TRAINING what does it mean?

Undoubtedly, the condition of the training market in most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe has been influenced by the accession to the European Union. Numerous programs as well as European Union funds intensified training activities, opened up completely new perspectives, and, at the same time, allowed the equalization of access to knowledge and skills with what, for years, has operated in the Western world.

 The dynamics of the training market

It is obvious that the training market cannot remain passive and indifferent to the needs of the customers, and that is why its dynamic transformation has been observed in recent years. In the wake of this, the growing expectations of employees and employers make the training offer, presented by commercial suppliers available on the market, subject to constant changes, both in terms of the approach to the topic as well as the tools used. What delighted us right after the economic changes in Poland, does not, to any extent, respond to the current market requirements.

The classic training model, based on standardized materials and content, providing traditional qualifications, was definitely ousted by the modern formula of development of specialized skills.

The innovative potential of modern organizations, their ability to survive in a competitive market as well as a strong current position, and the particular vision of the future are evidenced by the quality of human capital and knowledge. The use of effective and efficient methods of improving the skills of the teams is one of the most important elements in building the business strategies of present businesses. What can undoubtedly be called a milestone is a skillful creation of attitudes of employees with the use of methods adjusted to the nature of the organization. Thus, not only the particular resource of information, necessary issues, and solutions, but also a real impact on changing the behavior has the essential value.

 The approach to training needs

The observations of the current training needs in Romania show that training in terms of expertise, customer service, and sales techniques as well as IT skills are of the greatest interest to employers.

At the same time, with the economic recovery and growth in business awareness, a vision of the modern manager is also subject to transformation. And these management competencies, related to conducting teams, are of vital importance today.

We cannot forget about the specifics of the mentality of the young generation of employees. An individualized approach to the expectations of training recipients is becoming increasingly popular. We meet with such concepts as talent management, individual development paths, and personalized career planning every day. This means that, apart from the training prepared for groups or teams, we must include training dedicated to individuals. Especially for those extremely ambitious, having high expectations, but also extremely valuable to the organization.

 Coaching – individual approach to an employee

Here we come to the next, more and more dynamically developing area, which is coaching.

Once available only to the selected, implemented almost exclusively for the top executives. Today, it is increasingly used not only for personal development purposes but also in order to build a common experience among people, who share common business goals. Team Coaching, however, does not mean the development of a uniform solution for all team members, because an individual approach to each of them is fundamental. This method of improving skills is becoming more and more popular among sponsors of training programs.

In addition, new generations entering the market constitute of real challenge both for employers and for the training companies. Specific expectations, previous experience, and universal access to knowledge clearly raised the requirements for the training offer. In addition, we shall remember that the need to adapt methods and tools for galloping technological progress is daily bread for training companies.

The classic work of the group with the coach is not enough. At the same time, the coaches have to reckon with the fact that their knowledge and the information provided online shall be inspected and checked on a regular basis during training.

 Key elements of the training process

On the one hand, there is a growing awareness of corporate decision-makers about the vital importance of the intellectual capital of the organization. On the other hand, the organization and execution of the training may not be enough. What matters is the efficiency, the real impact of training on the improvement of the company’s financial results. For the coaches, it means that in addition to the wide range of training, they must be prepared for ongoing analysis of the effectiveness of their work. Thus, training ceased to be a benefit in itself, part of an employee benefits package, or an attractive feature of the employer. As part of the training policy in the company, a commitment of all parties involved is built in order to ensure the return on investment in training and achieve an actual impact on the performance of trainees and, at the same time, on the performance of the company.

The training market is changing and evolving rapidly. This is due to the need for constant adaptation of the offer to the expectations set by the partners and the business environment. Thus competitiveness is increasing, which directly affects the quality of training services.