Don’t be Afraid to Invest in Qualifications

Some short-sighted managers refuse to bankroll certified training courses.

This month we report the results of a survey by The Training Camp UK. The survey reveals that managers refuse to bankroll training because they are worried about newly qualified staff leaving or demanding higher wages. Instead they may prefer to send staff on courses that don’t offer industry standard certifications.

It is clear that training must be cost effective. It is not desirable to conduct training and send employees to seminars and conferences if the subjects do not fit the needs of your company and contribute to your competitive advantage. However there are clear advantages to using industry standard qualifications.

Training is far more effective when the trainee can clearly see the benefits that they will gain. They study harder, take an active part in the study and take the lessons on board. Consequently they will be more productive once they return to the workplace.

Contrary to the short-sighted fears reported in the survey, recognized qualifications can have a positive effect on staff retention and recruitment. Employees do become disgruntled when they sense a lack of support for their career development. And by offering industry standard qualifications you will attract a higher calibre of applicants when recruiting new staff.

Standardized qualifications also make it easier to choose your training provider. Professional standard-setting bodies offer accreditation to training providers. In order to achieve accreditation and offer recognized qualifications, training providers have to meet certain standards. This means they offer well planned training courses, covering all the essential areas.

Without the standards how can you know what training you are buying? How can you compare different training providers without a benchmark? A non-certified course may be cheap, but it may not be the best value. It is unlikely to be the best possible investment in your workforce.

Written by Dick James, editor of UK Training News.