training.and.development.policy

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY (Amended August 1998) Policy Statement Our employees are the Council’s most important asset. For our future development and progression it is, therefore, essential to provide good quality training and development for all employees. North Warwickshire Borough Council will aim, within available resources, to provide a variety of development opportunities that will equip employees to meet the Authority’s current and future needs. Policy Objectives The key objectives of this Policy are:- 1 To co nf ir m the Co unci l’ s c ommi tment to training a nd de ve lopment 2 To e nsur e th at appropr iate t raining and d ev el opment oppor tuni tie s are provi ded for employees, trainees and Members to meet the overall objectives and service aims of the Council at organisational, occupational and individual levels. 3 To ensur e that t he t raining re sour ces ar e us ed t o thei r full pot enti al by es tabl is hi ng a c lear process for identifying, prioritising, planning and monitoring training and development needs, actions and resources. 4 To e st ablis h cl ear roles an d re sponsi bil iti es for i mplement ing al l aspe ct s of t he Pol ic y an d achieving the stated objectives. 5 To establi sh a c lear process f or identi fying and pr ioritising tr aini ng and devel opment needs at all levels. 6 To ensur e that t he f inan ci al re sources identi fie d for tr ai ni ng and dev el opment are util is ed effectively and equitably. 7 To ensure that al l empl oy ees of th e Co unci l ha ve equali ty o f ac cess to t raining and development, in accordance with the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy, and according to their assessed development needs. 8 To establish cl ear guidance t o al l empl oy ees as to their entitlement and respo nsibilities whilst undergoing training. 9 To o utline the re so ur ce r equiremen ts to meet the Council’s tr aining and development needs. 10 To e nsure t hat all traini ng u nde rtaken by employ ees is o f an acc ept abl e an d requi red standard. Explanation of Objectives Commitment 1. The Council is fully committed, within financial constraints, to making available the resourc es to provide the necessary training and development opportunities to ensure that the skills and capabilities of its employees are kept up-to-date and able to fulfil their potential. The development of all employees to their maximum fulfilment is vital to the success the Council. 2. The Council accepts t he need to prov ide appropriate training for elected Members. 3. The Council will endeavour to make av ailable to all employees the appropriate training and development opportunities necessary for the proper discharge of their duties in current and

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY

(Amended August 1998)

Policy Statement

Our employees are the Council’s most important asset. For our future development and progression it

is, therefore, essential to provide good quality training and development for all employees.

North Warwickshire Borough Council will aim, within available resources, to provide a variety ofdevelopment opportunities that will equip employees to meet the Authority’s current and future needs.

Policy Objectives

The key objectives of this Policy are:-

1 To confirm the Council’s commitment to training and development

2 To ensure that appropriate training and development opportunities are provided for

employees, trainees and Members to meet the overall objectives and service aims of the Councilat organisational, occupational and individual levels.

3 To ensure that the training resources are used to their full potential by establishing a clearprocess for identifying, prioritising, planning and monitoring training and development needs,actions and resources.

4 To establish clear roles and responsibilities for implementing all aspects of the Policy andachieving the stated objectives.

5 To establish a clear process for identifying and prioritising training and development needsat all levels.

6 To ensure that the financial resources identified for training and development are utilisedeffectively and equitably.

7 To ensure that all employees of the Council have equality of access to training anddevelopment, in accordance with the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy, and according to theirassessed development needs.

8 To establish clear guidance to all employees as to their entitlement and responsibilitieswhilst undergoing training.

9 To outline the resource requirements to meet the Council’s training and development

needs.

10 To ensure that all training undertaken by employees is of an acceptable and requiredstandard.

Explanation of Objectives

Commitment

1. The Council is fully committed, within financial constraints, to making available the resources toprovide the necessary training and development opportunities to ensure that the skills andcapabilities of its employees are kept up-to-date and able to fulfil their potential. Thedevelopment of all employees to their maximum fulfilment is vital to the success the Council.

2. The Council accepts the need to provide appropriate training for elected Members.

3. The Council will endeavour to make available to all employees the appropriate training anddevelopment opportunities necessary for the proper discharge of their duties in current and

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anticipated future roles.

1.4 The Council will continue in its obligation to recognise and provide equal access for allemployees to training and development opportunities.

Training and Development

1. Employee training and development needs are as follows:-

• Those which are necessary for the employee to be able to do their job

accurately, efficiently and effectively.

• Those which are necessary for the employee to achieve their agreedpersonal targets.

• Those which are required for the employee to keep up-to-date withlegislation, new technology, changing standards, practices and policies.

• Those which will enable the employee to continue to improve their jobperformance.

Those which will prepare the employee for future roles and responsibilities,in the interests of the Council.

• Those which will enable employees to gain a professional qualification.

• Training for Trainees.

1. Member training and development requirements are:-

• Induction.

