S P O T L GI H T EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Lean, mean training
Y
SMART THINKING CAN ENSURE THAT TARGETED AND QUALITY TRAINING IS STILL AVAILABLE, DESPITE BUDGET CUTS.
AMANDA THOMAS EXPLAINS HOW
ou only need to search ‘training through the recession’ on any internet search engine to discover that our nation is quickly learning that a skilled and motivated workforce is essential
to success through these troubled times. It is no secret that we are facing a troublesome year – government changes in a struggling economy make for challenging times for the strongest of employers, but with a little focus and careful planning, we seem to be recognising the value of our workforce in getting us through. Where cuts are being made to companies’ training
budgets, the learning and development professionals seem to be worth their weight in gold. By learning to work smarter and more effi ciently, we are still gaining momentum in up-skilling the parking workforce, and as a result, driving standards up in general.
1
MANAGEMENT
33%
SUPERVISORY AND
28%
BACK OFFICE
BPA Qualifi cation Survey
% respondents with specifi c interest in qualifi cation areas
Outsource expediently
Many
Prioritise your training needs
First, identify and focus on the mission-critical training requirements in your organisation. These may be training on new products and sales skills, or customer service skills, which could give you an edge in the market. Compliance should never be neglected, whether it be legislative or otherwise. Your organisation will be focused on business-critical issues more than ever, so your training should be, too.
Don’t ‘sheep dip’
There’s no point wasting time and money putting all your employees through an untailored programme. Some of them might have stronger skills than others or might not need the investment in the same areas. Make sure you appraise effectively, perhaps through a survey, to ensure training is tailored to the individual’s needs.
18 MAY 2010
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organisations are starting to use e-learning to reduce costs, especially where the business covers multiple sites across a large geographical area. It makes sense to outsource the
design and development in terms of effi ciency, but it’s always worth checking you don’t already have the skills within your organisation. With the right coaching and tools, existing employees can play a valuable part in the development of new ideas, or in co-ordinating external suppliers with internal business sponsors. More specifi cally, learning and development professionals can bring their knowledge of training to bear during e-learning design. They can also update the content and respond to changes, to keep costs down.
www.britishparking.co.uk
39%
FRONT LINE
T ere is increased recognition of training needs across the board from entry level through to management and senior management. Strong leadership and people management skills are key at this time, to ensure a business gets the best from all its employees in a highly competitive market. T is is demonstrated by recent BPA research,
which found that management and leadership qualifi cations are now as much in demand as the entry-level skills and knowledge. So how do we best meet this need without
breaking the bank? Working smarter is easy to say, but what does this really mean in today’s business climate? How are the sector’s learning and development professionals guaranteeing a return on investment for those businesses that haven’t cut budgets, and how are those whose budgets have suff ered overcoming the challenges they face? Here’s a handful of ideas, based on ideas from
People Management magazine, which might help you ensure a skilled, motivated and competitive workforce.
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