Training and development - OCRStaff development

By providing opportunities to gain new skills over time, businesses invest in the development of their staff. The aim is that, as with any investment, the business will benefit from the improved performance of staff in the long term.

Common methods of staff development include professional development programmes and apprenticeships.

Professional development programmes

A professional development programme is a planned sequence of learning activities carried out over time. It is common for these programmes to lead to a recognised academic or vocational qualification.

Academic qualifications involve gaining theoretical knowledge about a general subject area. Learning usually takes place away from the workplace, in a school, college or university. Examples include A-levels, degrees and master’s degrees.

Vocational qualifications involve gaining practical, technical skills that are directly related to a particular occupation. They may be delivered through professional bodies, including chartered institutes, which may accredit the worker and award the qualification.

Apprenticeships

Many businesses offer apprenticeships as a way of giving employees the skills to do a particular job. Apprenticeships are a government-recognised scheme that uses a mixture of on-the-job and off-the-job training and study towards academic qualifications to develop workers’ knowledge and skills.

As an employee of the business, an apprentice must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for apprentices and will work alongside other employees. However, they are required to spend 20 per cent of their working time (equivalent to one day per week) on study-related activities, often at college.