Communications of the ACM
IT Pros Get Training on Their Own Dime
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IT spending may be on the rise, but training budgets aren't increasing at the same pace, and that has left many IT professionals shouldering more of their own training costs as they seek to keep up with the rapidly changing technology landscape. According to a recent survey, 62% of IT workers have paid for training out of their own pockets in order to secure their careers. They listed "keeping skills up to date/being valuable to employer" and "finding an appropriate new position for my skill set" as their two biggest career concerns. That's not to suggest that an IT professional has to get every certification to stay employed or land a big promotion. However, the best jobs and assignments do go to those who have the extra education on their resumes.
IT is hardly the only field with such high expectations for ongoing training. Professionals in many other lines of work face similar pressure to continually seek professional development opportunities. As a result, some IT workers approach training the same way people in other professions do — with the sense that it's essential to their careers. Taking seminars and training courses or signing up for new certifications can help develop skills needed for career advancement. The courses that are most in demand seem to correspond with the most sought-after skill sets, with the popular training topics depending on the individual's specialty, according to both IT workers and those who hire them. Some pay for training so they can check off the certifications and skills that job postings list as requirements, just to make it past the screening process.
Experts say they're also seeing new trends in how and where IT workers seek training. Although many corporate development budgets remain tight, companies still pay for some training. They might not be sending large numbers of staffers to big conferences and seminars, but they continue to contract with vendors for on-the-job training or encourage mentoring and other work-based learning. IT workers may not see all of those learning opportunities as training. And they might not realize that their companies are still willing to pay for training. IT leaders say many employers cover training costs, even for courses picked by individual workers, as long as a worker can show how the training benefits the company. Still, they acknowledge, training dollars aren't flowing as freely as they once were, and that leaves plenty of costs to individual employees. At the end of the day, IT organizations that don't pay for training lose their competitive edge.
From InfoWorld
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