Spurring Growth With Higher Learning

By combining external education options and an effective internal training framework for staff, companies can cultivate, maintain and develop a progressive workforce.

Education is necessary for the progress of individuals and businesses alike. Speaking recently at a Committee of Supply debate for the Ministry Of Education (MOE), Education Minister Heng Swee Keat sounded the need to develop “traits like creativity, inventiveness, adaptability, socio-emotional skills, and cultural and global awareness” in order to reach a new level of competitiveness.
 
While Minister Heng was speaking about Singapore’s evolving education scene, these same points ring true for organisations and their human capital. In order to stay sharp and relevant in today’s business landscape, business leaders and employees must not discount the need to seek continued education.
 
Personal Growth 
Employees should not be complacent and remain stagnant – they should instead embrace any chance to learn and grow in their position. Fortunately in Singapore, our government supports and enables lifelong learning especially among working professionals.
 
Organisations and employees can tap on government-backed schemes to aid continued growth. These initiatives include:
 
1.        Continued Education & Training (CET)
·        This comprehensive plan consists of best-in-class training in multiple key and emerging growth areas which include aerospace, manufacturing and healthcare, among others
·        CET will involve the best private and public providers, including NTUC, the polytechnics, ITEs and quality overseas providers
·        Employers can jointly develop customised training courses for their staff or explore traineeships and apprenticeships
 
2.        Lifelong Learning Institute
·        Allows adult workers to explore career opportunities and training in human resources, service excellence and business management
·        Gain access to career assessment tools and a library of resources to explore potential higher learning and career options
 
3.        SkillsFuture
·        SkillsFuture Credit
o To be used for a broad range of courses supported by government agencies. These will include courses offered by Institutes of Higher Learning and accredited training providers
·        Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidies
o Education and training subsidies for all Singaporeans aged 40 and above will be enhanced to a minimum of 90% of training costs for courses funded by MOE and WDA
·        Targeted Career Progression
o Aimed at developing the next generation of corporate leaders and uplifting SMEs
o To develop the careers of potential leaders across all industries
 
In order to fully maximise these schemes, organisations need to set aside time to identify areas which require improvements. This will allow them to create holistic training plans which incorporate these government-led initiatives and training grants.
 
Growth in the organisation
However, organisations need to create structured internal career and training paths to ensure that these new skills are not lost, but fully utilised and passed on. This can be achieved by implementing the following tactics:
 
1.        Cross-Training / Job Rotational Programmes
 
Cross training or job rotational programmes are ways to prepare employees for a wider set of roles and functions. Benefits from such programmes include reduced training costs, improved employee morale, increased productivity levels and a reduced turnover rate.
 
Department heads can start by drawing up a list of business tasks and functions relevant to each team. Internal trainers can then conduct trainings to improve the delivery of these tasks. Department heads can help internal trainers to have an organised training plan by:
·         Matching staff to skills they need to learn.
·         Identifying which skills your staff already have and which are the ones they want to grasp. Receiving feedback from employees helps managers gauge employee interest and receptiveness.
 
2.        Mentorship Programmes
 
A mentorship programme is an effective way to help employees develop skills, gain knowledge and learn more about the company.
·         Assign line managers or senior staff to new employees. This will allow senior staff to learn about new functions in social media with which greenhorn employees are familiar, and freshly-minted employees to learn more about the company and the industry from senior staff.
·         Encourage them to provide regular feedback and sound out if they want further in-depth training on certain skills
·         Staff can also be given the option to be trained by mentors from other departments so as to be familiar with other roles in the company. For instance, an employee from the creative design team can spend a month with a marketing manager to learn about what they do and find ways to collaborate – perhaps through creating infographics and marketing collaterals.
 
Much like Singapore’s move towards emphasising lifelong learning, organisations need to go the extra mile by prioritising employee education and training. By combining both external education options and an effective internal training framework for their staff, companies can develop a progressive workforce – one that is forward-looking, productive and constantly at the forefront of change.