What is Training?

Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of technology (also known as technical colleges or polytechnics).

In addition to the basic training required for a trade, occupation or profession, observers of the labor-market recognize as of 2008 the need to continue training beyond initial qualifications: to maintain, upgrade and update skills throughout working life. People within many professions and occupations may refer to this sort of training as professional development.

Specifically the need for training arises because of following reasons:

1. Environmental changes:

Mechanization, computerization, and automation have resulted in many changes that require trained staff possessing enough skills. The organization should train the employees to enrich them with the latest technology and knowledge.

2. Organizational complexity:

With modern inventions, technological upgradation, and diver­sification most of the organizations have become very complex. This has aggravated the problems of coordination. So, in order to cope up with the complexities, training has become mandatory.

3. Human relations:

Every management has to maintain very good human relations, and this has made training as one of the basic conditions to deal with human problems.

4. To match employee specifications with the job requirements and organizational needs:

An employee’s specification may not exactly suit to the requirements of the job and the organization, irrespective of past experience and skills. There is always a gap between an employee’s present specifications and the organization’s requirements. For filling this gap training is required.

5. Change in the job assignment:

Training is also necessary when the existing employee is pro­moted to the higher level or transferred to another department. Training is also required to equip the old employees with new techniques and technologies.

Importance of Training:

Training of employees and mangers are absolutely essential in this changing environment. It is an important activity of HRD which helps in improving the competency of employees. Training gives a lot of benefits to the employees such as improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, development of self confidence and assists every one in self management.

The stability and progress of the organization always depends on the training imparted to the employees. Training becomes mandatory under each and every step of expansion and diversification. Only training can improve the quality and reduce the wastages to the minimum. Training and development is also very essential to adapt according to changing environment.