Lifetime Training

Lifetime Training
By Arthur Cooper
(c) Copyright 2005

Most companies agree on the need to keep up to date.
Most companies agree on the need for an efficient workforce.
Most companies agree on the need to train their staff.

So why don’t most companies do it?

All successful companies do.

Why is it that so often the first thing that gets cut back when times are hard is training?

It saves money in the short term. But it costs money in the long term. It costs money when the good guys leave. It costs money when the upturn comes and all you have left is a demoralised under trained workforce. It costs money when you have to bring them all back up to speed in a hurry.

A downturn is an ideal time to train. When there is less work to be done it is easier to spare staff to be sent for training. It is easier, too, to allow them time free from their everyday tasks to study on their own. It is a good time to give your future leaders the basic management and leadership training needed for their coming roles and for your company’s success.

It is the time to get yourself ready to be ahead of the rest and to hit the ground running when demand starts to grow again.

And if you are an employee in a company that refuses to give you the training you need and want, then don’t just sit there complaining. Do something about it.

Training should be continuous and lifelong. You cannot possibly know it all. There is always some new skill to learn. There is always some extra knowledge to acquire. But do it. Work hard at it, but make it fun and enjoy it.