Voices and Views: November

Event Garde is committed to professional development, for ourselves and for our industry. As such, we’re avid readers of industry news. We’d like to share these must-reads with you.

Learn

Despite their importance, many employers fail to invest in learning and career development for their employees.

In a recent Forbes column, Ben Chatfield, CEO and founder of Tempo, discusses why there needs to be shift in the relationship between learning and work.

He says the rise in hiring temporary employees and freelancers has led employers to question the value of investing in education. But, he says, employers must provide training and education throughout employees’ whole work lives.

Otherwise, employers will have unhappy and disengaged employees, resulting in less productivity, Chatfield says.

Network

Networking is an effective job-seeking tool. Whether on LinkedIn or in person, people in a person’s network could be the caveat to landing a dream job.

The first step: Make it clear what you do. In a recent story in Daily Nation, May Nyaga, the head of Human Resources at Copy Cat Ltd., gives some tips to jobseekers.

She says avoid clichés and use punchlines that will make people remember you. At the same time, she advises networkers to keep their priorities realistic. A conversation may not spark a job lead, but could result in new friends and colleagues.

Other tips: Don’t be overly aggressive and don’t judge people at first meeting.

Transfer

Some kids aren’t cut out for college. So, apprenticeships and trades skills may be the way to go.

But young professionals aren’t the only ones who benefit from apprenticeships. Employers do, as well.

“They [employers] are often rewarded with greater employee loyalty, reducing turnover and lowering hiring costs,” says Patricia Moulton is Vermont Technical College president, in the Rutland Herald. “Employers are able to create a pipeline for new skilled workers by having their more experienced workforce train the next generation. Rather than losing the knowledge of seasoned employees to retirement, apprenticeship programs let knowledge transfer easily through hands-on training.”

Along with apprenticeships come mentorships. Working under the wing of a professional – regardless of the industry – may be one of the best ways to avoid knowledge drain in a company.