Adams 1 Why Utilize A Professional Development Trainer: Trends in Professional Training

After Maria graduated and received her degree, she landed a great job as a cultural coordinator with her alma mater. After working as a cultural coordinator for 18 months Maria was offered a promotion. The new position came with; the new title Co-Advisor, a staff of five direct reports, and more responsibilities. Marias new position also changed the way she interacted with her colleagues. Many of the people she worked with now reported to her. Maria liked being a Co-Advisor, but she missed having lunch with her friends. Maria was ambitious and she went right to work on a proposal to increase the student population at the university. Her supervisor, Nancy was pleased when she saw the proposal. At one of Marias first Monday morning meetings she learned a valuable lesson. As the room filled with, directors and managers Maria began to feel very uncomfortable. Then as her supervisor, the vice president, and the president walked in she felt out of her league. She knew she had the talent and the degree but there was something missing. As the meetings attendees settled down and the meeting got started Maria noticed her palms getting sweaty. The President opened the meeting. Good morning staff. In front of you is a proposal for increasing the student population here at the university. I would like to know more about some of the solutions. The Vice-President said I have never seen this document; I have no idea what its about. The Vice-President was upset because she was left out of the loop. She wondered if Maria went over her head. Maria remembered sending a copy of the proposal to her supervisor and to the Vice-President but she remained quiet. Maria did not want to make the vice president look incompetent. Besides Maria thought, maybe she is so busy she didnt get to check her e-

Adams 2 mail. Marias supervisor began to discuss the solutions to the student enrollment problem. Maria was listening as Nancy spoke about a proposal that she developed. Maria just couldnt bring herself to say anything. Although all of the accomplishments had been hers, Maria found herself in a position where she was unable to speak up. She lacked Political Savvy and the ability to promote her work What happened to Maria happens to many new professionals. That is one of the reasons why an increasing number of companies today, are investing in professional development training for their employees. After a student graduates from college or grad school they are usually feeling well prepared for the workforce, and ready to accomplish any career goals they may have. All of the learning is thought to be behind the graduate. On the other hand graduates who want to remain competitive will continue to learn throughout the rest of their career. Many professionals must stay abreast of new discoveries and techniques. In the past mostly doctors, nurses, teachers and social workers, took part in professional development training. It was, and still is called in-service training. In-service training classes are instructional, and they are used to introduce new techniques. The in-service training classes usually have one or two instructors, speaking to about 15 25 professional participants. For some professionals these in-service trainings might mean updating a license or recertification. While for others it might mean learning about new government regulations. As technological advances were made in the early 1990s employers from various business sectors began developing training programs to keep their employees up to date with the changes. For example when computers became mainstream many employers wanted their

Adams 3 employees to learn how to conduct business using computers. Some employers allowed the manufacturers to come in house to train their employees. Today we see that professional development training is a growing trend. Professionals from various backgrounds are taking part in training in the workplace, from IT technicians to customer service representatives. According to the journal article New Demands and New Opportunities for Professional Continuing Education: A Mission in Flux, In 1996 $60 Billion was spent, on providing formal education to fifty nine million people in the United States. The majority of them were professionals and middle and upper management (14). According to The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Human Resource Management, .training is defined as the systematic acquisition of skills, rules, concepts, or attitudes that result in improved performance in the work environment...Training represents a positive hope for persons first entering the world of work or those individuals changing their work environment (352). Professional development training, when designed well can offer individuals the opportunity to stay abreast of changes in the workplace; it also gives them the chance to be promoted to higher positions. The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Human Resource Management also says, The primary reason for sending managers to management education and training programs were to broaden the individual, and to provide knowledge and skills such as job-specific and state-of-theart knowledge (352). The U.S. economy is affected by things that exist now that didnt exist ten years ago. Technology has introduced more business opportunities as well as economic ups and downs. These factors along with achievements in the fields of technology and science have increased the need for professional development training.

Adams 4 Another reason for this sudden boom in professional development training is businesses all over the U.S. are under pressure to integrate their workforce. Equal opportunity employment laws have forced employers to diversify their workers. In turn, employers need savvy ways to deal with race politics, issues of inclusion, gender issues and so much more. These complex issues are just some of the reasons why an increasing number of employers are signing their employees up for Professional development training. The trends in professional development affect everyone whether youre a professional, you plan to be a professional or if you plan to use the services of a professional. If professionals dont take part in professional development training then the services they offer eventually will become unnecessary. Take for example an Information Technology technician. Whenever Microsoft develops a new program or software, IT technicians must make themselves familiar with the new program or software. They must be able to troubleshoot, find problems, and solve them, quickly. If you are a business owner and your computers crash, you want a technician who is aware of all the new features of the program not one who says That software came out after I graduated so I cant help you. Graduating from college doesnt mean that the learning stops. College students and graduates in the 21st century should be prepared. Employers expect you to continue learning while you work. Tara Fenwick said it best when she said In work environments of rapid change where people must transform their practices, people often learn to shape shift: they literally learn to perform different selves and knowledges in different environments, while learning to establish some coherent identity to anchor themselves or even market themselves(22).

Adams 5 Works Cited

"New Demands and New Opportunities for Professional Continuing Education: A Mission in Flux." ASHE Higher Education Report 32.2 (2006): 1-15. EBSCO MegaFILE. EBSCO. Web. 28 June 2011.

Peters, Lawrence H, Charles R Greer, and Stuart A Youngblood. The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Human Resource Management. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Business, 1998. Web. 28 Jun. 2011

Fenwick, Tara. "Workplace learning: Emerging trends and new perspectives." New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education 119 (2008): 17-26. EBSCO MegaFILE. EBSCO. Web. 28 June 2011.