Why confidence is key to the new right to request time to train
The TUC estimates that highly skilled workers are four times more likely to receive training at work than colleagues with lower skills levels. I recently likened this situation to the Biblical text that goes something like ‘To them that have shall be given, but from them that have not shall be taken away even that which they have.’ In the Bible, I believe the topic under discussion is faith or virtue, where the statement may make some sense – but in the context of training opportunities the logic is rather harder to make out.
It would be tempting to blame the short-sightedness of employers who may only see value in upping the skills of their senior staff. But I suspect some of the reason also lies in levels of individual demand – something which is likely to be higher in confident, more qualified employees with a history of successful learning experiences and the prospect of promotion and more interesting and varied work.
A shred of silver lining in the recession has been an upsurge of interest from employees at all levels of skill for training and qualifications that help proof them against redundancy. But what is needed is the means to stimulate training particularly from low skilled workers, through recession, recovery and beyond. The new right to request time to train is one such development.
On 6th April the right for individuals in employment to request time off work for training was enshrined in law. The right does not guarantee time off, but a request now triggers a formal discussion. Employees can ask for training that is job- or business-related, but can also ask for training that they expect will contribute to personal productivity or business improvement, which covers a broader range than training directly related to someone’s current role. An employer who receives such a request can accept the proposal, offer an alternative suggestion or refuse - but refusals must be backed with one of a prescribed list of ‘business reasons’, which include detrimental impacts on performance, inability to reorganise the employee’s work and belief that the training will not in fact improve performance or the employee’s effectiveness. The right applies to businesses with 250+ employees, but will extend to all businesses by next April.
The model is based on the right to request flexible working, which has been very successful, with around nine in every ten requests agreed. In the current climate, it may be harder to convince employers that giving paid time for employees to train is something that will contribute to the future of their business. But perhaps a trickier issue is ensuring employees have the confidence to ask, and that company cultures help employees feel that making such a request in the current climate demonstrates their commitment to their job and the business rather than marking them down as too demanding or highlighting gaps in their skills. Union Learning Reps and other learning champions are crucial here. They have a vital role to play in helping lower-skilled employees plan their training, building their confidence to make training requests and helping them make the case for training in ways most likely to be accepted by employers, if the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have –nots’ in training is not to blight another generation of employees.
Tricia Hartley is Chief Executive of the Campaign for Learning
May 2010
