When was the last time you took a training course or learned something new that you could apply to your job? I know budgets are tight and companies are not sending their employees for training, they are not even allowing them to have training internally since we all know that the first cut to be made is the T&D budget. Yet employees still need and want to grow in their professions.
E-learning or electronic learning has taken the place of many campus taught courses and thank goodness employees at least have somewhere to go to keep their saws sharp. However, companies are not always producing content fast enough or updated enough to satisfy the needs of the employees.
Since most people use the internet to search for knowledge, I thought I would do an inquiry about learning. I found the following free web sites that provide training. There are more where these came from, but for demonstration purposes these work just fine.
Microsoft Application Training – Free
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/training-FX101782702.aspx
OSHA Training – Free
Computer Training Courses – Free
http://www.intelligentedu.com/cat1.html
I then did a search on “how to repair...” , “Learning a new…”, and “what is….”, I even tried, “where can I find information on….” and was presented with a plethora of information.
It goes without saying that we need to take control of our learning and development. In the ‘good old days’ you would ask your boss, seek information from a library book or use an encyclopedia. (When is the last time you even saw an encyclopedia?) We now have the wonderful tool called the internet. At our finger tips is a wealth of information just waiting for us to click on the URL.
I am sure you already use the internet, but think of it for your training and development as well. Take a moment to do a search for skills needed in your profession and see what you find. Then set aside some time to take a training course! When you are done with the course, share the knowledge with your peers and boss at work. You will feel great knowing you are on top of your game and your peer and boss will be impressed as well.
Many of you know that I teach critical thinking skills at the undergraduate level. There is nothing like taking students through syllogisms, inductive and deductive reasoning.
that may be bothering you, but who can you go to when you need to talk to someone at work? When you are feeling down and uncertain of what steps to take next. Do you have an alliance at work that will give you honest feedback and let you vent when that is all you need? We all need to form relationships with key individuals that will offer us encouragement, push our limits, and stand by us even if we fail. The work environment should be no different. In fact, since this is where you make your living, it is just as important that you find your alliances.
