Staff and business development through higher education

Many higher education or vocational training programmes can be tailor-made for your specific business or sector needs.

Some courses can be held in part or in their entirety at your own business premises, or may involve substantial use of e-learning, while vocational courses may be taught at these or at specialist institutions.

Employee benefits of higher education

Higher education can allow your employees to:

• keep up to date with business and professional developments e.g. continuous professional development (CPD) is required in specific professions, such as teaching or accountancy
• improve their chances of progressing within your business and make a higher value contribution to your business success
• improve their earnings potential within your company and industry
• further develop their 'employability' skills - transferable skills such as numeracy, communication and information technology

Business benefits of higher education

Higher education also brings benefits to your business.

In addition to the specialist knowledge that a higher qualification brings, your business will have employees who have the confidence and ability to assess existing business practices and alternative approaches. This can help incorporate operational improvements and best practices within your business.

In addition, your business can:

• access training that realises the full potential of your staff while meeting your business' organisational needs
• use advanced training to implement your strategic plans more effectively, transfer knowledge and improve your employees' skills base
• promote your business as having a learning culture and attract new staff with attractive work-related training opportunities
• incentivise your staff through awards that link to a national framework and encourage progression
• gain accreditation for in-house programmes and enable your staff to gain credits towards higher education-level qualifications
• benefit from increased confidence and motivation among staff, reduced staff turnover rates and all-round better company performance