This week marks Adult Learners Week in the UK, with people across the land encouraged to learn something new. From learning Pilates to gaining a PhD, Adult Learners’ Week celebrates learning and learners in all their diversity, inspiring thousands of people each May to try something new. The initiative promotes the benefits of all kinds of learning, whether it is for fun or leading to a qualification.
I personally think that learning and professional development are something that should be done 24/7, and with the vast array of free resources on the web there is really no excuse not to be learning something new every day. But set piece events such as Adult Learners Week allow us to reflect a little on the importance of keeping your skills up to date and give you the edge in the careers market.
Lets look at some research. In 2007 research was undertaken into the value of management qualifications. Whilst it included information on their value from a company perspective, I’d like to begin by looking at how they help you as an individual.
The benefits of getting qualified
The three key perceived benefits of management qualifications from an individual managers’ perspective are:
– Portable – I can take it with me (95 percent)
– Improves chances of employment (85 percent)
– Provides evidence of abilities (84 percent)
With the job market beginning to pick up again, more and more professionals are looking to pastures new, and having a professional qualification will be a huge help in landing that dream job.
With regards to the qualifications found most useful, professional diplomas and MBAs are approximately equally rated in terms of their impact on managers’ ability to deliver results. Academic qualifications score more highly than vocational qualifications in terms of their perceived impact on earning potential though.
How it helps your company
Leading HR sources suggest that offering training to staff provides a significant boost to employee engagement.
Offering training also has significant productivity gains. The greatest productivity gains are achieved where employers are actively supporting learners to ensure the practical application of learning in the workplace.
Read more: http://technorati.com/business/article/are-you-investing-in-training-for1/#ixzz1MmmtIteb
