Preventative > Workplace Training and Development


What is Workplace Training and Development?
Workplace Training and Development involves an assessment of the knowledge and skills held by employees within an organisation and the delivery of services that meet their current and ongoing learning and development needs. An analysis of the organisation’s vision and goals also takes place to ensure the training and support received by employees is consistent with strategic business directives.

Training, and a commitment to a learning environment, needs to be an integral part of an organisation’s business strategy.

How does it work?
Training and development can be provided to staff by internal or external trainers, coaches, mentors and other educators.

Internal trainers have been specifically employed by an organisation to ensure the ongoing learning and development needs of staff are met. At times, these trainers seek the assistance of external providers who are skilled in areas not available within the organisation.

External trainers may work independently or for training organisations that are accredited training providers, such as ITIM.

Some organisations today choose to totally outsource their training and development function. This enables them, particularly busy managers, to remain focused on day-to-day operations while knowing that the ongoing learning and development needs of staff are being met. External training and development providers submit regular reports that inform the organisation of training and development processes, requirements and associated costs.

As a nationally accredited training organisation, ITIM follows a number of key steps when providing comprehensive training and development solutions to people in organisations. These include:

1. Examination and documentation of the organisation’s vision, key objectives and current business strategies. At this stage, trainers meet with relevant stakeholders, such as key managers and other senior staff, to ensure the training and development strategy to be implemented complements the needs and directions of the organisation

2. Identification and cataloguing of current skills and knowledge, both explicit and implicit, within the workplace. This can be undertaken by staff completing surveys, online where practicable, attending focus groups and one-on-one interviews.

3. Development of an appropriate and cost-effective learning strategy that is broken down into sections and schedules and which is submitted to management for appraisal and approval.

4. Development of made-to-order training courses and other learning events and assignments. These may include information seminars, workshops and at-work projects. Training courses can be delivered to employees at the workplace, at specially appointed training venues, or by using a combination of both. A blended learning solution, which involves training via the Internet and face-to-face interactions, is also possible.

5. Provision of ongoing management and support for the learning programs and activities by appointing internal and external coaches and mentors.

6. The delivery of refresher courses.

7. Assessment and evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of the learning program. This stage also involves an analysis of the return on investment strategies to measure the value added to the bottom line.

8. Refinements, modifications and ongoing delivery of the service.

In addition to providing comprehensive training and development solutions for organisations, ITIM also delivers once-off tailor-designed courses to organisations. These fall into three categories:

1. Organisational Development: Courses for professionals keen to build and develop more productive, safe and positive organisations

2. Professional Development: Courses for professionals keen to learn newer and more effective ways of providing productive, safe and positive services

3. Personal Development: Courses for people keen to be the best they can and to harmonise their personal, family and working lives

Is it for You?
Continual restructuring of organisations, mergers and acquisitions, rapid changes in technology and the rise of the knowledge economy are just some of the changes that are taking place in the world today. Many employers now realise they will be left behind if they don’t implement strategies which ensure the ongoing professional training and development of their staff.

The ‘knowledge economy’ is based on the competitive advantage of knowledge. It is reflected in the rise in importance of intangible assets. These can include intellectual property (brands and licences), organisational competencies (operational systems and procedures, R&D expertise) and employee competence. Knowledge management is also about identifying the skills currently in the workplace and fostering a work climate conducive to the sharing and generation of new knowledge.

Employers today request the services of accredited workplace training and development professionals to deliver one-off courses or comprehensive learning environment solutions that help:
• the organisation remain financially viable
• the organisation compete locally, nationally and globally
• staff become a part of the rapidly growing learning and knowledge economy
• staff learn new skills in order to become multi-skilled
• staff learn new skills in communication in order to work productively and harmoniously in team-based work environments
• staff acquire a positive attitude towards the learning process itself

Employees are today expected to:
• acquire and maintain skills and knowledge for more complex tasks
• attain higher qualifications for entry into occupations
• pursue further formal learning as well as on-the-job training to maintain the required skills levels
• know how to use computers and other technology in their jobs
• be capable of working in a team environment
• assume increasing decision-making responsibilities
• think strategically and systematically to solve workplace problems
• be flexible and adaptable in their work tasks and in their organisational role
• communicate more complex issues and ideas to management, orally and in writing
• have robust self-management skills, both day-to-day and longer-term career management

What are the Benefits?
The benefits of having a well-trained and professional workforce are extensive.

Principally, a learning environment involves staff members who are better equipped to:
• Work effectively with minimal supervision and raise productivity
• Improve customer satisfaction by giving knowledgeable responses to enquiries
• Be flexible so staff can be employed on related jobs and cope with work-level fluctuations and absences
• Take a creative approach to business problems and develop new products and services
• Appreciate the value of developing their personal skills and be highly motivated

A well trained, learning and focused workforce also leads to increased:
• job satisfaction and morale among employees
• workplace productivity and safety
• employee motivation
• efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain
• capacity to adopt new technologies and methods
• innovation in strategies and products
• employee retention
• organisational image
• awareness of risks (eg., training about sexual harassment and diversity training reduce risk)
• Return on investment

Why Choose ITIM?
• ITIM is committed to ensuring employee development initiatives are aligned with business objectives.
• ITIM can professionally deliver comprehensive training and development solutions to workplaces as part of their EAP service.
• ITIM accredited trainers work with ITIM career planners, counsellors and corporate coaches which is ideal for cross servicing
• ITIM provides engaging, interactive seminars, workshops and courses that help improve staff skills
• ITIM is committed to implementing blended learning strategies which involve a mix of
e-learning - Internet, online modules and classroom courses
• All training and development programs are tailored to fit the needs of staff. They are based on analysis and audit of employee training needs. To maximise the learning opportunity, courses use interactive approaches and are fully supported by learning materials, course notes, videos, simulations, case studies, problem-solving.
• Most ITIM trainers hold the Certificate IV in Workplace Training
• All courses are tailored to ensure organisations receive value for money.
• ITIM is committed to being an ongoing learning organisation
• ITIM actively promotes and encourages learning at both the personal and professional level
• ITIM training reflects the unique environment and goals of clients and utilises the most current available data and information
• ITIM ensures that classroom training transfers to on-the-job performance
• All trainers used by ITIM are benchmarked to ensure training is of a high quality.