The Case for the Employer-Provided Education Benefit

Hiring?

All employers want to hire the most capable and intelligent individuals.

The most capable and intelligent individuals have many options to choose from: some companies offer better salary, while others may be easier options in terms of commute/ location.

What’s the consequence?

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Who is able to hire the best talent?

Employers offering personal & professional growth benefits are able to hire the best talent. Some examples:

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo offers tuition reimbursement of up to $5,000 annually and awards scholarships up to $3,000 to dependent children of employees every year. Their motto: “Our next big investment is in you”.

Walmart

Walmart has committed to invest almost $1 billion in U.S. associate bonuses and today announced the expansion of Live Better U (LBU) education benefits to include in-demand skilled trade and digital skills programs.

Other examples

Other than these you can see many other companies on this NASDAQ list.

This newer type pf education benefit is not just a new marketing gimmick. The need for personalized program is very real. Lack of career development and advancement was reported as the number one reason to quit, by McKinsey & Company in this report3

So, what is meant by employer-provided education benefit?

Large and successful companies make sizable investment in their employees as that is crucial for achieving their desired objectives as well as their long-term goals., giving them the education, training and experience necessary for doing their assigned work in an efficient manner.

Investment into the employee also means giving them education and health benefits for their families. It allows the employer to provide any employee—whether they are working, on leave, retiring, handicapped, or fired —a significant sum of tax-free education benefit each year.

Benefits from employer-sponsored education may help both employees and companies in a variety of ways.

  1. Employees’ knowledge and expertise can grow thanks to education incentives, enhancing their value to the company and furthering their careers.

  2. Additionally, because employees feel supported in their professional development, it can reduce the attrition rate.

  3. It also has a direct impact on workplace happiness, especially in cases where the employee is able to choose the tutor that they think they can best work with and they spend minimal time worrying about the educational needs of the family.

  4. It may strengthen the company’s reputation as a dedicated and supportive workplace and help in attracting and keeping top talent.

Types of Education Benefits

There are many different forms of education benefit that different employers provide, including:

  • On-the-job training: This type of training provides employees with hands-on experience and helps them develop the skills needed to perform their jobs effectively. Typically, this is done by the manager of the employee.

  • Classroom training: This type of training typically involves attending workshops, seminars, or courses, and provides employees with a more structured learning experience. Internal or external tutors can do this.  As there are multiple participants in the class, individual attention is not possible and the tutor may or may be the most suitable person for each individual’s learning style and needs.

  • E-learning: With advancements in technology, many companies are turning to online training programs that employees can access from their computers or mobile devices. These online programs, if recorded or written in text form, are mostly one-way communication so learners miss the interactivity and often lose focus.

  • Mentorship programs: These programs pair employees with more experienced colleagues who can provide guidance and support as they learn and grow in their careers.  This is constrained by the limited capacity of mentors in any organization.

  • Professional development opportunities: Many companies provide employees with opportunities for professional growth, such as attending conferences or workshops, or pursuing advanced degrees or certifications. As they are one-time sporadic infrequent events, the smaller needs often go unaddressed.

Some organizations may offer more than one type of education benefit.

team work

What works best?

Employers need to remember that employees have different learning styles and needs. When providing education benefit(s), keep in the the needs and context of different learners.

  • Visual learners: Visual learners prefer to learn through seeing information, such as through presentations, charts, and graphs.

  • Auditory learners: Auditory learners prefer to learn through hearing information, such as through lectures, podcasts, and audio recordings.

  • Kinesthetic learners: Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn through doing and experiencing things firsthand, such as through hands-on demonstrations and practical exercises.

  • Reading/writing learners: These learners prefer to learn through reading and writing, such as through manuals, articles, and written instructions.

Professionals are adults. They need personalized attention, they should be able to exercise their opinion and decide on who they want to learn with, how they want to learn, and when & why they want to learn.

Employers should accommodate different learning styles by providing a variety of training methods, tutors and mediums.   This will allow them to cater to the different needs and preferences when it comes to education and training. Some may prefer short, focused training sessions, while others may prefer more in-depth programs that provide a broader overview of a subject. Some may prefer to learn on their schedule, while others may prefer structured training sessions. It’s important for employers to understand the diverse needs and preferences of their employees and to provide a range of training options to meet those needs. This can help ensure that all employees can learn and grow in a way that works best for them.

TutorBees.net is an online tutoring platform that connects tutors with learners.  In 1-to-1 live classes, the schedules depend on the learner and the tutor; they can mutually decide any weekly or monthly schedule.

Furthermore, the tutors are trained on the platform, and privacy policy protects the learners from unsolicited messages, making the classes focus precisely on what the learner requires.  Here’s the process:

  1. The learner puts up a learning request

  2. Relevant tutors send out their offers

  3. The learner can view their ratings on their profiles, exchange messages to get clarifications, and also take an initial free class to talk about the scope, schedule and fees

  4. After deciding the tutor and paying the agreed fee, the classes commence

The classes are governed for quality, and there is no penalty if the learner discontinues after a few sessions and opts to engage with another tutor.

You can register your organization here if you would like to use TutorBees.net as the platform of choice for providing education benefit to your employees:

References

Wells Fargo Nasdaq McKinsey

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