• Those which are needed to keep councillors up to date with new legislation,

changing policies and procedures.

• Those which will enable individual councillors to undertake specific dutiesand responsibilities.

1. The formal analysis of training needs at a corporate level is vital to the success of the Trainingand Development Policy. To ensure that this is carried out, Divisional Officers will ensure theidentification of training needs at an individual and Divisional level within the overall performancemanagement appraisal system. Divisional Officers will complete a Training Needs SummaryForm for their Division and forward this to the Training and Safety Officer.

2. The Training and Safety Officer will meet with each Divisional Officer and Management Team to

discuss and agree the identified training needs in accordance with the training needs process(see appendix A ).The Training and Safety Officer will then prepare draft budget allocations forapproval by Management Team and a Training Strategy based upon the identified trainingneeds, corporate objectives and initiatives and budgetary provision. Following approval theTraining Strategy and the budgetary allocations will be communicated to all Divisions.

3. A annual training programme of in-house training activities will be produced by the Training andSafety Officer.

.

4. All training and development activities provided for employees and Members will be consistentwith, and support, the Council’s Corporate Strategy and service policies.

5. The implications for training and development will be recognised in, and by, future strategic plansand policies.

6. The development, co-ordination and responsibility for the analysis and provision of appropriate

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training and development activities will be carried out by the Training and Safety Officer inconsultation with the Head of Personnel and Management Services, who will have overallresponsibility for the training and development function.

2.9 The Training and Safety Officer will evaluate all training activities in accordance with theevaluation process (see appendix B ).

 

Training Priorities

The Council recognises that, although all development will need to be prioritised, there are specificareas that will automatically assume priority status. These are as follows:-

1. Induction training will ensure that all new employees and councillors are provided with thenecessary information and awareness of the Council’s internal and external relationships and willbe aware of health and safety practices, policies and procedures.

2. Emphasis will be given to training and development that is related to continual improvement inthe quality or performance of services and products and the achievement of corporate objectivesand initiatives e.g. management development, quality initiative training.

3. Professional skills where:

• The Council has statutory obligations

• They are essential to the maintenance and improvement of service standards

• They are necessary to maintain income

• They will enable employees to meet their responsibilities in completing continuousprofessional development required by their institutes or professional bodies

1. Management development programmes that are applicable to identified individual and strategicneeds.

2. Health and safety training that will enable individuals and the Council to meet its legalobligations.

3. Communication skills training that will promote the culture of a well informed and knowledgeableworkforce i.e. briefing skills, meeting skills, plain English.

4. Training and education in the current and future use of information technology.

RESOURCES

The Council will always match its Training Strategy to the resources available. In doing

so the following will be taken into account

1. North Warwickshire employs approximately 580 employees and there are 34 Councillors

2. Adequate and appropriate training and development is an investment in people which theCouncil recognises as essential for the achievement of its aims and objectives.

3. Direct training and development costs arise from the following areas

• Course fees

• Employment of external training providers

• Hire of external facilities

• Training materials

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• Travel and subsistence

1. Indirect training and development costs are employees’ salaries and wages and the effects onservices of employee absences whilst attending or receiving the training.

 

1. Training resources will be allocated on the following basis:

• Relationship of the training activity to the individual or Divisional trainingplan, which itself is derived from the performance management appraisalsystem

• Training activity cost, location and demand

• The training priority list

• Training history of the applicant

• Financial and manpower resources available

1. Wherever possible courses will be run in-house or at local venues.

2. Requests for training must always be submitted to the Training and Safety Officer prior to acourse booking being made. Failure to do so may result in training resources not being allocatedto that training activity.

3. Requests for training will be considered on the points outlined in 4.5

Key Responsibilities

This section describes the roles and responsibilities of all those employees involved in the training anddevelopment process.

5.1 Management

The responsibility for training and development rests with management. Directors,Divisional Officers and managers and are responsible for the following:-

• Ensuring that employees have the appropriate skills to perform their jobs tothe relevant standards

• Ensuring that all new employees successfully complete the induction planner(when implemented ).

As part of the appraisal system, jointly agreeing training needs with theiremployees

• Ensuring that employees know why they will be attending a particulartraining or development event before it takes place.

• Evaluating the impact that any training has on job performance

• Ensuring, so far as is practicable, that all proposed training and developmentactivities contribute towards improving the performance of their Division,section or employee

• Ensuring that all employees receive the correct level of health and safetytraining.

2. Employees

Responsibilities include:

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• Recognising that training and development activities represent a financialinvestment by the Borough Council

• Recognising that the objective of a training activity is to improve jobperformance on an individual and Council-wide basis.

• Recognising that training and development opportunities increase individualflexibility, increase individual market value and contribute to the developmentof the Council.

• Completing and returning all evaluation questionnaires to the Training andSafety Officer.

