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Professional
Growth I find it shocking how often employees are unaware of the training money allotted to them annually for their professional development. Training is tremendously motivating and can keep skills up-to-date. Most companies and organizations assign a dollar figure per employee, per year for training. For example, Proctor and Gamble gives employees up to $5,000 annually for training. The most common figure is $1,500 annually*. This money can be used for various pro-d endeavours, depending on company HR policy. Possible allowable expenses include: professional association membership dues, conferences, workshops, tuition for credit courses, subscriptions to trade magazines, internet access and/or computer purchasing plans, books (manuals, textbooks, reference etc.), or exchanges to other company locations internationally. Hill and Knowlton Canada provides two grants a year for up to $7,500 for employees pursuing graduate studies. Most HR policy restricts eligible training expenses by the subject of the training. Typically companies want staff to take training on subject matters that will directly help in your position. More progressive companies are now allowing staff to take unrelated training looking at continuous learning as a positive attribute, regardless of the subject matter. Topics that tend to get the green light for training dollars are: computer applications, technical skills, languages, safety, sales, interpersonal communication, cross cultural sensitivity, business writing, anger management, stress management, arbitration/mediation, customer service, time management, coaching, leadership or presentation skills. Coursework can be taken in the classroom or online. Check with your HR policy for provisions like time release for attending classes or studying. To encourage staff to take training that leads to professional accreditation, some companies offer bonuses on completion. Atlantic Blue Cross doles out bonuses between $250 and $2,500 and Ernst & Young gives staff bonuses up to $10,000*. As each company’s benefits differ,
check with your companies HR department to see what has been budgeted
and what is eligible for training dollars.
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