How to select a training provider: invest in your people

If a firm wants to be successful then it is vital to ensure that staff are able to grow and develop within the business. Andrew Jenner looks at the methods available to meet CPD commitments
Written by Andrew Jenner
Accountancy Age, 14 Aug 2008
The most valuable resource of any firm is the people who work within it. An accountancy qualification from a professional body is something to be proud of and considerable effort is required to ensure that this hard-won qualification is maintained and developed to meet the ever-changing needs of clients and personal aspirations.
Firms therefore need to give considerable thought to the continuing professional development of their staff to ensure that technically, professionally and personally they are capable of fulfilling their roles and helping the firm to move forward, whilst improving their own career prospects..
The onus should be on firms to create a culture in which CPD is an integral part of their business development strategy and therefore to define the needs of every individual and create appropriate programmes to develop their skills and maximise their potential.
Practices can choose from a wide variety of training methods to ensure that they meet the CPD guidelines laid down by the various professional bodies. The mix will include structured CPD (training derived from course attendance, meetings and seminars or wherever participants receive some form of formalised professional training) and unstructured CPD (informal study, reading, research or lecture preparation).
Assessing training requirements should not be left to the individual. It should be part of the firm’s human resources function to consider personal career development paths and needs. It is particularly important that both partners, and prospective partners, are equipped with the necessary skills to manage the business successfully.
For all but the very largest firms, the majority of their structured training requirements will need to be bought in. The various professional bodies provide a wide range of technical as well as management and development courses as do a number of commercial organisations such as CCH, Mercia, SWAT etc. In addition, there are specialist consultancies who can gear programmes to the specific needs of the firm and its staff.
The comprehensive course providers usually have a range of ticketing options, from one-off purchases to ‘season tickets’ which can be mixed and matched depending on the firm’s requirements. These providers will often run schemes for groups of firms in regions, networks of firms as well as individual firms. Discussions with them will help identify the right purchase options.