For many of us September is dominated by the children going back to school. It impacts on us all in some way, from changing schools, to organising uniforms, to remembering the significant increase in traffic and as such setting off earlier from home. With this in mind we thought we would take the opportunity to encourage you to go back to school and consider adult education.
Continuous professional development (CPD) profits us all in so many ways. However, one of the main benefits is that it can inspire and reinvigorate you about your chosen discipline or the application of your new skills to your business model.
Running a business can become mundane. We are often constrained by the practicalities of business management, or the limitations of our client base. This is where training and adult education can really help.
You may be thinking that there is nothing relevant for you at present but perhaps there are individuals within your organisation who would benefit. Aspects of training that may aid your business include: project management, economics, finance, administration, law, communications, marketing, IT, leadership training and human resources.
Keeping Track of Innovations
The rate of innovation in technology, business management and project management alone is staggering. For an example of the latter the terms Agile and Lean dominate the internet and their applications are far reaching and frankly very exciting.
Agile, as a project management system, born from the IT sector, has grown into a complete philosophy that can be applied to an entire organisation (Agile Transformation). The principles that it embodies have been proven, when relevant and applied appropriately, to improve quality, efficiency, profitability, and customer and employee satisfaction.
Despite everyone’s best efforts it is impossible to keep track of all innovations in the business world. Attending training or taking a course for a particular aspect of your business, facilitates networking and access to current developments in both business management and your chosen field.
Training Options
There is a wealth of training available dependant on what you want to achieve. The most important factor is to make sure that the training or qualification is tailored to suit your specific needs. With regard venue you are in control. Training can be completed online, at training venues, in the field or delivered at your own premises.
The Open University still offers a fantastic diversity of courses, some of them free of charge, that are designed to meet the requirements of professionals seeking higher level, part time study.
The list of private organisations offering structured and bespoke training is endless. There are even comparison sites pertaining to adult education to help you compare options.
Upskilling (Apprenticeships)
If you are considering training for your employees you may be entitled to financial support via the Apprenticeship Scheme, which makes provision for people of all ages and can be utilised to upskill your existing workforce. This permits employers to offer subsidised, higher level qualifications to their employees. Upskilling apprenticeships are now available in many subjects relevant to business management.
The Final Word
While it is difficult to find the time to commit to further training or education, it is always a worthwhile pursuit. It should be viewed as a reward; an opportunity to expand your skillset and fire your imagination.
The worth of CPD has always been understood however, in recent times training budgets have been slashed to accommodate other operational costs or a negative economic situation. Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate that budget, or look at schemes that can provide financial support to permit training.