Training Policies and Practices
Authors
Some Sample Policy Statements
A Full Training Policy Statement of Arcus Consulting LLP
Arcus Consulting LLP is committed to providing continuous training and development to improve the skills and competence of its entire workforce in the focused delivery of services to our clients.
The aims of training are to ensure that all employees are given the necessary help to develop the knowledge, skills and attitude that they require to carry out their jobs efficiently and to provide every opportunity for career development.
2. RESPONSIBILITIES
To maintain the structures and mechanisms for identifying training needs and for monitoring the effectiveness of our training policy and programmes, Arcus has appointed Andrew Greenwood as Partner responsible for training.
Line Managers are responsible for the continual monitoring of staff training and development throughout the year and to provide the necessary assistance and encouragement to ensure that the Practice’s objectives are being met, procedures are being followed and that staff fulfillment needs are being achieved.
An internal review of the company training policy and procedures will be carried out every 12 months by Andrew Greenwood and the organisation’s Managing Partner, Clive Sellers.
3. INDUCTION TRAINING
Induction training will be given to all new employees, to familiarise them with the organisation’s structures and procedures and to illustrate their role within it.
During the early weeks of employment, all employees will receive thorough training in the procedures and policies of our organisation which will include training in Health and Safety to ensure the protection of the individual and to meet the needs of the company and statutory requirements.
Any gaps in the basic skills of the employee to undertake their full duties will be identified during the induction process and relevant training will be given where applicable.
A record of training will be established for each individual employee and held centrally on the personnel file. This will be continual updated throughout the lifecycle of their employment to provide an auditable trail of their training and development.
4. TRAINING ASSESSMENTS
All staff, including new personnel, will have their skills continually assessed by their Line Manager as identified below:
- At the induction stage - any immediate training needs identified by the Line Manager will be organised during the first three months of employment, wherever possible.
- At appraisal stage - it is the Practice’s policy to undertake an annual staff formal appraisal to review performance over the previous twelve months, to identify ways of maximising strengths and improving areas of weakness in the context of achieving the Practice’s aims and objectives. These formal reviews are the main vehicle of reviewing and identifying training needs to improve job performance.
- At the time of an employee being promoted – covering skills required to equip new managers with the necessary skills to manage staff.
- Specific requirements of a project – projects may have unique training requirements that are most appropriately satisfied at project level to ensure the successful delivery of schemes.
- Training needs as required as a result of corporate change - which will affect everyone within the organisation
- Training related to professional development - All professional staff are required to comply with the rules of their professional bodies in respect of continuing professional development.
5. TRAINING PROCESSES
The Partner in charge of training will have overall responsibility for analysing training needs identified by the processes above and will discuss with the appropriate Line Manager and employee the most appropriate and cost effective way of addressing these.
These training needs may be resolved in a number of ways.
- Sending an individual on a course
- On the job training
- Working alongside other members of staff • Using in-house/external expertise to run workshops The range of training programmes currently offered by Arcus consists of the following;
- Management Training
- Induction Training
- Graduate Training
- Technical/Professional Staff Training
- General Training
All booking for corporate training will be dealt with by Central Administration to ensure that training is recorded, budgeted and evaluated.
6. CONTINUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)
The Practice holds three internal CPD seminars per year for all technical staff. Each office also hold regular lunch time CPD workshops where manufacturers and other specialists are invited along to talk about specific products, systems and legislation.
As well as internal events Arcus also support staff on attendance of approved external CPD events, if the seminars etc., relate to their identified training needs.
A condition of attending any professional development course or event is that the member of staff will be required to produce a summarised report to disseminate the key points learned. This knowledge transfer will be required to take place via the most appropriate form of communication, as agreed with the Training Partner, e.g., during either CPD workshops or monthly meetings or alternatively circulated via email.
7. APC STRUCTURED TRAINING PROGRAMME
The Partnership has established an APC Structured Training Framework to set out clearly the training and experience that shall be provided in respect of candidates’ training towards corporate membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
The framework forms an integral part of the Practice’s training policy to provide a plan within which each candidates’ experience and training can be programmed, structured and monitored and thereby aid and enable them to work towards corporate membership.
