What's the good way to ask for your employer to pay for your training?

Question

I am a permanent employee in local government. I'm not a contractor. I am interested in training that will cost $2500. My government is small and stingy. They talk about things being expensive often. I feel like I would be asking for something that may be too expensive for them, however the girl in HR says I can just talk to my director or supervisor.
Now, can asking for training assistance do any harm in my relationship with my employer in case they decline?

Answer 1

If this is training that will help you with your job, then I would ask. The worst that could happen is your boss would say no. But you've let your intentions be known and perhaps they'll put it in the budget for next year. Or better yet, when year end comes, often government departments find they have a bit of surplus and are looking for ways to spend it. If they know about your request, then they may approve it closer to year end.

I recommend you do some planning for this talk with your boss. Sit down and honestly assess how this training will benefit the organization. Will it make you more productive, more knowledgable, improve your skills or abilities in some area? And how will this improvement translate to better performance organizationally?

Always keep your organization's best interest in heart when you think about this training. Sell the benefits.

The best time for bringing this up (not the only time, but it may have the most impact) is when your boss is giving you a performance review. During the performance review, there's always a section on future training of staff. It is either intended to address your current shortcoming; or deal with your potential for advancement.

When you do approach your boss, make sure you have all your homework done:
- the course
- when, where (evening, weekend, work hours)
- type of support you'll need from organization (time off to study, textbooks, etc etc)
- lastly the tuition fees

In my opinion, it is best to clearly state just how much you enjoy working there. Also emphasis that you see a long and productive career with the organization. This will help your boss to understand that you will not leave them soon after they have invested heavily in you.

Then talk about how this training will make you a better employee now; or prepare you to take on more responsibilities later.

Good luck, have fun.

Answer 2

Your boss main concern is: How can this $2500 training help improve the organization? What can it do it make you a better employee? What can this training do to improve the bottomline.

Before going to your boss, make a list of what benefits you can derive from this training. In what way can this training help you? And what assurances can you give your boss that you will indeed apply the training to improve your job?

Approach your boss by saying you have an idea on how to improve the process around your organization. Then enumerate the benefits that this training can give you.

Show to your boss that you want to contribute more to the organization, and getting this training can help prepare you get to the next stage through increased knowledge and awareness

Answer 3

It should not do any harm to your business relationship to ask for training - provided the training will help you do your current job better. If you can show that by taking the training, you will be able to save the company money in the long term, that is the best tactic to take. Also, you might want to let them know that you will be committed to using those newly trained skills in your current job by promising to stay in your current position for a specified period of time after training, probably at least a year. This way, they won't be paying for training that you will use to get a better job elsewhere, at least not until they had some benefit from it. However, if the training is unrelated to your job, it is unlikelly to be approved.

Answer 4

Start by explaining how THEY benefit if you get the training. If you can show that having you trained will SAVE them more the cost of the training, they should be glad to INVEST in training you. As long as you appear to have your employers interests in mind, there should be no reason to worry about damaging your relationship.