Yesterday I mentioned the move toward global government investment in education as a means to assume leadership status and to remain competitive in the future. Link
Are individual companies dedicating resources for the education of their work force in order to insure future success?
There are a multitude of options available to the employer and employee in order to increase knowledge; graduate degree programs, continuing education courses, specific industry training, seminars, conferences, short courses, books, magazines, blogs, the Internet, mentoring and travel.
How many formal or informal programs are in place at your workplace for employees to increase their knowledge?
Formal programs might include subsidies, grants, loans or co-participation in the employees education costs. They might be specific courses run by consultants or experts, focused on improving specific skills.
Formal programs also include the participation in seminars, workshops, short-courses and other short term events. They provide opportunities for networking, information, motivation and even a “breath of fresh air” from day to day operations.
How much money and time are set aside in your business for these education events yearly? Why?
Who determines which events are important, and is there an evaluation as to which events provided valuable material and concrete results to the company?
Mentoring programs also provide opportunities to pass on knowledge, explore and share ideas in a “non hostile environment” and create valuable internal networks.
Informal programs for learning would include providing books or magazine subscriptions to industry press, monitoring of industry blogs and the Internet for news and trends, attendance at trade shows and business travel. These provide opportunities to receive new information, create dialogue, learn about trends and tendencies that are or will influence the business.
After any “educational” event, is there a formal feedback program that asks the employee “how can we implement this in our company” Link? There is room for improvement here.
Will the continuing education of their workforce result in a more competitive future for the company, or will business always be able to “purchase” top talent in the marketplace without having to invest in education?
Related LinksSerendipity as part of business development
Maximize the impact of business conferences, seminars and special events in your organization
Lee Iwan Accumulated Experience 
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