In any organisation part of the human resource management function is to assess and address training needs. The role of the training manager may differ from one corporation to another but there are some common elements that will make the role successful, and contribute in a positive way to the bottom line for the company.

Training managers must be inquisitive. They need to know how every section operates and what the section  goals are in the greater scheme of delivering the business. They also need to know the range of functions all employees within the company are required to perform.

So, why do they need to know all of these things? The answer is simple. Training is about competencies. Every person who works in the organisation is working towards goals. They may be sales goals, or marketing goals, or production goals; everyone is working towards getting something achieved. The only way to achievement is to have workers who are competent at the tasks you require them to do.

Sometimes your workers will come to you fully competent. You employ them simply because they have a skill you need and they can adequately demonstrate that skill to the level you want them to use it. This is often the case when employing technical people who have a specific focus on a specific skill.

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However it becomes more difficult if you want to employ people who are multi-skilled or who need to work in an environment that has multiple demands. Often this requires a set of competencies; a range of skills and some adaptability and flexibility in how those skills are used.

In order to address training needs in an organisation training managers need to have the capacity to identify and articulate the competencies that will deliver business objectives. Workers in the organisation can then be assessed against these competencies to ensure their capacity to complete the strategic objectives.

If your training manager is going to be valuable to your organisation they need to be aware of and familiar with the set of competencies your workers need to get their jobs done. Once they know these competencies they can develop a framework that identifies them for all positions, works hand in hand with your performance management system and easily identifies skill areas that require training, or emerging skills that your staff will need to learn.

A good training manager will keep an eye on how well your company is developing its skill base, opportunities for training and rewarding people who are doing a great job and learning new skills to support your business.

Every time one of your workers wants to attend training your training manager should be able to identify how this will support your business. Every training program should clearly link to achieving outcomes that you have identified in your business plan. If the outcomes are not clearly linked you may be wasting resources, both human and financial. A good training manager can clearly articulate the links between training and business improvement and should also be able to predict what the return will be on your investment in training.

If this is the case in your organisation give your training manager a pat on the back – they are doing a great jo and they are valuable to you.