How to ask your employer to fund your training [Templates and Tips included]

Getting trained and certified benefits both you and your company; it’s a win-win situation: You gain knowledge and recognition while becoming a more skilled and productive employee.

So it’s fair to ask your employer if they would pay for your training, education or certification, as it will also bring value to the organisation.

But, for many, this conversation might feel uncomfortable.

That’s why we have listed 10 tips to help you approach this conversation confidently.

# Tip no1: What are your reasons for attending?

Think about the reasons why you need the course.

Do you want to:

• Improve the way your company manages their documents? 
• Avoid recurrent issues in Document Control that you have been facing?
• Implement best practices in your company?
• Become the technical authority for Document Control in your company?
• Etc.

# Tip no2: Think like your boss

Employer-sponsored education has clear benefits for you as it provides education without being personally overburdened with costs. However, the benefits to your organisation may need to be made clear to your boss.

Before they send you to a course, your boss probably wants to know the following: 

• How would it be beneficial for the organisation? 
• If I am investing money, what do I get in return?
• Would it help the employee (and therefore the organisation) perform better / be more efficient / improve our current system?
• Would the organisation benefit from an improved reduction of its risks?

# Tip no3: See how it will help you reduce pain points for the organisation

Are there any current challenges within your organisation and that you know your boss really cares about? How can you leverage the knowledge from your upcoming training to help address these issues and provide support?

This would be a huge selling point to your organisation if you could help address these issues.

A few examples could be:

• Reduce the number of transmittals rejected by the Client
• Improve communication between the different parties 
• Improve relationships with external stakeholders such as clients, contractors, vendors, or regulatory bodies)
• Reduce/avoid non-conformities during audits
• Improve safety on site by following best practices
• Always be certain that the information at hand is reliable
• Avoid risks related to uncontrolled documentation

# Tip no4: Assume that your boss will say ‘yes'

If you believe, even before asking, that your boss will say ‘no’ and think it will be an uphill battle to convince them, then it’s very likely that you will sound less confident, which might even be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When it comes to your boss, it's best to assume that they want to see you thrive, develop new skills and succeed.

Take the initiative to discuss a plan for growth and success with them. This discussion will likely have a more positive outcome

# Tip no5 – Have all the course details ready

If your boss says “Yes”, it’s likely that they will have concrete questions about how it works. You need to be ready with all the details in case of questions:

• What is the duration?
• How long does it last?
• How many hours per day?
• What is the course fee?
• What is the format of delivery?
• What is the course outline?

You can also use the principles of the elevator pitch that we talked about in this video, to prepare one just for this request: Focus on how the course will improve your job performance and not on how it will increase your knowledge. 

Take the time to have prepared answers to anticipated questions that your boss might ask.

# Tip no6: Why this course and not another one?

It’s essential that you can justify why this course is the best for your requirements.

A few examples would be:

• Consepsys are the world-leading providers of Document Control courses and certification programs, and their course is the reference in the industry
• Consepsys has trained thousands of people from over 60+ activity sectors and 105+ countries
• Consepsys has impressive references, testimonials and stories from major companies around the world
• A 2020 Consepsys study shows that 84% of their students were more effective in their daily tasks, and 96% were able to be better advisors to their company after the course.

# Tip no7 – Think about possible objections

It’s best to think about the possible objections in advance so that you can have a mitigation plan in place.

For example, sometimes, a manager might be afraid that you will leave the company if you take a training course and grow.

If they invest in you, they want to ensure you will be around in the long-term.

So if you get that impression from your boss that they might be worried about you quitting or leaving, then reassure them about your loyalty and happiness with your current position and that you are looking for ways to contribute even more to the organisation's successes.

Another objection might relate to the time that you will have to take away from your work. Have a plan prepared to show them, explaining how you will handle your workload during the period of the course.

# Tip no8 – Be prepared for a ‘No’

Not all requests are successful at first. Be kind and gracious, no matter how your boss responds. It’s important to leave the door open for future conversations on the topic.

In case your boss says no, there might still be other options, such as:

• Offering to pay for a certain percentage of the fee yourself
• Offering to pay for the course and for the organisation to reimburse you later when they see the benefits of it
• Spreading the cost over several months
• Negotiating for paid leave to take the course, instead of seeking sponsoring for the course.

# Tip no9 – Invest in yourself and take control of your growth

Don’t delay your growth and development until your company is ready to pay for it.

Even if your company says no, you should consider investing your own time and money to becoming a trained and certified professional, as it will have a significant impact on your career. 

Indeed 78% of our course participants had a pay rise after attending the course, 57% were promoted and 72% said that the Consepsys course had a significant positive impact when they were looking for employment. 

What do you find the most difficult when asking for your company to fund training?

Let us know in the comments so that we can produce more content like this to support you.

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