also launched a plant manager development program to help our plant managers become more effective operational leaders. The program offers a blend of executive online classes and group training sessions. These operational programs are designed to cultivate a growth-oriented culture that thrives on collaboration, continuous improvement and operational excellence. We plan to continue scaling and improving on these programs throughout 2025.
Improving access to PPG training programs
PPG prioritizes accessibility and inclusivity in all our learning programs. We have taken significant steps to ensure our training programs are accessible and inclusive of the diverse needs of PPG employees. On a regular basis, the learning and development team reviews our training offerings to ensure programs are available in multiple languages and that images and diagrams have high-quality, alternative text. In 2024, we invested in AI software that allows us to translate content into over 60 languages globally. We have also improved our eLearning modules to support those with visual impairments, including enhancements to color contrast, screen reader interaction, closed captioning and voiceover support. Together, these changes help ensure that everyone at PPG can access the resources they need to succeed and grow in their careers.
Learning and Development Center of Excellence
To strengthen and grow our learning programs, we continue to invest in upskilling and supporting the people who drive training initiatives through our Learning and Development Center of Excellence. In 2024, team members earned new certifications in key areas such as design thinking and change management, enhancing their expertise and impact.
As part of our efforts to optimize coaching and development resources, we launched a pilot coaching program to train 12 internal International Coaching Federation-certified coaches. This initiative allows us to meet coaching needs internally, reducing reliance on external vendors, and delivering a more tailored and responsive service to our employees.
Our team also developed an AI learning roadmap, designed to evaluate the cost and integration requirements of AI tools and techniques. This roadmap focuses on leveraging AI to enhance the learning experience, provide predictive analytics and actionable data, and improve overall customer support. These targeted investments highlight our commitment to innovation and excellence in learning and development, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of our global organization.
Corporate training governance council
In 2024, we launched a new Corporate Training Governance Council, consisting of representatives from across our business. The Council focuses on ensuring compliance, cost-effectiveness, standardization and alignment with organizational priorities across our training programs. It provides oversight to ensure that we deliver the right tools and resources to employees in a way that drives both efficiency and impact.
As part of its initial review, the Council prioritized strengthening our mandatory training programs and compliance initiatives. Based on their recommendations, we implemented several improvements, including enhanced outreach efforts and the use of automated reporting dashboards to track employee participation in mandatory training programs. These efforts help us maintain high standards of compliance while optimizing the effectiveness and consistency of our training initiatives.
For more detailed information about our ongoing approach to Learning and Leadership Development, see the bottom of this web page.