3. Training and Safety Officer

The Training and Safety Officer is responsible to the Head of Personnel and ManagementServices for providing professional expertise in the management and provision of training anddevelopment activities, and in particular for the day to day management of the Council’s trainingfunction.

(amended August 1998)

Specific responsibilities include:

• Prioritising training and development

• Development of a Corporate Training Strategy

• Communication of the Corporate Training Strategy

• Monitoring and control of the central training budget

• Advising on the appointment of relevant management consultants

• Advising and guiding managers and employees on staff developmentactivities

• Developing and managing the internal training programme

• Advising on and promoting a range of staff development activities

• Advising on, and co-ordinating external training and development activities

• Managing the Post Entry Training Scheme

Evaluating all training and development activities

4. Personnel Administration

Personnel will provide all the operational systems relating to the training and development function, inthat it will:

• Carry out all training and development bookings in line with Council policy

• Co-ordinate the booking of training rooms

• Operate the computerised training system

• Co-ordinate all training correspondence

• Manage the training catering function

• Co-ordinate the evaluation process

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6.1 Provision of Training

Career Development/Qualification Training

The Council will support employees who wish to pursue qualifications provided that:

• The qualification relates to their existing or potential job role

• The qualification cannot be provided internally

• The qualification is accredited with a national accreditation body

• Where applicable, the qualification has been awarded with a

national vocational qualification level

• The training does not compromise the Council’s ability to provide services

• The Post Entry Training Scheme has been adhered to (please refer to thePost Entry Training Scheme Handbook)

6.2 Externally Provided or Continual Professional Development Short Courses

The Council will support employees in attending externally provided or continualprofessional development courses provided that:

• It can be demonstrated that the course has direct relevance to the corporateobjectives of the Authority and the individual’s training and development plan

• The course cannot be provided in-house

• The full costs of attendance are established i.e. course fees, accommodationand transportation costs

6.3 Internally Provided Short Courses

The Council provides a wide range of internal courses/seminars.

These courses/seminars are provided in response to demand generated by Divisional andCorporate Training Strategies

Employees will be supported provided that they can show that such training is included intheir training plan or they can demonstrate to their manager that attendance will improve their jobperformance.

 7 Quality of Training

The Council recognises the substantial investment which it is making in the training anddevelopment of its employees, and seeks to ensure that the training which its employees receiveis of the highest standard.

The Training and Safety Officer will be notified by Divisional Officers of any requests fortraining and development and will, after agreement, monitor this development to ensure that ahigh standard is achieved and that all needs have been met. This will be achieved by randommonitoring, evaluation interviews, evaluation questionnaires and appraisal and college reports.

Divisional Officers should always discuss any training requirements and programmes inadvance with the Training and Safety Officer, who will then advise on the appropriateness andavailability of any preferred training solutions.

All training must be provided in accordance with the provisions of the Council’s Equal

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Opportunities Policy.

Conclusion

This policy aims to provide a framework in which training needs can be identified and met in a prioritisedand cost effective way. The success of the policy depends upon the commitment and co-operation ofthe Chief Executive, Directors, Divisional Officers, Managers, Supervisors and employees at all levelsworking together to create a learning environment at work which ensures that the Council has a skilledand motivated workforce, providing a high quality service to the residents of North Warwickshire.

APPENDIX A

 

TRAINING NEEDS PROCESS

 

All Divisional Officers and Management Team should complete the Training Needs Summary Formupon conclusion of all appraisals within their Divisions or Directorates.

 

1 The Training Needs Summary Form establishes a basis for a meeting between theTraining and Safety Officer and the Divisional Officer/ Director, the purpose of which is to identifyin detail the training and development needs of the Division/ Directorate. Areas to be covered willinclude:-

• Employees individual needs and the reasons why a particular training or development activityhas been selected. It will be at this point that advice can be given on available training anddevelopment opportunities.

• The priority ratings of the Division against the priority rating of the Council’s proposed Training

Plan.

• Training budgets

• Proposed Training Plan for the Division

2 Once all Divisional Officers and Management Team have met with the Training andSafety Officer a corporate Training Strategy will be drawn up. The Strategy will bebased upon training needs identified in the Corporate Plan and the training needsidentified within the appraisal system itself. The Strategy will be submitted toManagement Team for approval by August each year.

3 Once the corporate training strategy has been agreed, each Division will receive itsDivisional Training Plan. Other training parties will receive a copy of DivisionalTraining Plans and will liase with the Training and Safety Officer on these points. BySeptember of each year.

4 The Training and Safety Officer will develop and implement an in-house trainingprogramme that will be circulated to all employees by October of each year.

