Learning and development has, arguably, become even more important during the current economic downturn. We all need to develop the skills of our workforce right now as this will enable us to have a fully skilled workforce ready for when the upturn comes.
The problem, of course, is that in a recession, learning and development budgets are often the first to be cut. But it doesn’t have to mean the end of learning. There are several low cost and free ways of facilitating learning in your organisation.
In-house expertise
Internal training and knowledge sharing
Using the existing skills and knowledge of your workforce is a very simple learning and development solution – but often overlooked! It doesn’t cost anything to start or end each team meeting or internal conference with an opportunity for people to deliver a mini training session on their area of expertise – and it can be a development opportunity for those who are delivering the training too.
Action learning
Action learning involves working as part of a small group of peers to consider real-life problems. The action learning set will meet regularly and each participant will have the opportunity to explain a work problem. Other members of the set, plus sometimes also a facilitator, use questioning to help the individual consider their problem in a new way and to learn skills to solve problems in the future.
Collaboration
Collaborating can involve two or more organisations working together on mentoring or coaching schemes, or sharing the cost of a staff training course. This kind of partnership may enable organisations to achieve more, by pooling resources or expertise. It can also give increased opportunities to the employees from the organisations involved – for example in terms of training, taking on new roles or simply learning how another organisation does things. A good example of collaboration is in the voluntary sector where charities and other non-profit organisations may work together on other projects towards a common goal.
Government support
If you are seeking training on managing people, you could explore what is on offer from Acas. Go to the Acas website and search under ‘support for small businesses.’ It states: ‘We offer affordable training on the subjects that matter to small businesses, like employing people, staff retention, handling difficult conversations and maternity and paternity rights. It’s an accessible, regionally-based service, with offices throughout Great Britain with advisers who understand the issues facing the workforce.’
A further source of government support is Train to Gain , its flagship service to support employers in England to improve the skills of their employees. Managed by the Learning and Skills Council, it provides specialist advice on training and skills needs, tailored for each employer. It is a free service.
In order to access the service, you can call 0800 015 55 45 or contact them online. A skills broker will then visit you, to work with you to find the best training solutions for a whole range of skills levels. The broker will give you free, impartial advice and support. This includes access to funding for ‘skills for life’ qualifications in literacy and numeracy as well as NVQs and some management training.
Skills brokers can help you to access any potential funding that may be available and can take on some of the time-consuming tasks, such as finding suitable training providers.
Just because the training is free doesn’t mean that there is any reduction in quality.
In addition, small and medium-sized enterprises are currently top priority for Train to Gain funds.
Self-directed learning
Many organisations are becoming more innovative and creative about how they deliver staff development, to reflect current time and financial pressures. Online courses can be very useful in these situations. Staff can access the courses from their own desktop at a time that suits them. Such e-learning is a great way of reducing overheads and it is also possible to track how much progress is being made. Learners can choose when and where they do their training which makes it time efficient – and good for the environment too!
Online courses are not an instant fix, however. You need to be sure that your staff or volunteers will respond well to this type of learning. You’ll need to check that any e-learning system is appropriately designed for your organisation, allowing for appropriate monitoring and follow-up.
One inexpensive method of building knowledge is, of course reading a book, and some organisations have a range of relevant books that can be borrowed and returned by employees. In addition, there is the internet. You could give your staff time to tap into this vast pool of knowledge – it is worth researching what kinds of online resources would be suitable. If you want to work on a business or management issue, for example, try the government’s business link site .
Another option is the Open University Open Learn website. This website gives free access to OU course materials. There are hundreds of free study units, each with a discussion forum. It is possible for learners to study independently and at their own pace or join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others.
Coaching or mentoring
You may wish to consider whether coaching or mentoring may assist you. The terms coaching and mentoring are sometimes used interchangeably as both are about thinking things through with the help of another person.
Coaching tends to be about gaining the skills to deal with specific tasks in the short to medium term to meet organisation requirements. It is more goal-oriented and time-limiting then mentoring.
Mentoring focuses more on the longer term, enabling individuals to develop the capability to think and act strategically. It is also about career development so may also be about thinking outside the organisational context.
A mentor will normally be a more experienced leader with capacity to act as a sounding board to help you think through your ideas.
The mentoring relationship may be informal or formal.
Performance management
Finally, don’t forget that appraisals and regular one to one/supervision meetings between line manager and employee are of course the nuts and bolts of staff development and performance.
You might, particularly in the annual appraisal, discuss the following areas with your employee:
- training and development activities they have undertaken since the last appraisal or supervision meeting;
- benefits they gained from the activities;
- any further need for training and development; and
- whether the employee has particular skills and knowledge that your organisation could perhaps use and is not currently using.
Appraisals are a part of good management practice and don’t incur extra costs!
Note: This article has been adapted from a ‘Learning and Development on a tight budget – the full version can be found on www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk
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