The Importance of Professional Development Programs
There have been recent articles which share that the millennial employees have to upskill themselves many times in their entire career span. We live in times of rapid change and development, the flipside of which is that skills that were much in demand some years ago soon start becoming redundant. To keep up pace with the changing world and remain employable as well, one needs to remain updated. This can be done through online professional certificate programs which allow you to pursue your developmental learning while in your job.
Here are some reasons why such programs are very important.
- Increases your self-confidence along with the skills – When you see the new workforce entering your organization each day, with a brand new set of skills, it can be unnerving. You might be constantly worried about when your own skills will become redundant and the organization might not need your services. However professional development programs give you the self-confidence to realize that learning new skills is not a challenge. It is an opportunity and should be explored. They also give you a new lease of confidence about being able to remain relevant.
- Increases your chances of career growth – All organizations are constantly focused on the crucial task of talent identification and then grooming them for succession planning. When you undertake such a program, you are increasing your chances of career growth and movement into bigger roles within or even outside your current organization. This is because you are not only learning new skills that are needed for the business, but also demonstrating the intent to learn and move ahead. The latter is a much needed quality in today’s times.
- Provides higher credibility – Professional development courses and certifications provide a high degree of credibility. There are many new skills that you acquire while you are on the job. For example , you may receive the opportunity to manage a project, and that helps you learn some crucial skills related to it. But if you undergo a course for Project Management, it will not only give you comprehensive insights into the concepts and fundamentals, but also add credibility to your knowledge.
- Expand your horizon – Sometimes you feel stuck in a specific kind of role or work profile. You want to do more with your career and yet it seems difficult. One of the biggest ways to make the change is by learning new areas that you want to work in or try working in, through professional development programs. Those can help you to make the kind of shift that can expand your horizon of work experience and probably re-energize you too.
- It can lead to higher engagement – As an organization or a people manager, one must realize how valuable it is to look at such a program for the employees and team members. Many companies have seen the kind of impact they have on the engagement levels of those who undergo it. It gives them a higher sense of self-worth as well as a greater level of belief that the organization wants to invest in them.
- It leads to closure of skill gaps – Organizations know that it is better to invest in an internal employee who can be re-skilled or up-skilled rather than hiring a new one. This closure of existing skill gaps to bring the employees more in line with current business needs is met by the professional development programs. So this is a viable option for most organizations, because it also works for employees who are working remotely or virtually. Alongside that, it allows them to continue working while they undergo the program and refresh their skills.
- Best way to learn – This is one of the best ways to learn particularly for the younger workforce. They tend to find classroom learning restrictive and theoretical. Online professional development programs give them the freedom and also the onus to pursue their own learning, at their own pace. They are able to focus on taking responsibility for how and when they learn the skills and knowledge. Absorption of learning is also usually higher through this approach, given how technology savvy the current workforce is.
- It has a faster impact on business performance – When a person is learning and working along with that, it is likely that he or she will face situations that require them to apply their learning right away. Such direct application allows them to see how the learning is linked to their work and roles. This in turn results in a higher impact on business performance , which is what the purpose of the whole program is.
These are just a few things that make professional development programs important. Therefore it is good to understand that these programs are great for individuals as well as the organizations that they are part of. Both stand to gain when the person undergoes such programs and there are a range of benefits that are directly linked to both their performances.
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