Do you have a surplus training budget at the end of the year?

An enviable position to be in I think in these recessionary times!

You could consider setting up a scheme in which people put forward a "bid" for training monies to be made available to them if there is a surplus.

So, for example, an employee who might not otherwise be eligible could put in a bid for funding to learn a foreign language or a specific skill that has relevance to your business.

I suppose you might also want to look at where you are producing this annual surplus and perhaps just consider reducing the budget and allowing the savings to be put towards greater profit for the organisation.

Paula: I hope you have my card, I've been looking for clients just like you!

Training needs are usually identified right after the audits! Ouch!

In my auditing I have found the organizations on the cutting edge of technology used in-house training monies more effectively than the lagers. Maybe the leaders sharpened their skills in "Just in Time". training? How is that Lean 6 deal going?; who is in the BB 6 Sigma course? Anyone gotten anything out of that "dashboard" thing?

Operators and Managers don't/won't consider Training unless it is in the Corporate Strategic Plan and evaluated as a specific target/goal. And reviewed!

Sometimes it requires teaching managers how to develop an integrated Mission statement linked to Strategic and Tactical plans. ALL departments should be working for the corporate GOALS.

And there is still Money left on the Table .... hmmm maybe a side course in accounting?

I've found that reciting OSHA fines / Hazmat causalities / On the Job injury reports with increased corporate medical expenses and law suits are effective tools to get top brass thinking.

One problem with in-house training is work stoppage, the other may be cost of travel to off site seminars. Then there is the problem of transferability of information if only a few representatives are sent, and the lack of influence those representatives have on the shop that could afford them to leave for a week or so. Has the CEO put out a memo on the application of those lessons into the Corporate Mission?

Problem... the need or outcome from the course was not corporately acknowledged or anticipated. This is a great spotlight for real leaders to shine light on the perceived stagnation.

Overworked or under-achieving managers are often just getting by now; without losing time-on-task to worry about butts-in-training seats. They tend to think:"let's fix the broken tools instead of more new ideas for stuff we don't have in our inventory."

Solution? Maybe some training in decision making is required vs this is the way we've always done it while the Money goes to the "support" departments not to the "Line" divisions who need to work on techniques for fault isolation and such.

Unless you can convince the oily king in the pits -- team training will benefit the repair and maintenance schedule, he'll ner let one grease monkey go. HR is all polished from their latest book-larned technique but no clients are coming in for assessment because middle management has never had confidence in solid outcomes related to touchy-feely classes.

Identified training for task/skill improvement is easier than the more nebulous tasks/training of HR improvement. And as the review of Strat/Tact plans shows a steep rise in success since the team training or the new systems solution approach was implemented interest grows. When the "beneficial suggestions" program has garnered 10 new cash awards for long range planning that saved XM$ more interest in actually conducting training with more in-house saved money becomes a self-full filling prophecy!