Summer holidays 'best time to address staff training needs'

With the school holidays fast approaching, businesses in the UK should begin assessing their employees' educational needs ahead of the new academic year.

There are plenty of innovative and practical courses offered by the nation's universities and colleges - as well as specialist providers like Virtual College - that workers from a range of industries would benefit from enrolling in, so it is crucial that companies work out sooner rather than later what learning they should be organising for their staff, the Sevenoaks Chronicle reports.

Lots of training can be done part-time and using e-learning systems, so managers can be sure they won't see their workflow interrupted by employees' studies.

What's more, if they plan in advance, organisations will be able to get their workers places on courses most relevant to their needs, so by the end of the training they'll have staff equipped with the skills required to help the firm thrive.

According to the news provider, "employers can benefit from a member of staff who will be far more committed to the business and who will be able to share the knowledge and experience they gain, ultimately impacting the business's bottom line".

In turn, the employees will feel more valued and respected and this is likely to improve retention rates across the firm. Knowing that they're working towards an accredited qualification will boost morale and help employees to develop their careers.

Companies that want as much flexibility as possible when it comes to training their workers should opt for distance learning courses, as staff can access these from wherever they like and out of office hours.

During the summer vacation, this method of training is sure to be particularly popular as it allows working parents to spend time with their kids while they're off school and still get their studying done. 

It beats them being stuck in a stuffy training room all day - where they're guaranteed to feel lethargic and unmotivated - and instead gives them the freedom of deciding when and where they will work.