An online survey conducted by Ipsos Market Research and Consulting Firm has turned up some shocking statistics. 30% of Americans surveyed said that they never received any formal training from their employer. Among those left untrained, were those over age 55 (37%), those earning less than $50,000 annual income (37%), those who have not earned a college degree (38%), and part time workers (37%). The workers were primarily employed in the administrative/clerical (43%) field and manufacturing, plant, or machine operators/assembly (46%).
Yet, formal workplace training seems to positively correlate with workplace engagement. In fact, nearly half (46%) of those surveyed said that such training makes them feel extremely engaged with their job, and another 45% said that workplace training makes them feel at least somewhat engaged. For those over 55 (55%)and those working in professional or information roles (51%), receiving formal training led to feelings of extreme engagement with their job, a firm understanding of their role and its importance, and a belief that their contributions are highly valuable to their employer.
Employees are more likely to feel valued if they are invested in and will be less likely to change jobs as a result. The investment in training that a company makes shows the employees they are valued. Training creates a supportive workplace. Employees may gain access to training they wouldn’t have otherwise known about or sought out themselves. The statistics show that employees who feel appreciated and challenged through training opportunities feel more satisfaction toward their jobs.
So, what can you do? How do you fix it the problem, especially if you didn’t think it was a problem to begin with? Train everyone. But budgets are limited, right? Then take your training online. Going back to that Ipsos survey, 20% of the people that did receive formal training did so online, and 30% say their training was a mix of online and classroom components. Taking training online cuts costs, increases productivity, and gives employees the freedom to self-direct their own development plan. Need to make the business case to your CEO? Check out our recent blog post: The Business Case for Online Training
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