The value of training courses to employees
I am on a training course this week as readers of my blog will know because I have been banging on about training courses and Linux all week. I was considering the value of training. There is a basic value of learning knowledge, learning a new skill. I think there is a value of going into an external environment and spending an extended period of time studying one topic. You could study the same syllabus at your work desk, 30 minutes a day but I think there is a definitive benefit of studying a subject in detail over one day. Of course you might get the scenario when studying for one day or how ever long the course is that you will forget all the stuff you learned.
Back to the point I was making, what is the value of of a training course. Well firstly you gain some knowledge on a subject which will hopefully mean you are more efficient at your job and if the course is chosen correctly you will come back to the company with added value (than when you left to go on the course) and use the new found knowledge in your job and in an ideal scenario the knowledge will be passed onto your fellow workers.
This of course comes at a cost to your employer. The first cost is usually a monetary cost for the course and the secondary cost is the cost of you not doing any work for your employer whilst you are training.
Above I have talked about what I think are the basic pro's and cons of a training course. There are other benefits which I feel are more important that the benefits mentioned above.
1. By sending a person onto a training course the company is investing in the person and helping the person improve and grow. This is shows the company values the employee and sees them as part of the company in the future. I say that because you wouldn't send someone on training if you were going to sack them or didn't think they were going to be hanging around for very long.
2. Learning can be a habit. The more you learn the more you want to continue to learn and improve. I find it a bit like reading programming books, after you have finished reading or have been on a training course, you have new idea's you want to implement, improvements to the current way of doing things (often to the annoyance of your fellow developers).
3. A break from work is beneficial, even if you are working. The old saying a change is as good as a rest. I find sometimes that work can grind you down, doing the same thing week in and week out can slowly tire you, especially mentally but you probably don't really realize it until you have a holiday or some kind of break.
4. Networking - You can do some interesting networking on training courses and conferences, meeting people doing a similar job but with different ideas and setups. Sometimes you can learn as much in the breaks talking to your fellow trainee's than you do in the actual training.
overall I think it is important to show you value the worker because often work can feel like some kind of war, the workers versus the management. They are trying to squeeze as much work out of you for the smallest amount of money. Sending someone on a training course can change this way of thinking, it shows that they want you the worker to grow, improve and be happy at work (of course they don't mean it, it's just a trick, I'm kidding I'm kidding).
What do you think about training, is it beneficial, does it change your opinion. I am talking about if you are sent on relevant training courses, I'm not really talking about people being sent on training courses they don't want to go on, although even those get you out of the office for a while. Also do you have any other benefits of training courses, please leave some comments on the subject because I am just voicing an opinion and it would be good to hear some other opinions, contrasting opinions welcome because as regular readers of my blog will know I am often wrong but I am not embarrassed about being rescued by some well informed comments.
please checkout my new blog Amusing IT Stories I am looking for people to contribute and the first real entry is out on friday but if you go there now you will see what it is about.
Back to the point I was making, what is the value of of a training course. Well firstly you gain some knowledge on a subject which will hopefully mean you are more efficient at your job and if the course is chosen correctly you will come back to the company with added value (than when you left to go on the course) and use the new found knowledge in your job and in an ideal scenario the knowledge will be passed onto your fellow workers.
This of course comes at a cost to your employer. The first cost is usually a monetary cost for the course and the secondary cost is the cost of you not doing any work for your employer whilst you are training.
Above I have talked about what I think are the basic pro's and cons of a training course. There are other benefits which I feel are more important that the benefits mentioned above.
1. By sending a person onto a training course the company is investing in the person and helping the person improve and grow. This is shows the company values the employee and sees them as part of the company in the future. I say that because you wouldn't send someone on training if you were going to sack them or didn't think they were going to be hanging around for very long.
2. Learning can be a habit. The more you learn the more you want to continue to learn and improve. I find it a bit like reading programming books, after you have finished reading or have been on a training course, you have new idea's you want to implement, improvements to the current way of doing things (often to the annoyance of your fellow developers).
3. A break from work is beneficial, even if you are working. The old saying a change is as good as a rest. I find sometimes that work can grind you down, doing the same thing week in and week out can slowly tire you, especially mentally but you probably don't really realize it until you have a holiday or some kind of break.
4. Networking - You can do some interesting networking on training courses and conferences, meeting people doing a similar job but with different ideas and setups. Sometimes you can learn as much in the breaks talking to your fellow trainee's than you do in the actual training.
overall I think it is important to show you value the worker because often work can feel like some kind of war, the workers versus the management. They are trying to squeeze as much work out of you for the smallest amount of money. Sending someone on a training course can change this way of thinking, it shows that they want you the worker to grow, improve and be happy at work (of course they don't mean it, it's just a trick, I'm kidding I'm kidding).
What do you think about training, is it beneficial, does it change your opinion. I am talking about if you are sent on relevant training courses, I'm not really talking about people being sent on training courses they don't want to go on, although even those get you out of the office for a while. Also do you have any other benefits of training courses, please leave some comments on the subject because I am just voicing an opinion and it would be good to hear some other opinions, contrasting opinions welcome because as regular readers of my blog will know I am often wrong but I am not embarrassed about being rescued by some well informed comments.
please checkout my new blog Amusing IT Stories I am looking for people to contribute and the first real entry is out on friday but if you go there now you will see what it is about.
posted by The Hosk at
1:14 am
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