8. GRADUATE TRAINING POLICIES
The Practice normally recruits from a number of cognate degree holders each year, each graduate is assigned to a senior qualified member of staff who will act as their mentor for their period of training.
The Practice takes a positive view of graduate training and is keen to ensure that graduates receive an adequate depth and breadth of experience and develop the necessary professional dependence to satisfy professional qualification requirements. The Line Manager will monitor the graduate’s development, and on a monthly basis review progress and priorities with the candidate, or in accordance with the guidance notes issued by the professional bodies.
Graduates are expected to fully comply with the rules of the professional bodies and be proactive in their approach to their own training and development. Whilst every assistance and opportunity will be given, the candidate’s progression will depend to a large extent on their own motivation and initiative.
Subject to confirmation by the candidate’s Line Manager that they have reached the required competent standard, the Practice will allow paid leave for a day of their final examination and professional interviews.
9. NON TECHNICAL STAFF TRAINING POLICIES
Non-technical staff, where applicable, are encouraged to benefit from attaining National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) in business and administration. These competence based programmes, which are designed to reflect business theory and practice, enable our staff to formally assess and recognise their own knowledge and understanding and in doing so further improve their abilities to contribution more effectively to business activity.
10. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
In addition to our Equality and Diversity Policy our Training Policy reinforces the view that managers should not discriminate in the provision of training, promotion or career development.
The Partners of Arcus will ensure that disadvantaged groups are afforded, through training, equal opportunities to career development. This will include the application of appropriate retraining, redeployment and retention policies.
All Line Managers will be trained in the equal opportunities aspects of employee recruitment, training and development
11. EVALUATION
As part of the organisations continuing commitment to training and development, employees are asked to provide feedback on the value and effectiveness of the training and learning they undertake.
This information enables us to ensure that the training methods, programmes and organisations being used for training are meeting both the organisation’s and the trainees’ needs and that value for money is being realised.
12. TRAINING BUDGETS
Apart from the normal on the job instruction, the Practice supports a wide range of training/development methods from self directed study, Internal & External Seminars, External Part Time Courses.
Each office operates a training budget, to support the offices training programme and the expenditure of monies on training materials.
*The average spend per year on “off project” training across the practice is approximately 2% of our annual turnover.
It is the responsibility of the Partners of Arcus to ensure adequate resources and facilities are provided to ensure the commitments described above can be met.
Signed by
Clive Sellers
Managing Partner
The University of Leeds Policy Statement on Staff Training and Development
(Source: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/sddu/top/sd_policy.html Accessed on 5.12.2008)
Staff development
1. This policy statement relates to the training and development of all staff employed by the University.
2. Staff development refers to the development of the individual's potential and career in terms of knowledge, skills, personal abilities, competencies and understanding, in line with the aims and objectives of their faculty, school or department. It embraces a wide range of learning experiences, both within and outside the workplace, and is a continuing process that can help individuals to:
- identify and develop their potential
- respond positively to change, uncertainty and conflict
- increase their job satisfaction
- improve their self-confidence, motivation and initiative
- extend their range of performance.
3. Staff development can take place on-job or off-job. On-job development includes learning through the experience of doing one’s job, reflecting on that experience, discussing it with a manager, mentor, coach, colleagues, receiving feedback on one’s performance, reviewing and evaluating one’s performance, being coached and supervised. Off-job development includes participation in courses or conferences, undertaking a qualification, open or distance learning, secondment, placement, shadowing, exchange visit, study leave, etc. Staff development thus helps to create professional staff who are skilled and effective in their performance.
4. Staff development is the joint responsibility of
- the individual member of staff
- his/her adviser (if on probation) or reviewer (if not on probation and hence participating in the staff review and development scheme)
- the line manager (if not the reviewer)
- the head of faculty/school/department/unit
- the University through its Staff and Departmental Development Unit, Information Systems Services, Library and other providers of training and development.
5. Individual staff have a responsibility to keep themselves informed about developments in their own field or area of work. They should give thought to their own training and development needs and career aspirations and be prepared to devote time and energy to meeting those needs. The University and its faculties and schools have a responsibility to ensure that mechanisms are in place to facilitate the continuing professional development of all staff.