5 The Training and Safety Officer will review the Training Strategy after the 6 monthlyappraisal reviews .

 APPENDIX B

 

TRAINING EVALUATION

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Training evaluation is an essential part of the learning process. Not only is it key to checking that thelearning event has achieved the set objectives, but it ensures that all development activities support thecorporate objectives. Evaluation looks at the total value of a learning event, not just at whether and howfar it has achieved it’s learning objectives. It thereby puts the event in it’s wider context, and providesinformation essential to future planning.

EVALUATION PROCESS

Justification of Training

When an employee is nominated for any learning activity a number of considerations arise inconnection with the justification for training. It is necessary to ensure that:

• the corporate/ Divisional objective is clearly identified

• the current and required levels of performance at all levels are assessed to identify the gap

• alternative methods of bridging the gap are investigated

• a method and timescale for assessing performance can be determined after the learning activityis established

• any other details, e.g. preferences for timing of delivery and training methods are specified.

If the booking and monitoring of all development activities are a central function then evaluation of thisstage will be made more effective and can be carried out directly by the Training and Safety Officer.This justification for training is in accordance with the Council’s Training Policy.

Pre Training Brief

Before any training intervention the employee needs to be briefed by his or her manager to ensure that:

• the training objectives are agreed and understood

• the employee clearly understands why he or she is undertaking the training and what he or shewants and is expected to achieve

• the employee understands how the learning event relates to their training plan

• agreement is made on how the learning will be put into practice on return to the workplace

• any problems are identified that may affect the employee’s ability to put the learning into practice

A form will be produced that will form the basis of these briefings.

The use and effectiveness of the pre training brief will be monitored by the Training and Safety Officerby way of random checking and post course questionnaires.

Post Training Evaluation

Evaluation is carried out at three points in the process.

1 Immediately following the training, with a course evaluation questionnaire. Thequestionnaire will be distributed and analysed by the Training and Safety Officer.

2 Following the training a meeting will be arranged between the employee and the managerto discuss:

a) the employees reaction to the training

b) whether or not the training met the pre-determined objectives

c) any particular training needs not met and any action that is required to aidthe transf of learning to the workplace.

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3. At the next appropriate appraisal.

 

Process for Analysing Information

Quarterly training evaluation forms should be submitted by managers to the Training and Safety Officerwho will use the reports and other evaluation methods to produce an annual training evaluation report,that will be used to aid the review of the Corporate Training Strategy.

The evaluation report will cover the following areas:

• A review the effectiveness of all learning events

• Identification of lessons to be learnt for futuretraining and development events

• A justification of training expenditure

• A demonstration of the effectiveness of training and development as an organisational tool and inachieving Divisional and corporate goals.

• The foundations for the next corporate training strategy.

 

QUARTERLY TRAINING EVALUATION FORM

PERIOD: From: To: DIVISION

Training/ developmentactivity

Manager’scomments onimpact of training onindividual/team/ 

divisional objectives

Further actions, if any By whom By when

 

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NORTH WARWICKSHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL

TRAINING EVALUATION FORM

PERSONAL DETAILS

NAME

 

JOB TITLE

 

DIVISION

 

COURSETITLE

 

DATE

 

VENUE

TRAINER

 

PRE COURSE PREPARATION

 

DID YOU RECEIVE A PRECOURSE BRIEFING FROM YOURMANAGER. PLEASE COMMENT

YES / NO

 

COMMENTS

 COURSE ADMINISTRATION AND VENUE

Please rate the following aspects by circling the relevant number using the scale below.

WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL VIEW OF

 

COURSE ADMINISTRATION

 

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

COURSE VENUE 1

2

3 4 5

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION( if applicable)

 

1

2 3 4 5

CATERING

1

2 3 4 5

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ANY FURTHER COMMENTS

 

1-VERY POOR

2-POOR

3-SATISFACTORY

4-GOOD

5-VERY GOOD

CONTENT

PLEASE COMMENT ON THE COURSE IN RELATION TO YOUR OBJECTIVES

 

CONTENT

1

2

3 4 5

RELEVANCE

1

2 3 4 5

USEFULNESS

1

2 3 4

5

 

PRESENTATION

PLEASE GIVE YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF

 

CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BYTHE TRAINER

 

1

2 3 4 5

USE OF VISUAL AIDS

1

2 3 4 5

TIME SPENT ON SUBJECTSCOVERED

 

1

2 3 4 5

LENGTH OF THE COURSE

1

2 3 4 5

COURSE DOCUMENTATION

1

2 3 4 5

 

PLEASE COMMENT ON

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OVERALL RATING OF THECOURSE IN RELATION TOYOUR OBJECTIVES AND THECOURSE OBJECTIVES

 

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

Any other comments ______________________________________________________ 

 ________________________________________________________________________ 

1-VERY POOR

2-POOR

3-SATISFACTORY

4-GOOD

5-VERY GOOD

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO THE TRAINING AND SAFETY OFFICER S28