IT budgeting and spending is a balancing act between needs and wants, even in a strong economy. When it comes down to dollars and cents, the decision must sometimes be made to invest in one area over another. As a result, a critical area like IT training can suffer and go by the wayside.
IT departments remain on the lookout for ways to do more with less – fewer people, fewer resources, less money. That’s why learning how to stretch the training budget as far as possible can pay significant dividends. A recent CIO article outlines the following six ways to do just that [summarized]:
1. Partner with Employees: Split Training Costs
If an organization can get its employees to buy into training and career development, they can literally double their dollars when costs get split 50-50.
2. Negotiate Discounts to Control Costs
Invest in online or classroom training. You’ll get a better bang from your budget if you negotiate a “group rate” of sorts to cover some or all of your training needs.
3. Purchase Key Items in Bulk
If you have a group of staff that needs to complete certification exams, purchase training and exam bundles at a discount.
4. Assemble Employee Study Groups and Resources
Added supports for employees either involved in training or preparing for certification can help organizations realize better results from training investments.
5. Provide Recognition and Rewards to Those Who Succeed
Recognition provides added impetus for employees to finish what they start and shows them that you value the time and effort they must expend in pursuing training and certification.
6. Ask for Ideas and Suggestions, Then Act Upon Them
Ask employees to weigh in on how you can maximize the return on training and certification. You may be surprised by the quality and quantity of resulting feedback.
For more information on ways to maximize IT training budgets, read the full CIO article.
