Importance of Training and Education at the Workplace
Training and education are oft used as interchangeable terms, and might seem
like synonymous concepts. Both are a way of learning something new, and involve
transformational changes of the individual. For instance, if you learnt how to
create a graphic on Microsoft Excel, it would be considered as training, since
you acquired a task-specific set of professional skills. On the other hand, if you’d
learnt about Microsoft Excel’s full functionalities and mechanics instead, it
would be considered as education, since you’d have background knowledge of the
software and can extend beyond graphic-making.
The main difference between both concepts is that education is
concept-based, whilst training is more skill-oriented. Education provides the
depth required for problem-solving and innovation whilst training increases
proficiency and technical familiarity. The combination of both concepts allows
us to combine thorough understanding of the task at hand with
performance-enhancing competency. If training and education are ignored, one
risks remaining stagnant in improvement as lose relevance as others keep up with
market requirements.
For example, in the corporate environment, employers should take the
initiative to educate and train employees to equip them with the necessary
skills required. By training and educating your team, employees are able to
stay up-to-date with current trends and technology, which allow the organisation
to maintain relevance within the industry, and compete favorably against other
competitors. Employers can also implement different training and education
methods which suit respective organisational climates.
With the ever-increasing competitiveness of businesses, employers must
ensure that their organisation possesses the necessary set of skills required
to compete at the highest level. The excerpts below reflect and reiterate the
importance for training and education in the workplace, and provide a solid
perspective on the significance of both concepts.
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“The
combination of both training and education enables another kind of innovation: everyday
innovation. It empowers your entire staff to solve problems before or
shortly after they happen, discover new efficient methods to streamline your
operation, and propose solutions that will make seemingly intractable obstacles
disappear.
They may not
be as dramatic as an “Edison’s lightbulb” moment, but these are the kinds of
small everyday leaps that can keep your business humming along in pace with the
times and give you a competitive edge. And you won’t see them if you only train
your staff to do only their assigned tasks, without giving them the tools to
understand the how or why.
When it
comes to training and education, it can be tempting to cut corners. Consider
that investing in the abilities and potential of yourself and your team is one
of the best moves you can make. Everything else you develop or invest in will
one day be obsolete. But you and your team’s ability to improve and refine
their skills through advanced training methods, and to innovate every day
through superior, comprehensive education will keep you relevant and in
demand.” – Daniel Burrus, CEO of
Burrus Research
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“One of
the most important reasons to offer further training and education to employees
is to ensure that work skills stay current. Keeping employees up-to-date with
software applications, the latest thinking on logistical methods, and ways to
improve efficiency are all necessary to keep businesses on a level playing
field with competitors. Training is also an excellent way to retain the best employees. An
unsuccessful company is one that does not keep up with trends in business, that
is reluctant to change, and that has an unmotivated job staff with stagnant skills.
One of the
most popular methods of further training is that of computer-assisted
instruction. Employees complete specific modules of instruction, usually at the
employee’s own pace. Accurate monitoring of the employee’s progress is
possible, and the amount of time an employee spends on a specific module is
adjustable, dependent upon need. Another common method of training is the
workshop model, where groups of employees learn through a combination of audiovisual
aids, games, role-playing, and occasionally through lecture. This method
encourages employees to get to know each other and fosters cooperation between
different job classifications and departments.
Businesses
wishing to retain their best employees and stay competitive must offer further
training to their personnel. Employees respond positively to the opportunity to
improve their job skills, which results in greater job satisfaction.” – Tushar Bhatia,
Empxtrack
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