How Should You Ask Your Employer for Education Funding?

For some of us, we feel that extra knowledge and training will allow us to bring more to our role. However, it’s common for us to not ask our employer for education funding. Perhaps it’s because we see it as being an inappropriate request, or because you think your employer will baulk at the idea.  they believe that this is an inappropriate question to ask, or they don’t think that their employer would agree. In reality, if you’re an employee who has been invested in by your place of work, you’ll often have a higher well-being and by more productive, which would bring more to your company. 

If you’re are looking to carry out training, there are certain tips to remember when you decide to approach an employer to ask them for training. Members of the Newcastle College adult learning department give us their advice:

Research the training options

First and foremost, you must carry out research into the specific education area that you’re looking to go into so that you can explain why it’s beneficial when you approach your employer. With many training and education providers, you’ll find that there are a range of courses and options available. From night courses to part-time degrees, to higher apprenticeships, you can find a course that will fit nicely around your work/life balance. 

Don’t be in the mindset that university is your only option to gain higher qualifications and increase your skill set. Speak to your local college and visit their website to see what they have to offer — it’s likely that they run a course related to your field or around a topic that you’re interested in.

Demonstrate the flexibility of the training

If your employer believes that you can undergo training without hindering your current work performance, then they’ll be more likely to be on board. Again, this is all about doing your research and demonstrating to your boss that there are flexible courses out there – designed for workers like you! 

You can be assessed on the job to receive your qualification in many courses. This means that you wouldn’t be sacrificing any working hours for exams and your ability to complete tasks at work shouldn’t be affected. You can ask your local college for a detailed list of modules and methods of assessment for the course you’d like to apply for. 

Explaining the benefits to you and the business

Of course, training brings a host of benefits to both you and the business. 

Perhaps you can fill a knowledge gap in the company via your training. This is knowledge you can share with your colleagues. It’s also possible that after your training, you could be bringing in financial benefits for the business, for example if it means they don’t have to employ somebody else to fill a role or an external company to pick up that area of work. Think about what your new qualification could allow you to do and present this to your employer when asking the question. 

It’s important to know your employees are happy and content if you run a business. Let your employer know what this training would mean for you. Will it make you feel more confident in your role? Or, more valued and empowered? If so, express these feelings to your boss. 

Give them all the information upfront

Be sure to present all relevant information to your employer. This allows them to fully review all the information at a later date and saves them from doing in-depth research themselves. This could include; module overviews, assessment methods, course testimonials and information about websites or open days so that they can find out more if they want to.

In most cases, you’ll need to commit a large chunk of personal time to complete a course. This is especially the case if your employer isn’t able to give you time away from the workplace. Make sure your employer knows the sacrifices you are willing to make to improve your performance at work.

So, as you can see, you do have options in how to approach your employer about funding. Don’t be afraid to ask the question — you and your employer can both enjoy the many benefits.