TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION

Every organization whether profit or non-profit, public or private or government, needs to have well trained and experienced employees to perform the activities in order to achieve the organizational goals. If the existing or potential job occupant can fulfill this requirement, training is not important.  In other cases, training is necessary to enhance the skill levels and increase the versatility and adaptability of employees. 

Insufficient job performance or a fall in productivity or changes resulting of the job redesigning or a technological breakthrough requires some type of training and development efforts. With the complexity of the job, the importance of employee development also enhances. In a rapidly changing business environment,  employee training and development  is not only an activity that is desirable but also an activity that an organization must commit resources to if it maintain a viable and knowledgeable work force. 

Nature of Training and Development

In simple words, training and development refer to the imparting of specific skills abilities and knowledge to employees. We may define training and development as ,”any effort to improve current or future employee performance by increasing an employee’s ability to perform through learning, by changing the employee’s attitude or increasing his or her skills and knowledge. The employee’s performance deficiency determines the need for training and development. Training and development need = Standard performance – Actual performance.  

TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION

It is useful to distinguish among training education and development.  Such distinction allows us to acquire a better perspective about the meaning of the terms. Training refers to the process of imparting specific skills through  a process of programmed behavior and applies knowledge and make  people  aware of the rules and procedures to guide their behavior. Training improves their performance on the current job or prepare them for an intended job Training is a learning experience in that it seeks a relatively permanent change in an individual that will improve his or her performance on the job. Training can consist the honing of skills, knowledge, attitudes, or improving social behavior. It may also involve changing employees’ knowledge, how they work, their attitudes toward their work, or their interpersonal relations. 

Development is a related process. It refers to those learning opportunities that are designed for employees’ growth. It covers not only those activities which improve job performance but also those which bring about growth of the personality; help individuals in the progress towards maturity and actualization of their potential capacities so that they become not only good employees but better men and women. It is intended to equip persons to earn promotion and hold greater responsibility. Training a bigger and higher job is known as development. This may include not only imparting specific skills and knowledge but also inculcating certain personality and attitudes. Thus,  development is not much different from education. Though training and education differ in nature and orientation, they are complementary. 

Education is the understanding and intervention of knowledge. It does not provide relationships among pertinent variables and thereby character, and understanding of basic principles and develop the capacities of analysis, synthesis and objectivity. Usually, education is outside the scope of an organization’s functions. It involves a range of skills and expertise which can be provided only by educational institutions. An organization can and does make use of such institutions in order to support and supplement its internal training and development efforts.

INSTRUCTORS FOR TRAINING

The success of any training program depends in large part on the teaching skills and personal characteristics of those responsible for handling the training. The good trainers can be separated from the mediocre ones.  Often a good trainee exhibits a little more effort or demonstrates more instructional readiness. However, trainer’s personal manner and characteristics also influence the success of training. 

Following are some of the important characteristics instructors must possess: 
1. Knowledge of subject:
 Trainees expect trainers to know their subject thoroughly and demonstrate that knowledge during the training.
2. Adaptability: Some individuals learn faster or slower than other, and instruction should be matched to the trainee’s learning ability.
3. Sincerity: Trainees appreciate sincerity of trainers. Also trainers need to be patient with trainees and demonstrate tact in addressing their concerns.
4. Sense of humor: Learning can be fun; very often a point can be made with a story or anecdote. 
5. Interest: Good trainers have a keen interest in the subject they are teaching and this interest is readily conveyed to trainees.
6. Clear instructions: The task of training is accomplished quickly and retained longer when trainers give clear instructions.
7. Individual assistance: When training more than one employee, sincere and successful trainers always pay personal attention and provide individual assistance, 
8. Enthusiasm: A dynamic presentation and a vibrant personality show trainees that the trainer enjoys training; employees tend to respond positively to an enthusiastic climate. Training programs will be most successful when organizations reward excellent trainers. Very often managers are not appreciated for their contribution to this important aspect of Human Resource Management function. Similarly training specialists in the HR function should be recognized for their role in the training program.