Training & Development In SMEs

By Swati
MBA 3rd Semester
 Index
 Addressing SME internal barriers and obstacles for training
 1.1 Solutions for organisational problems and barriers.
 1.2. Financial means and resources for training
 1.3. HR and skills development policy
 1.4. Perceptions of training needs by workers and managers
 1.5. Resource pooling and SME cooperation in training and competence
development
 Implementing suitable methods and techniques of training
 2.1. Training methods addressing specific needs of SMEs
 2.2. Training and competence development for managerial staff and
entrepreneurs
 2.3. Validation of informal skills and competence
 Addressing current and structural challenges of competence
development
 3.1. Competence development in the context of demographic change.
 3.2. Retaining workers and making SMEs more attractive to young people
 3.3. Competence development in the context of internationalisation
 3.4. Improving and addressing gender equality and opportunities for women
A. Addressing SME internal
barriers and obstacles for
training.
 A.1 Solutions for
organisational problems and
barriers

“I only have three workers. How do you

want me to send two of them to a
training centre?!”
Solutions for organisational
problems and barriers

 Avoiding Pitfalls
 Orientation towards real needs
 Direct links
 Concentrating & partnership
 A.2 Financial means and
resources for training

“Even if I would, I cannot afford the cost of

training…”
Financial means and
resources for training

 Measures should be based on overall need

assessment
 Simplicity, flexibility & adaptability
 Covering of trainees’ wages
 Vouchers can provide good awareness of
training opportunities
 A.3 HR and skills
development policy

“Do I have any idea of how employment will

look like in my company in one year? Not
at all! You know how it works in SMEs…”
 HR and skills development
policy

 Increase managerial capacity to innovate in

relation to change
 Human resources & skills development policy
preconditions; the development of new roles
and new internal functions
 Public authorities, chambers, professional
organizations & social partner federations
 HR and skills development
policy (cont…)

 Active learning pedagogy & orientation, the

commitment of the employer for lifelong
learning & integration in all parts of the
business
 Relationships with organization in the field of
training, HR & workforce development
A.4 Perception of training
needs by workers and
managers

“I have been doing this work for 20 years! I

don’t need to be trained…”
A.4 Perception of training
needs by workers and
managers
 Increase information of training
opportunities through dialogue
 Role of guidance
 A simple, adaptable & accessible definition
of competencies
 Embedded in measures & programs of
support at local, regional & national level.
A.5 Resource pooling and SME
cooperation in
training and competence
development

“ Together we can”
 Resource pooling & SME
cooperation in
training & competence
development
 Role of the coordinator is crucial
 Successful cooperation is build on concrete
programmes & the result expected
 Network effects
 Assessing results is important
B. Implementing suitable
methods and
techniques of training
 B.1 Training methods
addressing specific needs of
SMEs

“Training should be tailor-made! We have

very specific needs in terms of training,
we need something special”
Training methods addressing
specific needs of
SMEs

 Tailor-made solutions exist – the crucial task

is to identify them
 Training methods must follow needs,
objectives and expected results
 Active participation of the entrepreneurs/
managers as well as motivation of workers
Training methods addressing
specific needs of
SMEs (cont…)

 Adapt the working times and the working

space
 Realistic examples and experiments
B.2 Training and competence
development for
managerial staff and
entrepreneurs

“I had to learn the job of manager on my

own... ”
Training and competence
development for
managerial staff & entrepreneurs

 Training schemes for entrepreneurs &

managers
 Financial incentives & specific
accompaniment
 Technical quality of the training
 Lifelong perspective
 B.3 Validation of informal
skills and competence

“My competence and skills are not

acknowledged…”
Validation of informal
skills and competence

 Validation and recognition of informal

learning correspond to a real need
 Validation practice has to be embedded in a
larger environment of objectives,
orientations and strategies
 Enabling and supportive environments in
place at EU, national, sector and
occupational levels
C. Addressing current and
structural challenges of
competence development
C.1 Competence development in
the context of
demographic change

“Our workforce is greying...”

Competence development in the
context of
demographic change

 Change of attitude
 Avoiding stigmatisation
 Social partner organisations and other key
actors outside the companies
 Many innovative and practical instruments
 Age management
Competence development in the
context of
demographic change (cont…)

 Age management and/or training measures

should not be regarded as isolated issues, or
mere social policy activities but as ways of
generating added value for the company
 The testimonials of SME managers
C.2 Retaining workers and making
SMEs more
attractive to young and
qualified people

“It’s harder and harder to attract the

qualified young people in SMEs!”
 Retaining workers and making
SMEs more
attractive to young and
qualified people

 Communicating about the opportunities in SMEs

 Social dialogue on working conditions
 Training targeting sectors with recruitment
difficulties
 Implementing anticipation of skills and
competences at the company level
 Retaining workers and making
SMEs more
attractive to young and
qualified people (cont…)

 Adapt the content of continuous training to

younger workers’ needs.
 Implementing anticipation of skills and
competences at the company level
C.3 Competence development in
the context of
internationalisation

“We might have a chance abroad, but…”

Competence development in the
context of
internationalisation
 Competence development in the context of
internationalisation and globalisation is not
a general objective of its own or a universal
task of all types of SMEs
 Anticipation of change should be a
permanent concern
 Adaptation should lead to a clear analysis of
training needs, in conjunction with the
strategy of the company
Competence development in the
context of
internationalisation

 Adaptation should lead to a clear analysis of

training needs, in conjunction with the
strategy of the company
 Thinking of new forms & non-conventional
forms of learning
C.4 Improving and addressing
gender equality
and opportunities for women

“A girl selling a car or driving a digger?!...”

Improving and addressing gender
equality
and opportunities for women

 An approach that does not make actors feel

guilty
 Use of auto-diagnosis tools
 The co-organisation, by public actors and
training providers, of training in the field of
human resources and management
 Equality of access
 Conclusion
 Anticipation
 Social dialogue
 Assessment
 Collective approach
 Guidance and accompaniment
 Opportunities
 References
 Books :
 Human Resource Management by K Aswathappa
 Business Environment by Francis Cherunilam
 Web :
 www.google.co.in
 ec.europa.eu