Induction
6. Individual professional development should begin on entry to the University with a programme of initial induction to the department and the University. Each department should nominate a member of its staff to be responsible for the induction of members of staff new to the department. The Staff and Departmental Development Unit http://www.leeds.ac.uk/sddu/ organises induction programmes each year designed to introduce new academic and academic-related (including administrative) staff to the University. University induction guidelines.
7. The University runs a modular University-approved Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. This programme is primarily for lecturers at the University who are new or relatively new to teaching in higher education; it may also be taken by existing academic staff, Teaching Fellows and certain other academic-related staff with appropriate teaching, assessment, course design and course management responsibilities. Participation is strongly encouraged for new lecturers (and other staff with appropriate teaching responsibilities) who have no teaching experience in higher education, and those responsible for advising new staff have a particular responsibility to ensure that such staff are adequately trained for their teaching role. The Certificate is taught, assessed and run by SDDU, and validated by the University's Learning and Teaching Board at level M. It runs from September to March of each academic year and comprises four 15-credit modules - Essentials of Teaching, Essentials of Learning and Assessment, Managing and Evaluating Teaching, and Teaching with Learning Technology. Each module has an assignment based on the individual participant's teaching. Alternatively, staff who have at least three years' full-time experience of teaching and managing student learning can obtain the Certificate by submitting a portfolio. In addition, advanced standing (APL) of up to 15 credits can be obtained towards the Certificate by staff with appropriate formal qualification/credits.
Probation
8. On appointment every new member of staff is assigned an adviser or reviewer by the head of school. Staff on probation staff follow the University's arrangements for probation and are advised and guided by an adviser nominated by the head of school. The adviser's role is to take a professional interest in the development of the new member of staff, having regular discussions with the member and conducting the annual probation review. Full details about the role of probationary advisers are set out in the documentation covering the scheme.
Staff Review and Development Scheme
9. Once probation is completed, all staff take part in the University’s annual Staff Review and Development Scheme. Each faculty is required to have its own guidelines for staff review and a strategic plan. The purpose of the review process is developmental. It aims to provide constructive feedback on an individual’s performance to date; to set clear work objectives that are mutually agreed through two-way discussion and planning of the individual’s role and responsibilities in the context of their professional development and the faculty/school plan; and to identify and plan ways in which an individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities can be developed in relation to work objectives and, where possible, career aspirations.
10. The head of school/department, as the person with ultimate responsibility for the member of staff, should be informed of all training and development needs identified. Responsibility for meeting these needs lies jointly with the individual, the reviewer, the head of school and, where appropriate, the Staff and Departmental Development Unit (or other central providers). Training alone will be insufficient to meet all needs, and staff should have the opportunity to gain practical ‘on-job’ development experience to complement training.
Continuing professional development
11. Staff at all levels are expected to engage in continuing professional development. Needs should be identified on an ongoing basis and through the review process and discussed with the head of school/department. The University will provide part-funding to support appropriate development activities.
Meeting of needs
12. Professional development needs (knowledge, skills, competencies, understanding) can be met in a number of ways. SDDU has an important role to play. SDDU aims to provide a high quality and comprehensive staff development service to all University of Leeds staff, research students and departments to help raise performance at all levels and across all core activities, and to promote a lifelong learning culture. By providing and facilitating timely and relevant staff development in the areas of research, teaching and the support of students and their learning at all levels, management and leadership, enterprise and knowledge transfer, and personal and career development, SDDU aims to help all individuals, departments and the University to meet their objectives. Development is supported by means of a wide portfolio of non-accredited short courses and accredited longer qualifications, web-based resources, funding support, mentoring, advice and guidance. The services currently offered include provision of a large and varied programme of seminars, courses and workshops designed to meet priorities and needs identified by developments external and internal to the University at all its levels. They address the development of knowledge, skills and competencies in the following areas:
- Induction and career development
- Personal, professional, interpersonal and media skills development
- Research and research leadership
- Learning, teaching and assessment including e-learning
- Leadership and management development.
