PA PANEL

Long-term benefits “In this fast moving digital time the way we work is con- stantly evolving, therefore it is extremely important that PAs keep their skills up to date. My employer recently funded my Certificate in Professional PA & Secretarial Skills, which has helped me grow from PA to EA. It’s imperative that we are ahead of the curve when it comes to new software. As most assistants know, once we have been trained on new software the trainee becomes the trainer when it comes to our bosses. “I am lucky enough to work for a company that is committed to ongoing

employee development. I cannot imagine the scrapping of ‘Time to Train’ regu- lations will affect my company; however there are some that will not be so lucky. Particularly in a time of recession, if a company doesn’t have an obligation to offer training this will be one of the first things they cut. Small companies need to remember the long-term benefits from training their employees will outweigh the short-term disruption. Training is extremely important; not only for self development, but company development too. Surely there must be a way to cut the red tape whilst still providing employers with guidance?” Charlotte Souber, PA to EU Managing Director, Chandler Chicco Companies

Employers should front costs “I would expect employers to pay for their PAs’ training if relevant to the role. My employer has paid for a con- siderable amount of training for me and I am currently undertaking a PA Diploma with APA and have to work on various modules which again my employer has been extremely supportive of and would support time off. “I think the onus is on PAs to look at their own

development needs and then build a business case to present to their boss explaining the benefits to the company and to the PA as an individual. In fact I think more PAs with more than a handful of PAs at their company should start to set up their own internal PA networks. I created one at Hays for our 50 or so PAs and we meet bi-monthly for ‘Lunch & Learn’ sessions. I have also just organised our first Hays PA Conference taking place in November which is hugely exciting and a massive step forward for the PA profession at Hays. The conference is a cost effective way to train all of our PAs and the network has really helped our PAs to think more about their development and I know a number of them have approached their directors for training and have been successful.” Victoria Darragh, EA, Hays

Training promotes loyalty “In the last two years I have attended several personal development training courses such as confidence building and a design course, which has helped me develop within my day-to-day role. Additionally I am in my final year of a part-time Business and Marketing HND in which I am fully supported by my employers. The Partners and team are helpful and understanding of my course requirements, even if this means time out of the office or help with assignments. “As Training Co-ordinator, I oversee the training budgets, book courses and also carry out reviews with my colleagues to determine the effectiveness of the training. NJL is keen to train and develop all of its staff and, even through the recession, have set annual training budgets for each team member to attend their chosen courses as agreed during bi-annual appraisals. “There are many benefits of training to the employee and employer. The correct

training provides the employee with the key knowledge and skills they need to perform within their role. I feel that the willingness to spend money on training, including time costs, promotes loyalty within the business and demonstrates commitment to the employee.” Lindsey Fallon, PA, NJL Consulting

PAs are a wealth of knowledge “As PAs we should be actively seeking out training courses that are relevant to our roles, and which will present us with new challenges – and we need to ensure that our managers support us in attending these. I’m firmly convinced that employers should foot the bill for training courses which will have a direct impact on our workload and efficiency. “Time off should be permitted in order to attend

courses, and additional time set aside afterwards for the PA to incorporate what they have learnt into their job. I’d encourage the organisation to add a proviso of “we will pay for you to attend this training course if you agree to stay with the company for X amount of time afterwards and to disseminate what you have learned to others here, otherwise you will be required to repay to us the cost of attending the course”. This should be standard practice to ensure retention, whilst the organisation reaps the benefit of training its staff. “The main difficulty that I have found is in finding

relevant courses that are accessible to me. The vast majority of training courses appear to be in London – not so difficult for those of us based in or around the capital, but much more difficult for those further afield to get the time off, get employers to agree to paying travel and/or accommodation costs. This is where I would encourage PAs to become a member of an active PA network – where members around the country can share information on what’s available and where group training sessions can be held. Between us, the PAs in the UK have a fabulous wealth of knowledge – and we should be sharing that with each other. Imagine what we could all do if groups of us got together to provide training for each other?” Angela Garry, PA to Principal, Nottingham University Samworth Academy

Time to Train for all? “Some organisations are quite transparent with their training offerings and build it into their HR Strategy. For instance, in my organisation it is communicated that an additional four days paid leave is available for a form of professional development. This is quite broad, from attending a conference or participation in on-line training, to studying at an adult learning centre. We have an exten- sive internal training programme, with specific subjects for those to benefit on a professional level or those who just want to know more informally. My role has developed as I now oversee Internal Communications across our company. Whilst joining the telecommunications industry as an EA was seamless, as a communicator, you need to know your industry so training has been key to my devel- opment. Not all organisations are so proactive. “For small organisations budgets are tight and man-

power is pivotal. Being encouraged to allow key members of your team to become unavailable could put stress on their business. I guess the answer would be to proactively provide the training needs internally with on-the-job training and mentoring. As an employee I welcome the opportunity for everyone to get the chance to develop themselves. For a smaller business owner, it depends on their culture whether they see this as an opportunity or a disadvantage.” Samantha Samuel, EA, GSMA E

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