Employers enjoy numerous continuing education options - Portland Business Journal:

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In an economy that has businesses scalingback however, continuing education programs are often targeted for From Rick Osborn’s perspective, that’ss a mistake. “It doesn’t make sense,” said the president. “Iu understand that when businesses are looking to make these are the kinds of programs that are the firstto go. In the short those kinds of cuts mightr work fora business. But in the long run, you’rer going to have to restore the cuts.” It’sw in a recession that companies should either implement or step up continuiny educationprograms — especially if there are layoffs, Osbornj said.
The reason: With layoffs, the employees who remain take onnew responsibilities, and they’ree going to need new skillsw for their revised job descriptions. Continuing education is a broafd term. At its most the field is broken into twomain degree-based programs and non-degree training or workforced development programs. Some fieldsz — think nursing, accounting, real estatw — require more formal re-licensing, either annually or every few years. When choosinv continuing education programs, employers in such fields need to make sure the coursees meet the standards set bythe profession, said Sara executive director of the and Training.
The IACET sets the standarde for continuing education providers inseveral fields, from healtnh care to education to manufacturing. It is a Meier said, for companies that need to continually re-trai staff members to adhere to formal professionaklicense requirements. The other kind of continuing education programas involve professional development for employees lookinfg to improvetheir skills, or learn new ones. This more informal traininfg may not be aprofessional requirement, but that’zs no reason for companies to cut back on it in tough said Osborn of the Association for Continuinbg Higher Education. Take a field like information technology. It’s constantlyy evolving.
Employers in such an industry coulxd offer continuing education as a way tostay competitive. “Imn this day and age, thing change so fast,” Osborn said. “Youi have to have training just tokeep up. Even gardeners need to know aboufnew techniques.” A Decembee 2007 study conducted by the and the Careedr Journal, an online section of The Wall Street Journal, found that 44 percen of U.S. companies offer some kind of professional development. Of thosde that do, 80 percent provided that training with continuingeducatioh courses. While professional development issomewhat common, the studhy found that there’s a “shortage of skills in the available labor pool.
” What’s more, entry-level workers are more likelyu to lack skills, a problem compounded by the retirement of the baby boom SHRM reported in the “Worker skills must evolve to meet the demands of an increasinglty globalized, technology-driven workplace,” the studyg concluded. “Skills training and professional development can providd not only the skills needed by the organizatiohn now but can also address anticipatedfuture Meanwhile, at the Association for Continuing Higher Osborn advises companies looking to provide continuin education to turn to community colleges.
In general, he community colleges have been more receptive to listening to what businesses and tailoring programs tothosew needs. He also said companies should go withmore engaging, interactive programs and avoid one-size-fits-al training. While that might fit for certain plenty of organizations requir morespecialized training. “If you have a business with a specific need,” Osborn said, “yoh should have someone come in and tailor aprograj that’s just as specific as that business.” Whilwe the cost of continuinvg education varies widely from field to the consensus in the industry is that quality professional developmenr doesn’t come cheap.
Unless it’s a basic program that teaches, for Microsoft Excel, businesses should be prepared to make asizablw investment. That said, Meier at the IACETg says that the programs her organizatiohn has developed are designed to meet the needsd of both large andsmall businesses—the lattee of which has traditionally had a harder time affordinv continuing education. But the investmentt can pay off in improved employee retention andimproved productivity, Meie r said. Besides, it can be a marketing tool that enhanceda business’ credibility.