SkillHero
July 19, 2023
Finding ways to help your employees gain industry skills is key for any business to stay competitive. Whether it's through formal training or informal mentoring, employers have many options at their disposal.
In this article, we'll explore some of the ways employers can help their workers gain the skills they need to succeed in today's job market. We'll look at the benefits of on-the-job training, as well as the importance of providing access to educational opportunities. We'll also discuss the importance of fostering a culture of learning and growth within your organization.
Why is it important for employers to encourage ongoing education?
Encouraging ongoing education is the key to attracting and retaining high-performing employees. Investing in education for your team helps to create a culture of learning and ensures that employees stay up to date on the latest skills, certifications, and trades.
This helps keep the company ahead of the curve and allows employees to feel valued and motivated to continue excelling in their roles. An employer who encourages and assists their workers with ongoing education becomes highly desirable, whereas one that fails to do so will be seen as a stepping stone on the way to better opportunities.
How can skilled trade employers help their workers grow?
Skilled trade employers can help their workers grow in several ways. It's critical to incentivize employees to grow and help them develop their skills.
Companies can foster an ideal culture and work environment by providing in-house training and mentorship, funding or subsidizing external training and certifications, and paying employees to attend seminars and trade shows.
Acknowledging achievements and rewarding skill development are other important ways employers can help their workers grow. Investing in employees will help them grow, which will lead to them being more productive and less likely to leave.
1. Offer in-house paid training or mentorship
Offering in-house paid training and mentorship is an effective and efficient way to help employees develop their skills. This will help professional relationships between new and established workers grow naturally, and ensure that everyone knows what they can do to advance their career.
In-house training should be tailored to the skills that are needed for the job and the direction the company wants to grow. For example, if an employee is an ironworker, the employer could offer a series of courses that focuses on specific metalworking skills such as welding.
Paid in-house training gives employees with a greater understanding of the job, increases their job satisfaction and loyalty, and empowers them to help the business grow and achieve greatness.
In addition to providing resources and training, employers can offer paid mentorship programs as well as other incentives and rewards for employees who take the time to develop their skills. This can include bonuses or recognition for employees who complete a certain number of training hours each month.
2. Fund or subsidize external training and certification
Another great way employers can help their workers grow is by funding or subsidizing external training and certification. This can be done in a variety of ways. Employers could set aside a budget that workers can use for certification courses or seminars, provide tuition reimbursement or even cover the cost of classes in full.
By investing in their employees’ growth, employers can show their workers that they value and recognize their efforts and that they are invested in their long-term success. By helping employees afford external training and certifications, employers can give their workers the opportunity to learn new skills and specialize in a particular area.
External training can be anything from hands-on practice to access to an online learning platform like SkillHero. Most employees would be happy to pick up a few extra paid hours each month in order to stay up to date and advance their skillset.
Subsidizing external training makes it easy for tradespeople to embrace the latest industry standards and trends, which can help them become more efficient and flexible workers. This also helps employers maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving skilled trades market.
3. Pay employees to attend seminars and trade shows
Another way to motivate skilled trade workers to develop their skills is to pay them to attend seminars and trade shows. This gives them the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience that can benefit the business. It also opens up networking opportunities that can attract new workers and industry relationships.
Workers that are sent off to these events will feel appreciated and rewarded for their hard work and contributions to the company. This in turn would boost employee morale and potentially help to retain employees for the long-term and attract new high performers.
The benefits of encouraging ongoing education cannot be overstated
Skilled trade employers face a unique challenge because most skilled trades require workers to constantly learn and upgrade their knowledge and skills. By investing in their workers, employers can foster a positive and unique company culture that will pay dividends for years to come.
Providing on-the-job training and mentorship ensures that employees are well-equipped to take on new challenges and work as a team. External certifications will help employees stay competitive in the ever-evolving skilled trade industry. Attending trade shows and seminars brings cutting-edge knowledge to the company and advertises a positive and attractive company culture.
Employers who take the time to invest in their employees will see returns in the form of increased worker satisfaction, better job performance, lower turnover rates, and ultimately greater business success.
A 24/7 online hub for reliable employee learning
SkillHero offers a simple website and mobile app which your employees can access from anywhere at any time. It’s a user-friendly place to find and register for ongoing education and certifications, stay up to date on industry news, and network with likeminded tradespeople. If you want to learn more, join SkillHero as an organization today!
SkillHero is dedicated to helping you maximize your opportunity reach. With our easy-to-use platform, you can create and customize job and training listings that fit your organization's specific requirements and expectations.
Our user-friendly system allows you to showcase your listings on our in-app opportunity board. You’ll have access to real-time metrics, including engagement rates, view counts, and total applicants for each listing.
