How to Make Yourself More Valuable to an Employer: 2 Types of Employer Training Programs

With the rapid changes in employment, it can be a challenge to keep up. The job skills that are in demand today are very different from those needed even a few years ago. In order to increase your value to employers in the future, you must be open to learning new skills.

There are several ways to gain career skills. You may attend college or technical school programs, sign up for seminars or volunteer your time in exchange for experience. Some of these options require a monetary investment, and all make demands on your spare time.

There is another option that is becoming more and more popular – employer offered training during the workday. Many companies have learned the value of retaining their employees on a long term basis and are realizing the need to retrain in order to remain competitive.

There are two different categories of employer offered training, “on-the-job” and “off-the-job”. On-the-job training is a common program for people who are hired for entry level positions. This allows the trainee to learn the desired job duties while working alongside an individual performing the same type of work. An apprenticeship is a good example of a structured on-the-job training program. This can be a very effective way of learning a new job.

There can be pitfalls, though. On-the-job training is only as effective as the people who are doing the training. Often times, these people have obtained their training responsibility because they are good at what they do, but this doesn’t necessarily make them good trainers. If you find yourself in a situation where you aren’t learning what you need to know to effectively perform your job, go to a supervisor immediately. Explain that you would like to do the best possible work for them, but you feel you aren’t learning all the skills necessary to do so.

The second category of employer training is “off-the-job”. This can mean professional seminars and college coursework or simply that you are taken away from your normal work duties for a period of time. A common form of this is classroom training, which allows the employer to instruct several individuals at the same time. Classroom training maximizes the company’s resources because many people are able to participate. Due to this, though, you will need to seek out individual help if necessary. Don’t be too embarrassed to ask questions that could help to improve your performance.

 Loading ...

Overall, the important thing to remember when it comes to employer offered training is to accept the opportunity! It shows the employer that you are enthusiastic and eager to learn. It’s also a great chance to increase your value to the employer by learning new skills, – and to do so during your working hours. With retraining, many employees are happily finding that they do not have to change companies to advance in their careers.