Relevance of Learning Versus Relevance of Training and Development

In today’s environment, training organizations struggle to prove their worth. They also struggle to keep programs running with smaller budgets and fewer staff. One way to stay ahead of this battle is to know the difference between learning and training and development – ​​and understanding the relevance of each in relation to your organization’s environment and the wider environment.

First, training managers should understand the difference between learning and “training and development”. Learning is generally the acquisition of basic knowledge about a specific topic, such as an industry. This knowledge gives an individual an understanding of the world around them and how the organization (and the individual) fit together. Training and development, on the other hand, means teaching someone how to do something, such as a job, or teaching him the skills and attitudes that directly affect job performance, such as or management and leadership. Let’s look at a few examples of each before discussing their relevance.

Learning is no longer a formal structure in many organizations. For example, employees in financial services may need to learn about the broader things that move their industry, such as: B. the Federal Reserve, the banking system and the world of investments. But what if these employees are line workers at a bank and handle the items coming in from the branches, such as deposits and checks? Do they need the general understanding of the Fed and investment banking to do their job properly? In general, we can probably say no. But some organizations want to convey this general knowledge to line workers so they understand how they fit in with the rest of the world. This can indeed help with retention if workers understand how to progress and what the options are.

Education and training is the usual formal structure. Financial advisors must undergo mandatory training for licensing and certification. Also, they must go through company specific training on computer system, customer management and customer handling. Does the financial advisor have to go through a learning process about the bank’s article processing? Again, we can probably say no. If the consultant obtains the necessary licenses and can demonstrate that they understand how to serve their clients within the law and within an ethical framework, then their training is effective.

But what is the relevance of each type of intervention in today’s environment? It can be argued that ‘learning’ is now best left to work or self-discovery. The bank’s item processors may be interested in how the system works and could find the Federal Reserve’s website to explain the “how” themselves. On the other hand, a financial adviser may already understand this system, and if not, he or she may be forced to educate themselves about it on an individual basis. With tight budgets and small staff, organizations are being forced to “segregate” learning and stick to training and development, programs that can directly impact job performance and the company’s bottom line. In this sense, education and training are far more relevant than learning.

But is the learning over? This is also a point where we can say no. A general, basic knowledge of your own industry or position in this industry can only be helpful. But can training organizations with general courses be worthwhile if budgets are still being considered? Probably not if you’re taking employees off work for long periods of time or need to pay staff to run these programs. So how can you offer learning without losing value? One option is to manage learning online. There is a cost associated with developing or purchasing courses, but typically the cost goes down afterward. And with online learning, participants don’t have to be dragged away for long. You can also consider recruiting volunteers from the organization who are subject matter experts and have them provide brown bag lunches or half-hour programs at the end of the day. Employing a volunteer is a great way to deliver learning without draining a financial resource. You can also search for online resources related to your industry or organization. As we’ve already discussed, some regulators and supervisors like the Federal Reserve offer interesting online information and even courses that are free to anyone who wants to take them.

We can definitely say that education and training is currently more important than learning. But we can also say that learning is not over. Find creative and cost-effective ways to incorporate learning into training and development and develop that knowledge base.

Thanks to Bryant Nielson | #Relevance #Learning #Relevance #Training #Development