Key Considerations When Developing Your 2009 Professional Development Strategy
By Ric Kositzke
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dwindling 401ks. Massive layoffs. Training budget cuts. Any way you slice it, laboratory end users are feeling the consequences of a global recession. In the last issue, we examined how an investment in training may shield companies from a slumping economy (Recession-Proof Your Company in ’09 Through Workforce Developmen).
But how are you shielding yourself from this economy? Have you finalized your strategy for professional development in 2009? Have you pinpointed the application or instrument you need to be trained on? Which resume bullet point do you need to strengthen your value to your organization?
As you consider these questions, there are several points worth noting:
A trained end user reduces costs for a lab. Consider this analogy: A car owner who can distinguish the knocking sound under the hood as a loose torque converter ($40 repair), versus a bad crank bearing requiring an engine rebuild ($4,000 repair), will know when the repair requires a mechanic. Similarly, end users trained on an instrument or software platform may be able to diagnose and fix a problem without the assistance of an engineer or original equipment manufacturer. This knowledge equates to cost savings.
“I believe that robust training is paramount to reducing an instrument’s overall total cost of ownership,” confirms Brian Gallagher, Global Operations / R&D Services Manager at Pfizer. “My group often receives calls from users unfamiliar with certain platforms that result in avoidable service visits.”
Put another way, your value rises exponentially when you are able to operate an instrument and diagnose a problem.
Training courses are less costly. A by-product of the economic downturn is most companies are incentivizing customers to take training, whether through price reductions, free giveaways or even cross promotions with other services or products.
According to Gallagher, companies are wise to leverage these training promotions now. “Through some of our partnered service vendors, we have negotiated reduced prices on training for our onsite service engineers,” said Gallagher.
For instance, at the Thermo Scientific Training Institute, if you register for a training course at regular price, you may bring a colleague for 25% off the price of the second course.In short, if you do your research, you’ll find that there are many great deals on training.
You need to differentiate yourself in the marketplace. It sounds trite but companies generally hire end users with a broad range of skills, which often cannot be acquired through a 40-hour work week. Instead, smart end users strategically attend training courses to boost efficiency in their job now while also laying the foundation for a promotion or new employment.
“Exposure to new technologies and applications often come from training courses offered by instrument manufacturers,” said Gallagher, who also cautioned, “An individual’s career development can be hindered if the opportunity to attend professional and technical training is limited.”
The points raised throughout this article should not be lightly regarded: Training will lead to long-term cost savings for your organization, while also differentiating you in the market place. As you’re mulling your training strategy, keep this in mind as you prepare for what no doubt will be a rollercoaster year.
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