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Education: The Key to Empowering Your Human Resources

Guest post by: Betty Penny

Article Overview: Most entrepreneurs realize the role continuing education has served in their personal and professional growth. This growth accounts, in turn, for personal and professional success. Hence learning has become an important component of survival in the new economy. Education can be made affordable for almost every budget. Consider hiring a speaker to conduct a seminar on the premises.

Education: The Key to Empowering Your Human Resources

With a capable and committed workforce in place, one should consider exactly how to keep your human assets both capable and committed. An investment in learning always pays off, whether that investment is made at the senior management level or with the person who answers the phone. Most entrepreneurs realize the role continuing education has served in their personal and professional growth. This growth accounts, in turn, for personal and professional success. Hence learning has become an important component of survival in the new economy.

Certainly most boards of education and post secondary institutions such as community colleges, universities and private business colleges are keeping time with the times. What was once an imposing ivory tower has become more accessible and user-friendly for those of us who work all day and learn al night. Increasingly, courses are offered no varying schedules to meet the needs of shift workers and there are now more ways to learn by correspondence and even the Internet. Schools are also offering courses in all areas that are in demand. Browse the web site of any school: the curriculum reads like a list of current business trends.

Non-formal education also holds an important role in growth. Seminars, workshops and non-credit courses may not lead to a degree or a diploma, but can and do recap the same returns with a reduced investment of time. The key here is finding the right seminar or workshop for the right person. In order for learning to have meaning it has to be relevant. Only then will the student translate the material accumulated in a full or half-day workshop into positive results upon returning to the workplace.

This means allowing your employees some freedom in selecting the learning environment and the material they need to do their jobs and do them better. At some point I our professional lives we have sat in a classroom where were aren’t comfortable and are forced to learn something that holds no interest. From such an experience one emerges jaded not stronger, vowing never to repeat the experience rather than eager to put the material acquired into practice. We can help to make learning relevant and appropriate by consulting our employees in developing goals and even an education “plan”. Incorporate this plan into their evaluations semi-annually or annually. The next step is to include every workshop attended or course completed as a checkmark on an evaluation. Don’t forget to include a budget for education in the company’s coffers. At the very least, employees should be paid for the time spent at a workshop help during regular business hours.

Education can be made affordable for almost every budget. Consider hiring a speaker to conduct a seminar on the premises. A speaker can be found on most topics imaginable: consult your Blackberry or the roster of that breakfast network you frequent to find the right speaker at the right price. When all else fails, remember your local library may have a video available no a relevant topic for viewing en masse. Rather then filing away those articles and clippings you find so useful, circulate them before filing. Be sure to set aside office space for in-house lending library. This shouldn’t be limited to books and magazines; include DVDs and CDs as well.

People are motivated to learn when education is made to feel second nature. An office environment is an easy breeding ground for the yearn to learn, especially when the boss lets others in on his or her learning plan. The profits may take some time to be realized but the immediate return – commitment and competence - are priceless.

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Article Tags: continuing education, human resources, professional growth, professional success, survival



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