Training—Investing in the Future
| Published date | 01 July 1982 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057266 |
| Pages | 10-11 |
| Date | 01 July 1982 |
| Author | Trevor J. Bentley |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Training—Investing in the Future
by Trevor J. Bentley
There is no doubt that the key resources of any organisa-
tion are the knowledge and skills of its people, particularly
the knowledge and skill to identify and meet the needs of
the market. The knowledge and skill is not acquired by
magic; it is, however all too often acquired from outside
the organisation instead of tapping the latent talent from
within. The key to finding and developing the talent is
training.
The organisation's investment in its people is the most
important investment it makes. If it is done right, then the
organisation will succeed. If wrong, then failure is in-
evitable. In a constantly changing world the organisation
has to continuously review the knowledge and skills of its
people and to make sure they match the business oppor-
tunities. This is done by developing a training strategy
which —
(a) Identifies knowledge and skill needs,
(b) Analyses knowledge and skills available,
(c) Determines the knowledge and skill gap,
(d) Produces a programme to fill the gap.
Physical assets are usually carefully maintained and up-
dated, but people are frequently left to their own devices.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the knowledge and skills
gap can be and often is extremely wide. The training
strategy is not a single one-off task, it is a continuous ac-
tivity and includes realising when people have reached their
limits,
and will therefore affect promotion policies.
In the modern turbulent world
training is the essential
ingredient for success
Old myths that seniority and experience of the past fit
people for higher office will need to be swept away and
replaced by an acceptance that in the modern turbulent
world training is the essential ingredient for success.
Training is therefore a major investment decision. Un-
fortunately in many organisations it is seen as an expensive
item that can be cut when things are tight. Many organisa-
tions are reluctant to release people for training, treating it
virtually as time off.
The first part of the investment is the development of a
coherent strategy aimed at identifying the knowledge and
skill gap and then bridging it. Perhaps this view of training
is different from the view held by many. A training
strategy is not reading brochures that come in the mail,
and then deciding who might attend the courses. What it
does mean is taking a positive appraoch to developing real
training resources to fill the gap.
Organisations do not need to rely on commercial
courses. It is perfectly feasible and considerably less expen-
sive to develop in-house training, designed specifically to
meet the organisation's needs and to fill the knowledge and
skills gap.
Identifying training needs is not easy; it requires a good
understanding of the business and of future developments.
The person responsible must be privy to all the plans the
organisation is making, many of which will depend on hav-
ing the necessary skills within the organisation. Apart from
meeting future needs the training strategy must also handle
the training of new recruits. This latter need is widely
recognised, but the future needs, which usually mean addi-
tional training for existing
staff,
are not generally recognis-
ed.
Training needs can be examined in two dimensions:
(a) Level,
(b) Activity.
These two dimensions can be seen in the training matrix
shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The Training Matrix
Management
Supervisory
Technical
Operating
Marketing Production
Distri-
bution Finance
& Admin etc
The identification of the training needs is done by activi-
ty managers with the help and guidance of the person
responsible for producing the training strategy. The needs
of each activity will be related to the objectives of each ac-
tivity which are part of the overall business plan.
Once the training needs have been established they can
be related to the knowledge and skills available within the
activity and the gap identified. From this analysis a train-
ing plan can be formulated to bridge the gap at each level
within the activity. This process demands a high degree of
commitment and honesty on behalf of the activity
manager. It is also a largely subjective process and one
which must be carried out regularly.
Change is inevitable and appears to be increasing in
speed. Our ability to adapt to changing circumstances is
considerable, but it is being severely tested by the
technological and social changes taking place at the present
time.
Training people to understand and adapt to these
changes is a fundamental and urgent need in most
organisations. It is fundamental because without it skills
will not match needs and it is urgent because we are already
seeing the dole queues swelled by people with obsolete
skills,
and yet facing shortages in the new technological
areas.
This shift from the old to the new will not take place
overnight; it has to be a long-term strategy. Such a training
10 INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT + DATA SYSTEMS
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