Is training really that important? asks Dr Amy Burrell, Associate Trainer, Perpetuity Training.
Training, and the value of qualifications in particular, are popular topics of conversation. As you might expect, I am naturally biased towards the advantages of training given my profession, but I do genuinely think that some people are still too quick to dismiss training. This article aims to challenge some of the pessimistic views of training and hopefully encourage more people to engage in learning.
Challenging views
A reluctance to participate in training can stem from all sorts of things. For example, many people have had a bad experience of training previously. This is typically where training has been poorly planned (such as with inappropriate or inadequate learning objectives) and/or delivered by an inexperienced, unqualified, and/or unprofessional trainer. This can which lead to feelings of resistance (“I don’t really want to go on this course but my manager is making me”), ambivalence (“It’s just routine training, it doesn’t really matter”), or just seeing training as an excuse to be out of the office (“Excellent. A training course, I’ll get to go home early every day this week”). These negative attitudes to training clearly limit its potential.
In some cases people have unrealistic expectations of training. There can be a tendency to think that training is a fix-all and so, when training does not meet expectations, the chances of engaging in further courses diminishes. Unfortunately, sometimes a course simply does not cover what it says it will which is frustrating and unsurprisingly reduces the motivation to engage in further training. Happily the risk of this happening can be minimised by choosing a well-recognised provider with a good reputation. Investing time in researching courses fully is also key to help ensure the one chosen is a good fit for the individual’s aims and objectives (both personal and work based). It is also possible that a poor experience of the initial training course is due to a lack of investment – either financially (as with all things, you get what you pay for) and/or not being prepared to put the necessary work in. The take away message really is that if you don’t invest in a good quality training course you are unlikely to get what you want out of it.
Anxiety can also be a problem, especially where people have had a long break from education. The assessment process in particular makes people nervous and it is not uncommon for people to have an outdated or mistaken understanding of how qualifications are assessed. Many people think that assessment is only through exams and previous experience of exam stress as a young person can put them off undertaking accredited courses as an adult. The good news is that many qualifications, especially vocational courses, do not use exams (or use them minimally). Instead the focus is on assessing understanding of how to apply theory learned during the course to a work setting. This is often achieved through coursework or written assignments which can be much more student-friendly in terms of anxiety and pressure. The resulting assessment documents can also prove useful tools in the workplace once the course is finished (if the assessment was to conduct a risk assessment or security survey, or to write a policy, for example).
Finally, there is the training versus experience argument. Some people would argue that training is of minimal value unless this is combined with experience. I would argue that, although I agree experience is an essential ingredient to learning, it should never been seen as the only ingredient. People need to be able to benchmark their experience against good practice and so it is important to teach them good practice. Once formal training has been undertaken, the framework for developing competence is in place and the potential for development of effectiveness and learning from experience becomes powerful rather than arbitrary.
So, is training really so important?
In a word, yes! Good quality training is integral to business success. The commercial world is constantly evolving and businesses need to keep up to date with new developments to survive, particularly in the current economic climate. Traditionally, training is often seen as limited to learning systems and processes (e.g. induction training), how to implement a new piece of technology (e.g. instructions for how to use equipment) or learning something because you have to (e.g. mandatory fire training). However, I would argue that training should extend much further, not only boosting knowledge and skills, but also teaching people how to apply their knowledge and skills effectively in the workplace.
Many businesses already recognise that investing in training has a positive impact on improving staff knowledge and skills. However, some are less aware that good quality training has much wider reaching benefits than teaching core skills or ensuring compliance with mandatory training requirements. Providing good quality training for employees demonstrates that staff are valued by the business and is instrumental in boosting staff morale as well as the bottom line. This message resonates even more where investment is made in formal qualifications as staff can see their personal CV being enhanced. It is unsurprising therefore that research by Cranfield University found training improves staff retention rates (thus reducing recruitment spend and expertise loss) and staff motivation. The added advantage of investing in training for existing company employees is that they will already be familiar with the company culture, the company mission and vision, and company goals. They will therefore be more likely to identify how what they learn in training can be applied in the workplace.
There are, of course, a wide range of benefits for the individual attending a training course, including gaining a new skill or qualification, refreshing knowledge, and keeping in touch with new developments in the field. However, the benefits also extend to include improved self-esteem, motivation, and confidence. I strongly believe in lifelong learning and argue that everyone (myself included) should strive to improve their knowledge and skills.
Summary
There are many tangible and non-tangible benefits to training. Everyone should seek to be a lifelong learner and set themselves goals to improve their skills and knowledge, and to learn how to apply these in a real world setting. Training is integral to ongoing personal and professional development, and hopefully this article has whetted a few appetites for training.
About Dr Amy Burrell
Amy is an Associate Trainer at Perpetuity Training; a company specialising in security and risk management training. Perpetuity Training deliver the award-winning Security Institute distance learning programme as well as classroom based BTEC short courses. Perpetuity also develop and deliver bespoke in-house training options. For more information see www.perpetuitytraining.com, call 0116 277 3313 or email [email protected]
