How to ask your boss about company-paid training and development

In the current job market, employers are exploring various ways to keep their staff and ensure they have the skills necessary to undertake their roles. Employees are also looking at what benefits they can receive from their employer and for many, skills development is key. In fact, a 2022 survey of employers and employees by recruitment agency, Hays has found that when considering a new role, 57% of employees look for training and 53% want ongoing learning and development.

Given the skills shortage at the moment, now is the perfect time to talk to your boss about company-paid training and development. Here are Skillset’s tips for having this conversation:

Do your research and develop a business case

Before you have a discussion with your boss, make sure you do your research. Find out as much as you can about the training or course you would like to do, including the price, learning outcomes and training/course schedule. Also, if you need to take time out of the workplace to complete the training, your boss will want to know details, such as how long the course is and how this can be managed with your work commitments. As a result, consider the impacts that undertaking the course will have on your work and co-workers, and as part of your pitch, suggest potential workarounds.

Importantly, your pitch should establish why the business should pay for the training and education. This could be one factor or a number of factors, however these all need to point to the benefits for the business. The benefits could include:

• Filling a skills gap in the business
• Increasing your role’s efficiency and productivity
• Saving money for the business
• Improving the quality of your work
• Taking on more responsibility in your role
• Passing on knowledge and skills learned to co-workers.

To support your argument, provide examples and/or strong evidence for how the training and education will achieve these benefits. This will make it easy for your boss to understand the link between you doing the course and why the business should pay for it.

Consider concessions you can make

To help your boss with the decision, think about some concessions you can make to ensure it is a win-win situation for you and your employer. This could include:

• Agreeing to pay for some of the course yourself
• Undertaking the training on weekends or after work
• Being flexible with your work schedule to accommodate the training.

Understandably, some employers can be apprehensive about investing in employee training due to concerns that staff will leave after learning new skills paid for by the company. These concerns are heightened in the current skills shortage as poaching workers from other businesses becomes a common recruitment strategy. Given this, consider agreeing to some kind of arrangement where you will stay with the employer for a certain amount of time after completing the training and education. This could include accepting to reimburse the company if you don’t stay at the employer for the agreed period of time.

Pick the right time to have the discussion

To ensure your pitch is as successful as possible, make sure you choose an appropriate time to discuss your training and education plans with your boss.

Send them an email in the first instance and ask them if you can schedule a time for a chat. Once you secure some time with them, make sure you clearly present your training and education plans, including the benefits for the business. To help your boss consider your pitch, hand over any brochures or website details on the course. Crucially, give your boss the opportunity to ask questions about the course, as well as time to consider your proposal.

Keep trying

If your boss decides against paying for the training and development, stay positive and if you can, persevere.

Ask your boss if there is a possibility the business would consider paying for this training and development in the future and if so, what time period needs to lapse, or what milestones need to be achieved, before this could be considered?

Maybe the company needs to finish a particular project or meet a budget target before committing to your training course? Or maybe there is a task or project you could collectively agree to achieve within a certain time period in order to undertake this company-paid training?

Even though it may be daunting, it is worth having the conversation. If you are a valued employee, your boss will consider your business case and passion, and be supportive of your training and development goals.