This factsheet was written by Jennifer Taylor, an independent consultant and researcher and Principal of Further Developments Ltd, and updated by CIPD staff in August 2010.
HR professionals know that the ability to learn, and to continue learning, is a skill that is needed to maximise the value of each employee to the organisation and to enhance their individual employability. Our work on moving from training to learning has emphasised that formal training interventions such as off-the-job courses are only one way of facilitating learning. The newer ways of learning, such as e-learning, may be of increasing importance, but the formal training course is still seen by a fifth of learning and development professionals as the most effective means of promoting learning in organisations, and its use is, if anything, growing. In our 2007 Learning and developmentsurvey in-house development programmes were used by 60% of respondents.
As Sloman sets out in his book The changing world of thetrainer, formal courses have continuing advantages:
- They offer protected time for learning.
- They offers the chance for participants to share ideas with each other and learn from shared experience.
- They may offer participants the opportunity to practice skills in a risk free environment.
- A course instructor can give feedback immediately and in a non-threatening way.
- A training course can signal what matters to the organisation. Compulsory courses are a strong signal that this knowledge is still important.