Those that understand the importance of training absolutely know this to be a fact. It’s not a belief or an opinion, or a preference. It’s certainly not an attitude. It’s a cold hard fact: training is important.
But there’s a strange problem here; and you probably know what it is, either directly or indirectly.

Many people know that training is important – because, at one time or another, and in one form or another, we’ve all been valuably trained in something, or trained someone else to do something useful – yet this basic knowledge is not widely reflected in the world of work. It’s clear importance is not fully understood, and therefore, not fully exploited to make life easier and more profitable.

Unraveling the Strange Problem: Changing Perceptions
The core of this problem has to do with that important postmodern word: perception.

For decades now – centuries, arguably – training has been seen as something that supports the workforce. This position stems largely from the perception that training is an extension of education. Since education has been traditionally viewed as a system of supporting human growth and development, workforce training has slid conveniently, some might say logically, into this existing groove of thinking.

So why is this a problem of perception?

Because in the modern workforce – and that of the foreseeable future – the idea that workforce training exists as a support system is dangerously outdated. The notion of support implies that something is important; but not necessarily vital, and certainly not essential. And it’s because of this view that in many workplaces, training is viewed as an enhancer; something valuable, yes, but ultimately optional. Something to invest in or focus upon if revenues support it, or if time permits it. But certainly nothing essential.

This perception is utterly out of date!

Training is no longer optional. It’s not an enhancer, a supporter, or a nice to have thing. In the 21st century, an organization’s capacity to effectively train its people is part of its ability to survive. And if that capacity isn’t there – or if it’s defective – then the organization itself will reveal that flaw in a number of destructive ways, including loss of bottom line profits.

Training = Profit

When there are gaps in the skilled workforce – gaps caused by lack of training – then, automatically, work become inefficient and money is lost.

How much money is lost depends on the type of gap and how it manifests; but without doubt, regardless of whether a company sells flowers or microchips, a gap in the skilled workforce costs money.

In the past, this gap was typically seen only in terms of sales, such as whether a lack of training caused a sale to be lost. Now, however, we know without any economic doubt that the costs of ineffective or non-existent training gaps go far beyond lost sales. These additional financial costs include: rework, missed profits (smaller profits due to inefficiency), and misallocated resources (money spent trying to fix a gap could be better spent elsewhere). There’s also lost market

share, lost potential word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied (or merely served) customers, and the list goes on.

Understanding why Training is Important

It bears repeating: training can no longer be viewed as a support system, like a good benefits program or a leading-edge technical infrastructure. In the skilled workforce of the 21st century, training is essential. It is the core engine of a company, because it supports the entire skilled workforce. And, frankly, there is no other way – whatsoever – for a company to comply with this paradigm shift than to understand that training is important. Or rather, that it’s essential.

A Final Word…

Keep in mind that the key argument here isn’t that training is good. This isn’t pro-training boosterism; and it’s certainly not a lobbying effort on behalf of financially neglected Training and Development professionals across the globe. The perception that training is essential is sourced in the emergence of the most powerful, and possibly most dynamic, labor market concept in history: the skilled workforce.

And the message that it’s telling us? Clear and simple: training is not an option.
By:Adrian Miller