Training, Development and Education

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Terms and characteristics of “training", "development", and "education" & the benefits of effective training and development in the workplace

Education

is defined as ‘the activities which aim at developing the knowledge skills, moral values and understanding required in all aspects of life rather than a knowledge skill related to only a limited field of activity’.

  • Education is usually intended to mean basic instruction in knowledge and skills designed to enable people to make the most of life in general. 

    It is personal and broadly based.

Training

is ‘the planned and systematic modification of behaviour through learning events, programmes and instruction which enable individuals to achieve the level of knowledge, skills and competence to carry out their work effectively’.

  • Training usually implies a planned process to modify attitude, knowledge, skill or behaviour to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities. 

    It is job orientated rather than personal.

Development

is ‘the growth or realisation of a person’s ability and potential through conscious or unconscious learning and educational experiences’.

  • Development suggests a broader view of knowledge and skills acquisition than training, concerned more with changes in attitudes, behaviour and potential than with immediate skill. 

    It relates more to career development than job development – learning for growth of the individual, but not related to a specific present or future job.

Many employers, mostly of small businesses, perceive investment in work related learning to be a drain on their business.

However, studies have shown that organisations that deliberately foster a culture of learning are those that are on the leading edge of development and change.

Learning in the workplace is important for the following reasons:

  • It can lead to increased competence, understanding, self esteem and morale.

  • People who enjoy learning are more likely to be flexible in times of constant change and therefore are more adaptable to organisational turbulence.

  • There is growing evidence that a learning culture can increase the productivity and competitiveness of organisations.

  • If workers are not given learning opportunities, there is a risk that they will feel undervalued and become disenchanted.

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