Many companies have taken advantage of the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and are asking us for ways to keep their employees engaged whilst on furlough. With staff not working, there is a huge opportunity for training and upskilling and the Government is encouraging organisations to do this.
Government guidance is that: “Furloughed employees can engage in training as long as, in undertaking the training, the employee does not provide services to, or generate revenue for, or on behalf of their organisation. Furloughed employees should be encouraged to undertake training.”
Employers can take this opportunity to support furloughed employees in a personal development capacity. Encourage your employees to think about skills they wish to develop or learn and invest the time and money to making the most of this opportunity.
Many line managers and colleagues have regular discussions concerning personal development and training. However, because of commercial pressures, it’s often a struggle to take time away from work, meaning that learning and development aspirations are not always being reached.
This is the time for employees to discover the power of learning new skills to enhance their capabilities and adapt to changes. Upskilling and training gives employees resilience, not just the ability to bounce back, but also capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances. Upskilling also gives employees the opportunity to realise a growth and development mind-set.
Another positive to upskilling during furlough is the fact that the vast majority of training and development work can be done online. You don’t need to worry about travel and hotel expenses for conferences in London or Manchester; employees can do these courses from their own home. There are a number of websites offering courses, but be aware that some are not verifiable or accredited.
New Skills Academy
To make it even easier for you, we’ve teamed up with the New Skills Academy to offer a huge 84% discount on their courses. There are over 750 courses to choose from, all with a verifiable qualification with options to suit any organisation such as:
· Level 2 Diploma in Human Resources
· Level 2 & 3 Customer Services Diploma
· Combined HR & Payroll Diploma
· Microsoft Excel for Beginners Certificate
· Digital Marketing Diploma
· Managing People Certificate
Each of our courses are fully accredited and approved by CPD and/or IAO for your peace of mind.
Offer coupon code: GLURECRUIT
This year has been tough on everybody, but encouraging your workforce to undertake professional development is not only a positive action for your business, but it also puts some control and resilience back into your teams.
If you need help and advice on employee retention strategies our team are always on hand. Contact us on 0114 321 1873 or hello@glurecruit.co.uk for more information.