How you view job-related training at your company is a big determiner of how engaged your employees are, how they feel when they come to work, and how able your company is to tackle productivity improvement projects.

If you see training as purely an expense item, you’ll probably have employees who are disengaged at best, they will feel under valued, and you’ll likely to see their productivity levels drop and improvement projects failing.

If you view training as an investment in your people and your company, you’ll have a workforce that is engaged and motivated; that feels valued as an essential part of the organization; and your productivity performance will improve with ideas from all levels of the organization engaged, with improvement projects succeeding and results sustained.

You might be thinking, ‘Well, what if I spend the money on training, and my staff leave?’.  We’d like to ask you one question: ‘What if you don’t invest in training, and they all stay?’

http://stevestedman.com/2015/training-employees

Why is job-related training important?

Increasing productivity means getting the most from your employees, and the best way to ensure their success is to invest in them. By providing training that allows employees to do the best job every time, you’ll help your business avoid productivity drains.

When you invest in your employees, you’re showing them that they are an important part of the company. Their level of engagement goes up and they’ll be more likely to stay with the company, even if a job offer with slightly more money might come along.  You’ll also ensure that your team has the skills and knowledge they need to move up within the organization and the expertise to keep improving their productivity.

Invest in Your People

What are the benefits of investing in training for your staff?

• Reduced turnover: Today’s workers want more than just a pay-cheque—they want a job that lets them develop new skills. You will attract and retain better employees if you offer training opportunities.
• Your team is prepared for the future: Overwhelmed employees can be absent more often and prone to stress-related illnesses like hypertension and depression. Your team will be more productive and prepared for what might come at them.
• Reduced errors and defects: Errors and defects cost you time and money, and lead to unhappy customers. Well-trained and engaged workers perform better and deliver higher quality results.
• You’re prepared for the unexpected: Having employees trained for multiple jobs will mitigate the risk of not delivering your product on time. Even a single absence, not adequately prepared for, can obliterate gains in productivity.
• Reduced injuries: Ensure your workers have the skills and training needed to do their jobs in a healthy and safe manner. Here’s a link to Alberta’s Employer responsibilities.

How can you stretch your training budget?

The Canada Job Grant is a fantastic resource for progressive small to medium size companies like yours, giving you up to 66% savings on eligible training.  Through the Canada Job Grant, you can receive a rebate of 66% of the cost of eligible training from eligible providers.  While you still have to pay the full amount for the training up front, we’re told the program’s rebates are being processed and distributed relatively quickly once approved.

Each province or territory is responsible for the specific program design and administration in their jurisdiction, but the general principles are similar across the country. Annual funding caps are in place for each province and territory, so an early application can increase your chance of securing a share of this grant funding.

More information on the Canada-Alberta job grant can be found here: Canada-Alberta Job Grant.

How does the Canada Job Grant apply to GO Productivity?

GO Productivity offers several job-related training opportunities for Canadian companies looking to improve their productivity and sustain the results.

GO Productivity’s Lean Six Sigma Courses, are our most-requested training programs, and we customize our Lean Six Sigma training for your business. 

If you’re looking for productivity training options that may be eligible for the Canada Job Grant, email us start@goproductivity.ca. to explore your options.