Staff development via continuing education significantly increases their level of professionalism with minimal financial and time expenses. Professional training allows them to improve certain skills needed for future career development.
Courses and training programs can be distinguished by the subject and format. They can be both individual training courses and special integrated programs, including interrelated training courses. As for the format of training, it is common to pull together a regular format with a prearranged schedule and courses provided at the request of the company.
Upon completion of professional development courses, participants receive respective certificates.
It should be noted that in order to increase the economic efficiency of the company, professional development is of great importance. In turn, for the staff it guarantees wage increases and employment security.
The importance of professional staff qualifications development for business
In the past, general education and skills were sufficient to work with almost all your life, but nowadays general education is only the basis for a future career. If your staff doesn’t work on professional development, their skills may become outdated and no longer meet the requirements of the modern market.
Only if you give your personnel the opportunity to develop and improve can you fully utilize their skills and abilities. In addition, professional development ensures that your employees will comply with possible organizational and technological changes in the business model. There are several reasons why professional development is important; among them, the main ones are:
- The age of technology and information – rapid development and changes from a technological point of view;
- New requirements for personnel;
- Limited knowledge in high-tech;
- Systematic organizational corporate changes.
The age of technology and information
In the technological revolution or the age of information, technology development has always been accompanied by an adjustment of the functional responsibilities of staff and changes in economic strategy. Today, humankind is confidently moving from an industrial production system to a customer care system and working in knowledge-intensive sectors.
Traditional requirements on qualifications for employees and staff have undergone significant changes. New jobs in the area of information technology and telecommunications have been created, and this is especially important for customer service. Current practice shows that more than 75% of jobs require mental work, and the remaining 25% of jobs are physical work. Just a few decades ago this ratio was the opposite. It follows that the willingness to adapt to new conditions and change is the main requirement for the modern employee.
Conditions of the current labor market are such that a person has to constantly develop and acquire universal skills that will help him in the case of changes in his work conditions or occupation.
New requirements for the staff qualifications
Today, a college education is merely the foundation for further professional growth and career building. Skills and education received in educational institutions are not enough for a lifetime. Moreover, education and experience do not guarantee that the employee will not need new skills corresponding to the changing work situation later on.
As employment and professional training become inseparable, staff receive the opportunity for on-the-job training. Accordingly, if the management does not pay enough attention to professional education, the company will experience a lack of qualified personnel, which can reduce the pace of work.
Traditionally, professional development was applied to certain groups of employees. As a rule, only qualified staff members who were engaged in management of the company and who were the "brain" of the company were trained. However, today the situation has changed dramatically – more and more staff should have specific knowledge and skills. Previously, the need for professional growth involved managers and narrowly focused specialists; today, the need involves qualified staff at all levels.
Limited knowledge in high-tech
Technological progress and development has led to an increase in the number of knowledge-intensive and high-skilled jobs, and consequently contributed to the need for consistent staff training. A lack of qualified employees can be the main factor hampering business development.
Re-training of personnel is increasingly carried out – this is a natural process caused by the rapid development of technology and improvement of staff training procedures. Yet the basis of the system of professional development is the skills and abilities of existing staff.
The consequences of staff lacking appropriate skills are obvious in the short-term; however, neglect for staff training and development may also affect the long-term growth of the company, when the situation becomes critical.
Most frequently it happens that the company has a large number of orders to handle and therefore does not give proper attention to personnel training and qualifications. In contrast, when the number of orders decreases, a company may have not enough money for training. Studies have shown that companies that increase the professional skills of their employees are able to achieve great success. Expenditure of the necessary funds and systematic training of the personnel is the foundation of building a cost-effective business model.
By increasing personnel flexibility and enhancing the internal capabilities of each employee, the company protects itself from a staff deficit and can confidently resist short-term economic changes.
Systematic organizational corporate changes
Thorough analysis shows that over the past decade, most companies have undergone significant organizational changes. Often, these changes are associated with hierarchical or corporate reorganization of the company’s structure. Any organizational change leads to consequences, among which the following situations can be distinguished:
- Management is forced to manage more complex procedures, or a larger number of personnel. This reduces the efficiency of management, and employees start to take the initiative.
- The management of the company receives additional functions and responsibilities related to personnel training, safety at work, industry contacts, etc. This situation gives rise to the urgent necessity to delegate new powers.
- Popularization of a teamwork style, when employees develop interaction skills with the team and with management. Working on a variety of tasks, the staff has to show flexibility and versatility.
Clearly, not all of these situations can relate to your specific business. However, the management of the company must always be ready for changes that are due to modifications in market conditions. Interest of the company's management in the professional development and qualifications of staff gives employees self-confidence as well as the ability to overcome temporary difficulties and try new roles.
For further details please visit the respective section on our page on professional development courses.