Debunking common myths about corporate training

Did you know that organizations that train and value employees are shown to be more productive and satisfying places to work? That’s good news for organizations that are investing in continuing education and looking to attract strong, diverse talent; but bad news for companies that let myths about corporate training stop them from pursuing valuable opportunities for employee growth.  

NWTC’s Corporate Training & Economic Development (CTED) department is dedicated to helping our region’s industries succeed. Whether you need training for leadership skills like strategic planning and communication, or technical skills like welding, CNC machining, or CDL driving, CTED has you covered. But more than just a training partner, CTED also offers professional consulting services, helping organizations solve problems by providing solutions to grow business and compete in the marketplace.  

Let’s look at some of the myths that prevent organizations from pursuing training: 

• If a company invests in employees, they will take those new skills and use them to find work elsewhere. False! Training incumbent workers helps an organization retain its workforce. Companies are often worried that if they invest in employees, they will leave and move on to the company down the street. In reality, the opposite usually happens -- the company improves its retention. Employees feel valued, and they appreciate their company taking time and resources to invest in them. By the end of training, most learners walk away with more knowledge, skills, and loyalty than they started with, according to NWTC’s pre-and post-training assessments. 

• NWTC only trains technical skills. That’s partially true. Yes, CTED does train technical skills, but it also provides training for leadership, communication, strategy, succession planning, and more! CTED also does consulting, leveraging decades of industry experience to help organizations find unique solutions to their problems. 

• I work at a small company or startup, and professional development is only for big companies. False. Training to advance employee knowledge and growth is valuable for any size company or organization. CTED works with employers, nonprofits, startups, and other organizations of all sizes. If your company wants training, NWTC can help find a customized solution that fits your business needs – regardless of the size of your organization. All organizations can benefit from cultivating a culture of life-long learning and improvement.  

• Our HR doesn’t have time to create training programs, and employees don’t have time to engage in taking them. Training takes employees away from work. If you are worried about investing resources to create a training course, you don’t have to do it alone. Working with NWTC’s Corporate Training & Economic Development department can take a lot of the headaches out of the planning process and make the implementation of a customized training plan easy. If you are worried about lost production time due to employee participation, CTED’s data shows that job-related training improves efficiency and employee satisfaction, which usually makes up for any downtime caused by attendance. Reframing the question also helps. Instead of thinking about it as “time lost,” thinking about training as “an investment” in the future of your organization might make it easier to justify decreased production speeds during training. 

• Training is only necessary for new hires. False. It is beneficial to offer ongoing training to all employees, in varying capacities. High-quality training programs are great ways to improve workplace satisfaction, increase the skill set of employees, and implement new programs. Yes, new hire training is essential to create a smooth onboarding process, but ongoing training will help all employees reach their potential. When employees can continue to learn and grow, they are more likely to stay with an organization.  

It shouldn’t be a question of whether to provide workforce training, but when and on what subjects. Don’t let myths about employee training prevent you from taking the necessary steps to train and retain your workforce. Looking for help starting new training or solving your business problems? Contact NWTC’s Corporate Training & Economic Development department via email at corporatetraining@nwtc.edu or phone 920-498-6373, and let our experts help you better serve your organization’s needs.