Employee training makes sense
Q: A few of my employees have approached me about taking career–advancement classes. I can't afford to send all of them. Is there any way to evaluate which of my employees are best suited for training? Can I offer to pay for part of the training instead of all of it? How do I assess the classes they want to take to be sure the skills will be useful to my company?
A: A good solution would be to bring in trainers who present key skill–focused classes the employer deems relevant. The classes could be presented at different times to different shifts, or to part of the work force at a time, so work could continue. Unless the skills being focused on are highly specialized and technical, trainers could possibly be recruited at a reasonable cost from the local Chamber of Commerce/Small Business Administration office and/or from nearby universities. Also, the employer could consider non–economic perks for employees who show initiative by doing off–site career–advancement work. For example, a big point could be made of including any such work in an employee's performance review file and/or, if relevant, preferred parking spaces could be offered to employees during the time they are enrolled in such courses. Whichever route is chosen, the employer should make sure that the long–term benefits of having a better–trained, more informed workforce are not overlooked by too much focus on the short–term bottom line.
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