A guide to asking your employers for education funding

Further knowledge and training can help employees bring more to their job. However, it’s possible that many people think that they can’t speak to their employer and ask them for education funding. Perhaps they believe that this is an inappropriate question to ask, or they don’t think that their employer would agree. In reality, employees that have been invested in by their place of work often have a higher well-being and are more productive — bringing more to their company.

If you’re an adult wanting to carry out training, what can you do? There are certain things to remember when approaching an employer and asking them for training. Members of the Newcastle College adult learning department give us their advice:

Gathering information on the training options

Before asking your employer for more funding, make sure that you’ve done your research so that you’re well-informed. With many training and education providers, you’ll find that there are a range of courses and options available. From night courses to part-time degrees, to higher apprenticeships, you can find a course that will fit nicely around your work/life balance.

Some adults think that university is their only option if they want to further their learning, but this is far from the truth. Speak to your local college and visit their website to see what they have to offer — it’s likely that they run a course related to your field or around a topic that you’re interested in.

Training can be flexible

Of course, employers don’t want training to interfere too much with your work. Again, this is all about doing your research and demonstrating to your boss that there are flexible courses out there – designed for workers like you!

Thankfully, for many courses, assessment is done on the job. This means that you wouldn’t be sacrificing any working hours for exams and your ability to complete tasks at work shouldn’t be affected.

Speak to your college for a detailed list of modules and methods of assessment for the course you’d like to apply for.

Further education can bring a range of benefits

Investment into further education can benefit both the student and the company as a whole.

Training an employee up in a certain area could fill a knowledge gap in the company. This is knowledge you can share with your colleagues. It’s also possible that after your training, you could be bringing in financial benefits for the business, for example if it means they don’t have to employ somebody else to fill a role or an external company to pick up that area of work. Think about what your new qualification could allow you to do and present this to your employer when asking the question.

Having a happy and motivated workforce is important for many employers. Let your employer know what this training would mean for you. Will it make you feel more confident in your role? Or, more valued and empowered? If so, express these feelings to your boss.

Provide them with as much information as possible

When you ask your employer about education funding, it’s important that you bring all of the information upfront. This allows them to fully review all the information at a later date and saves them from doing in-depth research themselves.

Useful information would include: module overviews, assessment methods, course testimonials and information about websites or open days so that they can find out more if they want to.

You should understand that you may have to give up a lot of your own time to complete a course. Make sure your employer knows the sacrifices you are willing to make to improve your performance at work.

It’s clear to see that there are ways to approach your employer and ask them for funding. Don’t be afraid to ask the question — you and your employer can both enjoy the many benefits.

James is an Outreach Executive at Mediaworks Online Marketing and covers a number of clients across a wide range of business sectors, helping them to grow their online portfolios through engaging content.