Training, an expense or an investment: What’s your view?
Posted: 3 June 2016 at 12:35 pm | Author: Laura Morris
It’s the classic argument – what if you train your staff and they leave, or what happens if you don’t and then they stay? Is it just an unnecessary expense to train your staff or is it a worthwhile investment?
There have been many debates around this topic and arguments as to why not to train staff; some of the key objections are discussed below.
Can’t afford it
So you haven’t got a large training budget, that’s understandable, often money is tight. However is this an automatic reaction rather than a considered one? Lack of money is an easy excuse in many areas – do you want to come out tonight? “No I can’t afford it!” often what you really mean is “no I’d rather stay at home in my PJs!” Have you thought about the offers that are available to make the activity more affordable? Or what the longer term consequences are?
Consider that there may be government funding or payment schemes available to help with any initial outlay. Here at CAW many of our courses can be funded by a pay-as-you-learn scheme. These monthly payments spread the course costs through the individuals’ time in learning. For example our Business Administration apprenticeship for someone aged 19 – 23 is only £56 per month!
Having a development programme within your business means you have a workforce that are interested in progression, these high motivation levels actually mean a lesser staff turnover producing a cost saving.
A qualification isn’t necessary
Some believe that if a job doesn’t require a qualification then there is no need to do it. Taking Business Administration as the example, there are many that work within the industry that do not hold a qualification within this area and can do their job well. However if all staff undergo the same training it will mean they are all following the same processes and efficiency can be improved. Over 80% of apprentice employers say that they make their businesses more productive!
Holding a qualification or undergoing further training is a great way to keep up to date with new standards and give your company a good reputation for having qualified staff. Did you know that 81% of consumers favour companies that employ apprentices?
Don’t have the time
Some companies believe they can’t justify their employees being out of the office to attend college, but they don’t always have to! Here at CAW many of our courses offer work-based learning options which involve distance learning with an assessor visiting the learner within their workplace!
If a company feels they don’t have the time to support an apprentice within the workplace, they need to understand that many apprentices are very capable and can be given tasks that they can work on without always being shadowed by another staff member.
CAW can help screen and recruit for an apprentice – saving you time on the initial recruitment process, and with 80% of employers feeling that apprenticeships reduce staff turnover; it really is a long-term investment!
Having reviewed these three common objections – consider the question again. Training, is it an expense or an investment?
To find out more about CAW Business School’s free apprenticeship recruitment service or the qualifications that we offer call us on 01480 422060 or email business@caw.ac.uk.