General Statement of Policy on Employee Training and Development
Introduction
The Council's strategic statement recognises the importance of training and development in achieving its service and corporate objectives. Training and development activities should result primarily from identified training needs which in turn derive from the Council's objectives as expressed in its guiding principles and key themes.
The provision of effective training and development is therefore an integral aspect of the Council's role as an employer and of every manager's responsibility to his or her staff.
Standards and Quality
The Council has both a right and a duty to ensure that its employees are sufficiently trained to meet all legal requirements and to carry out their existing functions to appropriate standards: the Council may also require employees to undertake training to ensure that they are able to understand and implement policies and procedures which may be introduced from time to time.
Moreover, and in pursuit of the Council's expressed aim "to provide excellent public services", training and development activities will aim to provide and promote skills, knowledge and other attributes which enable staff to manage and deliver services which satisfy high standards of quality. The Council's aim is excellence, not merely competence.
New Employees
New employees of the Council will be provided with appropriate initial information and training in their specific job functions and skills, conditions of employment and orientation to the Council to enable them to make an early and effective contribution.
Access
In furtherance of its expressed commitment to maximise staff potential to meet service needs, the Council will ensure that all employees are given access to information on all relevant training and development opportunities available through the Council.
Resources
The Council will aim to provide appropriate resources to meet identified training and development needs, and will prioritise the use of these resources according to the service needs of the Council, prevailing budget conditions and in recognition of the short, medium and long term benefits of effective training.
Implementation
Training needs will be identified in a systematic way and continuously reviewed.
Chief Officers collectively, and in conjunction with the Chief Executive and Personnel Services Manager, will contribute to the identification of corporate training needs. The Personnel Services Manager will be responsible for drafting a training plan and preparing a programme to meet such needs.
Each Chief Officer will be responsible for ensuring that training needs within his/her department are identified, and that a training plan which outlines how these needs will be addressed is prepared. The Personnel Services Manager will provide advice and support to enable departments to carry out training needs analysis and to draw up training plans. Departmental needs may be addressed either at departmental level or in conjunction with the Personnel Services Manager, depending on the nature of the training required.
Delivery Processes
As well as the more traditional methods of training delivery, such as short off-the-job courses and formal courses of study leading to a qualification, other methods will be used: these may include project work, on-the-job coaching, secondments, self-managed learning, interactive video programmes and other open learning methods.
In consultation with the Personnel Services Manager, external providers may be commissioned to deliver training which it is agreed cannot be provided internally.
To help the process of integrating training and development into the wider contexts of operational and people management, wherever appropriate, training and development activities will be linked to national frameworks and standards, including Investors in People and Scottish Vocational Qualifications.
The Personnel Services Manager will provide advice and guidance on training delivery as required.
Partnerships
The Personnel Services Manager will work with other groups and individuals involved in training, development and education, both within Angus Council, the Angus area and elsewhere, in order to ensure that the Council's resources are used most effectively and that practices within the Council reflect best practice generally.
Employee Development
In addition to providing training to meet identified operational needs, the Council has expressed a commitment to "maximise staff potential". In determining training and development priorities, therefore, account will be taken of the balance between benefits to the Council and benefits to the individual. Most "training" activities are concerned with the specific skills and abilities which people need to carry out their jobs and are justified primarily by the benefits they bring to the organisation. "Development" is a longer term issue, with undoubted benefits for the individual but also with potential benefits for the Council. In determining resources for "development" activities, the benefits to and responsibilities of both parties will be clearly defined.
Evaluation
Recognising the significant level of investment required for effective employee training and development, it is essential that all such activities are evaluated, not only in terms of participants' reactions to their learning experiences, but also in terms of how well the training met identified needs and, ultimately, the contribution which training and development make to the effectiveness of the Council.
Accordingly all Chief Officers must continuously assess the effectiveness of training and development activities within their department, assisted by the Personnel Services Manager who will be responsible for reviewing the general operation of this policy.