The power of professional development for a motivated workforce

If motivated and highly skilled employees are what you’re looking for, then a renewed appreciation and commitment to professional development is what you need.

Supporting employees in staying motivated in their careers, whether it’s in aged care or early childhood (in fact, any industry), is important as it contributes towards the quality of care provided by your service. Helping your employees to understand their worth and recognise their own abilities in the workplace can go a long way to increasing not only motivation but job satisfaction. Investing in professional development opportunities is an investment in developing your business’s number one asset — its people.

Professional development for skills, knowledge and confidence

Learning and growth go hand in hand and rather than be transient, they should be lifelong. Professional development facilitates knowledge and growth for the aged care and early childhood sectors, contributing to a range of benefits for educators and carers, their employers and recipients of their care.

In 2019, Deloitte released their annual Global Human Capital Trends report, which revealed the need for learning and development as top-rated challenge. The report even cited learning opportunities as a leading reason for people choosing to take a particular job!

The world we live in is fast-paced. Technology, quality standards, expectations — they’re all subject to evolve quickly, and so too are people. Today’s workforce needs to be ready to adapt, and up-to-date knowledge is at the centre of its ability to do so. For employees to feel satisfied at work, they need the chance to build confidence in their individual capacity. This is where professional development and upskilling become so essential.

Professional development for enhancing standard of care

Being proactive about building the skills of your workforce ongoing is a simple yet incredibly effective way of taking a holistic approach to enhancing your early childhood or aged care business. With early childhood services striving toward the best National Quality Standard Rating (NQS Rating) possible and the aged care industry set to be overhauled following the release of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s Interim Report, enhancing the skills and knowledge of your staff members has never been more important.

Staff professional development provides numerous benefits for services including:

• Retaining staff

Linkedin Learning’s 2019 Workplace Learning Report found that 94% of employees would stay with a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. An employee who feels valued and fulfilled at work is one who stays. Professional development can be an excellent way to show your staff that you value them, while saving you time and money on recruitment.

• Increasing productivity

With the confidence and capabilities gained through additional training, you can expect your workforce to be more efficient and productive. When your team is highly trained, they also have the latest and greatest knowledge to benefit the way they approach their roles.

• Raising your standard

Aged care and childcare professionals who are equipped with the latest information and training are better able to provide the highest possible standard of care. Enhancing your team enhances your centre at the same time, and that means you’ll attract more families.

Staff thrive through learning

Most importantly, the incredible benefits of professional development can have a positive impact for your team members both professionally, as well as personally:

• Up to date knowledge and skills

Keeping industry knowledge up-to-date is vital and regular professional development means individuals have the latest information and tools to do their job to the highest standard.

• Work life satisfaction

Everyone wants to feel satisfied within their career, and professional development can improve ones enjoyment of work. Knowing that your employer has invested in you and your skillset is incredibly rewarding.

• Increased confidence

Confidence at work enables people to do a better job and in turn, makes work more enjoyable. Professional development training builds confidence and sparks passion and improved quality of output.

Motivating staff members to learn

Create a culture of continuous learning and growth in your workforce by working closely with your staff to understand their professional needs and goals:

• Listen to your staff

Talk to your employees, listen to what they want and need, survey teams anonymously and ask for feedback and insights to guide your services’ approach to professional development. The training should help your team to be better and do better, and they can help you identify gaps in their own skillsets that need to be filled.

• Make it worthwhile

For committed uptake, training should respect your employees’ time. Firstly, it should be scheduled in such a way that is respectful of their lives and other commitments. Secondly, it should be worth their time. Often this means the professional development is goal-oriented, enabling them to extend their skills with the potential view of climbing in their careers.

• Take an innovative approach

The training you offer your staff needs to engage them, stimulate them and excite them. If you offer the same training each year, chances are it will be met with disinterest and your workforce is unlikely to learn and grow. Be innovative and tailor your professional development to your unique business and staff.

Culture of continuous learning

Supporting a team of employees in gaining more skills and knowledge, increasing job satisfaction in your workplace and reducing staff turnover can be made possible by investing in professional development for staff.

At Selmar we specialise in training for those working in the aged care and early childhood education sectors, delivering a range of courses that provide the opportunity for continued learning and growth. From our Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50113) to our Certificate IV in Ageing Support (CHC43015), our courses are specifically designed to support these vital industries and those working within them.

For more information, chat to Selmar today about your professional development goals and how we can help you get started.