How to ask your employer for education funding
You may be surprised a lot of adults may feel that they could bring more to their
role with the right knowledge and training. However a lot of people may think that they can't speak to their employers and ask for further education funding. It could be perhaps they believe that this is an inappropriate question to ask, or
they don’t think that their employer would agree. But in reality, employees that have
been invested in by their place of work often have a higher well-being and are
more productive bringing more to their company.
What can you do if you're an adult wanting to carry out training? There are certain things to remember when approaching an employer and
asking them for training. Members of the Newcastle College adult
learning department give us their advice:
Research the training options
Don't forget to carry out research into the specific education area that
you’re looking to go into before approaching your employer. With many education and training providers, you’ll find that there are a range of courses and
options available. From part time courses to evening classes, to higher
apprenticeships, you can find a course that will fit nicely around your
work/life balance.
Applying to a university is NOT your only
option to gain higher qualifications and expand your skill set. It's worth speaking to your
local college and visit their website to see what they have to offer it’s likely
that they run a course related to your field or around a topic that you’re
interested in.
Demonstrate the flexibility of the training
Your employer is more likely to fund and encourage your
training if they believe that you can do it without hindering your current work
performance. Again, this is all about doing your research and demonstrating to
your boss that there are flexible courses out there – designed for workers like
you!
In many courses, you can be assessed on the job to receive
your qualification. It will mean that you wouldn’t be sacrificing any working
hours for exams and your ability to complete tasks at work shouldn’t be
affected.
It's possible to ask your local college for a detailed list of
modules and methods of assessment for the course you’d like to apply for.
Explaining the benefits to you and the business
May explain there are a range of benefits that training can bring to
both you and the business.
Perhaps the area that you want to develop training in could
fill a knowledge gap in the company. Explain you can share this knowledge with your
colleagues. It’s also possible that after your training, you could be bringing
in financial benefits for the business, for example if it means they don’t have
to employ somebody else to fill a role or an external company to pick up that
area of work. Think about what your new qualification could allow you to do and
present this to your employer when asking the question.
Many employers like to their their workforce is content and happy. Express your feelings to your boss.Let your employer know what this training would mean for
you. Will it make you feel more confident in your role? Or, more valued and
empowered?
Give them all the information upfront
When the time comes for you to present the question of training to your employer,
it’s important that you bring all of the information upfront. This not only makes things easier it also allows them
to fully review all the information at a later date and saves them from doing
in-depth research themselves.
This could include; module overviews, assessment methods,
course testimonials and information about websites or open days so that they
can find out more if they want to.
It’s likely that you’ll have to commit to giving up a
significant amount of your personal time to complete a course, especially if
your employer isn’t able to give you time away from the workplace. Make sure
your employer knows the sacrifices you are willing to make to improve your
performance at work.
As you can see, there are ma different ways to approach your employer and
ask them for funding. The key thing is not be be afraid to ask the question you and your
employer can both enjoy the many benefits.
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