People

Training is a process whereby an individual acquires job-related skills and knowledge. It is a cost to firms to pay for the training and also to suffer the loss of working hours whilst an employee is being trained.

However, the potential gains from employee training are significant. The main benefits of training are improved productivity and motivation of staff and also better quality products being made.

Some of the specific reasons as to why a business should train its employees are:

• Introduce new employees to the business (this is known as “induction training”) – see below
• Help provide the skills the business needs (in particular making the workforce more flexibleor being trained on new higher technology machinery)
• Provide employees with better knowledge about the business and the market it operates in
• Provide support for jobs that are complex and for which the required skills and knowledge are often changing (e.g. a firm of lawyers training staff about new legislation)
• Support the introduction of new working methods, such as a firm introducing new lean production techniques
• Reduce the need for supervision and therefore free up valuable manager timeHelp achieve a good health and safety recordHelp improve quality of a product or service and lower customer complaints
• Increase employee motivation and loyalty to the business