Recession is excellent time to expand employees

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In a recession, continuing education programs are oftem targetedfor cuts. From Rick Osborn’s perspective, that’s a “It doesn’t make sense,” said the president. “In the short term, those kinds of cuts might work for a But in thelong run, you’re goin g to have to restore the It’s in a recession that companies should eithefr implement or step up continuing education programs — especiallt if there are layoffs, Osborn said. With layoffs, the employees who remain take onnew responsibilities, and they’re going to need new skillse for their revised job descriptions.
Continuinb education is broken into twomain divisions, degree-based programa and non-degree training or workforce development Some fields — think nursing, accounting, real estatr — require more formal re-licensing, either annually or everyg few years. When choosing continuinf education programs, employers in such fieldzs need to make sure the courses meet the standards set by the saidSara Meier, executive director of the and Training (www.iacet.org).
The IACET sets the standards for continuing educatio providers inseveral fields, from health care to The other kind of continuing educatioj programs involve professional development for employees to improved their skills, or learnj new ones. This more informal training may not be aprofessionalp requirement, but that’s no reason for companies to cut back on it in tougy times, said Osborn. Take a field like IT, which is constantlyg evolving. Employers in such an industrgy could offer continuing education to stay A 2007 study conducted bythe (www.shrm.org) and an online section of The Wall Street Journal found that 44 percentr of U.S.
companies offer some kind of professionak development. Of those that do, 80 percent provided that traininhg with continuingeducation courses. The study found that there’es a “shortage of skills in the availablelabor What’s more, entry-level workers are more likelgy to lack skills, a problem compounded by the retirementg of the baby boom generation, SHRM reportecd in the study. “Worker skills must evolve to meet the demands of anincreasingly technology-driven workplace,” the study “Skills training and professional development can provide not only the skillsx needed by the organization now but can also addrese anticipated future needs.
” Meanwhile, at the Association for Continuing Higher Education, Osborn advises companiesa looking to provide continuing education to turn to communitg colleges. In general, he said, communityg colleges have been more receptive to listening to whatbusinessezs want, and tailoring programs to thosw needs. He also said companies should go with more interactive programs andavoid one-size-fits-allk training. While that might fit for certain plenty of organizations require specialized While the cost of continuing education variesd widely from fieldto field, the consensus in the industrty is that quality professional development doesn’t come cheap.
Unless it’d a basic program businesses shouldx be prepared to make a sizable investment.