News - December 2008

Effectiveness of government’s ‘Time to Train’ proposals seriously questioned

People Development Team Ltd
Press release – 4 December 2008

A leading leadership and management development organisation has challenged government proposals in the Queen’s Speech to legislate for staff to request time off for training, particularly for small and medium sized businesses.

The People Development Team had welcomed the autumn DIUS consultation on ‘Time to Train’, but believes that many SMEs who have so far resisted engaging in government-supported training programmes, such as Train to Gain, will take advantage of the allowable ‘get-outs’ in the proposed legislation and make its impact on workplace behaviour and performance minimal.

The People Development Team also questions whether it is right that the government should be using legislation to prop up ineffective businesses that refuse to recognise the value of training and that it should just let the market sort the issue out. The company notes from its own client experience that successful SMEs have learnt that training and broader people development, such as coaching and mentoring, help them to be more competitive.

With ministers committed to taking forward the legislation, The People Development Team would like to see a two-way contract between the employer and employee develop, whereby the employee would be obligated to demonstrate their newly acquired skills in the workplace in return for time off.

People Development Team director Robin Lodge said: “The government’s proposals may be well intentioned but they need a complete rethink. Ministers should redirect their energies on skills to encouraging all forms of development such as coaching, mentoring and shadowing rather than just traditional ‘classroom-based’ approaches.