In 2022, the Employer Skills Survey (ESS 2022) showed that three-fifths (60%) of employers had provided training for their staff in the last 12 months, a decrease from 66% in 2017.
Investing in training and development programmes is essential for both your workforce and your organisation as a whole. Such programmes provide opportunities for employees to improve their skills, increase their knowledge, and stay current with industry trends while enhancing their job satisfaction and engagement levels. Meanwhile, employers benefit from a more skilled and knowledgeable workforce that can adapt to changing business needs and contribute to the organisation’s growth. However, it is crucial to ensure that training and development programmes are aligned with your organisation’s goals and objectives and are relevant to the attendees’ roles and responsibilities.
Skill enhancement
Training and development programmes offer employees opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge. Whether it’s technical expertise, leadership abilities, or soft skills like communication and teamwork, these programmes help employees stay up to date with industry trends and best practices. By continuously developing their skills, employees become more competent and confident in their roles, leading to improved performance and productivity.
Employee engagement and satisfaction
Organisations can demonstrate their commitment to employee growth and success by investing in training and development programmes. This commitment fosters a positive perception among employees by showing that the organisation is interested in their long-term career advancement. This, in turn, fosters employee loyalty and encourages them to remain with the company, retaining their skills and experience within and reducing turnover and recruitment costs. Appropriate training courses enable individuals to take on more responsibility and empower them to reach their full potential.
Increased productivity
Well-trained employees are more efficient and productive in their roles. Training programmes equip employees with the necessary tools and knowledge to perform their tasks effectively. Employees learn new techniques, shortcuts, and best practices that streamline workflows and improve productivity. By investing in training, organisations can expect a significant return on investment through increased output and improved quality of work.
Adaptability to change
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organisations must be agile and adaptable to change. Training and development programmes help employees develop the skills to navigate change successfully. Whether training employees to use new technology, implementing new processes, or adapting to market trends, employees trained in change management are better equipped to embrace and drive organisational change.
Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
LSIPs are a new employer-led initiative from the Department for Education in England. They are a vital part of achieving the aim set out initially in the Skills for Jobs whitepaper, which looked to put employers more firmly at the heart of the skills system to help ensure businesses and people have the skills they need to thrive and progress. Specifically, LSIPs aim to make technical education and skills provision more responsive to the changing needs of employers and the local economy.
The Department for Education has designated 38 employer representative bodies throughout England as responsible for developing a 3-year LSIP for their area. Each 3-year plan will identify the courses that training providers should deliver to address the local skills need. Businesses, education providers and organisations can refer to the GOV.UK website to find the LSIP for their area and see the designated employer representative body responsible for leading its development and review. The published LSIPs can be found on the designated employer representative body websites.
Statutory guidance sets out the process for developing, approving, and implementing an LSIP and subsequent reviews, as well as the duties placed on relevant providers in its development stage once an approved LSIP is in place. It also sets out the role employers, providers, local government, and other stakeholders can play in co-operating with the designated employer representative in developing an LSIP and supporting the delivery of its priorities, whether they have a specific statutory duty or not.
For further information on training and development programmes for your workforce and LSIPs, please do not hesitate to contact our HR & Employment team by emailing online.enquiries@la-law.com.
Written by Olivia Monks, Legal Assistant, and edited by Edward O’Brien, Senior Associate in the Employment team at Lester Aldridge.