13. SDDU's statement on disability outlines its policy and practice towards the needs of disabled users. SDDU's policy on data protection outlines its approach to data storage and retrieval.
14. Other University staff development opportunities are outlined below.
15. IT training is provided by the Information Systems Services IT Training Unit, which offers a range of IT courses
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/iss/training/index.html
16. Information skills training is provided by the Library http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/training/courses.htm
17. Language skills training is provided by the Language Centre http://www.leeds.ac.uk/languages/lc_home.html
18. Health and safety training is provided by the Safety Advisory Serviceshttp://www.leeds.ac.uk/rps/
19. First aid training is provided by Occupational Health Service http://www.leeds.ac.uk/safety/library/occhlth.htm
20. The University has a staff learning centre, the LOGIK Centre http://www.logik.leeds.ac.uk/index.htm
21. University of Leeds Teaching Award - professional standard 1
22. University of Leeds Teaching Award - professional standard 2
23. Postgraduate Certificates in Learning and Teaching and Academic Practice
24. Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education by portfolio
25. Postgraduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
27. Why become a Fellow or Associate of the HEA?
28. Accredited and non-accredited programmes and courses for support staff - NVQ, City and Guilds, work-based degrees, Learning for Life scheme, short personal and professional development courses, Springboard women’s development programme.
29. Much of SDDU’s work is carried out with individual faculties, schools and departments. This includes organising, co-ordinating or facilitating departmental study or ‘away’ days; providing courses tailored to the needs of particular departments; and consultancy work as appropriate.
30. Discussion fora for staff with particular responsibilities. For example admissions tutors, postgraduate tutors, administrative staff.
31. Training for postgraduate research students.
32. Limited funding. This is to assist members of staff towards fees for job-related individual professional development and participation in appropriate external courses and qualifications. Schools are expected to match any SDDU contribution, and individuals may also be required to contribute. NB: SDDU funding is not available for travel, subsistence or conference attendance or non-job-related staff development [except that funded through the Learning for Life project].
33. Research degrees. Where it is agreed as part of a Staff Review discussion that it would be beneficial for a member of staff to undertake a research degree, this will normally be agreed. While a member of staff is employed full- or part-time by the University, it will not be appropriate to undertake a research degree on a full-time basis, and the regulations and scale of fees for part-time students will therefore apply (with the exception of the Marie Curie Early Stage Training Scheme, for which special arrangements exist). Where an internal research degree is agreed as an appropriate form of staff development, the academic fees will be met by the /Faculty/School/Department. Part-time staff will benefit from full fee remission in the same way as full-time staff. To benefit from the payment of fees by the Faculty/School/Department, staff on a fixed-term contract must be in University employment for at least 6 months of any year for which they are applying to study. If the contract of employment ends before the end of the standard period of study for the research degree is reached, the individual will be required to register and pay fees for the outstanding period of study. The rate of fees will depend on whether the continued period of study is on a part-time or full-time basis, in accordance with the scale of charges applying at the relevant time.
34. Other arrangements for staff development might include opportunities, as appropriate, for:
- having a mentor or coach
- job enrichment, e.g. participation in working parties or project groups, or involvement in other activities that are outside the individual's normal job responsibilities, and therefore enhance or enrich that person's professional life
- job shadowing, particularly for those either new to the University or about to take up a senior position
- job rotation or swapping
- exchange visits, for example to an overseas institution
- secondment, either internally or to another institution or organisation
- study leave
- release time to undertake a (further) qualification.
35. Information about staff development is available through Campusweb http://www.campus.leeds.ac.uk/
36. The Research Support Unit maintains eight email networks based around groups of disciplines.http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rsu/general/email.htm. These lists are particularly relevant to academic and research staff, who are strongly encouraged to join the list(s) appropriate to their discipline, as they provide information about new sources of funding for research, research seminars and other research information, as well as about staff development.
Outcomes of training and development
37. After participation in any form of training or development, it is expected that the member of staff concerned will discuss with the line manager what has been learned or gained and how this can be applied in the job. All training and development undertaken should also be discussed as part of the probationary or staff review.
Update September 2007
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References
Pepper, Alan D., Managing the Training and Development Function, 2nd Ed, Gower, 1992.
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