Training and Development versus Learning and Development

Introduction

Training and Development is an essential part of life for any individual. Both activities aim at improving the performance and efficiency of the individual. Training on one hand is an induction programme introduced by the company to develop the required skillset as per the job requirement. Development on other hand, is an organized activity which promotes the growth of an individual in all terms, leading to a self assessment act.

Learning can be seen as a process while training can be more of a specific event. In training, employees are imparted technical knowledge, skills and experience required for a particular job role along with their abilities to work. Development on other side, is a overall educational process which focus on growth and maturity of an individual.

What Is Training?

Training stress on teaching and transferability of specific skills for a particular work scenario. It is basically a learning process by which individuals get an opportunity to skill and competency as per the job requirement. It is short run and focuses on short term benefits and immediate needs for the business. The content is repeatable and consistent for all the employees and therefore it is job oriented only. It is usually taught to large number of people at once as a group and aims to improve the job performance by the employees.

What Is Development?

Development is an educational process concerned with overall growth of an individual. It is moreover an on going process which promotes learning and enhancing of new skills, conceptual knowledge, work experience. It is not only limited to a particular task but aims at overall growth to tackle future challenges. With the changes in technology, the manpower needs to be updated as well, where development plays a crucial role. It digs out the talent of the managerial staff and makes them inculcate those skills in their workings leading to the development of organization.

Key Difference Between Learning and Training

Learning and Training may seem similar but they are certainly not. From an organizational point of view, training would be preferred a lot more times than learning as it comprises of immediate needs of the business. Learning on the side, has its own benefits for both the individual and the organization. It can result in numerous benefits to a business including team morale, improved retention and much more. However, learning cannot replace training process which equips necessary skillset to an individual for performance of the job.

When To Use What?

To determine which course of action to be taken and what would be suitable for employee and organization- training or learning, you can ask some specific questions to your employees. It may differ to organization to organization depending upon their needs and requirements.

1. Do they require a better assistance for performance of job?
2. Are they seek more connection with each other?
3. Do they prefer being actively engaged or learning passively?
4. Are they individual contributors or collaborators?

Ascertaining these points could surely help you out in making wise decision which accordingly meet your needs and requirements.

Training Vs Development

Let us scale out some major key differences between training and development and which one got a wider scope.

1. Training is a short term process, development on other hand is an ongoing process.
2. Training focus on developing skill and knowledge for current performance of job, development on other hand focus on development of knowledge and skills for future challenges.
3. Development is a self assessment procedure and every individual is responsible for his/her own development, training on other hand is given collectively to individuals or a group of individuals.
4. Training being job oriented has a limited scope. Development comparatively has wider scope as it leads to overall development of an employee in all aspects.

Conclusion

Both learning and training plays an important part in development and performance of employees. By using them efficiently according to your requirements, it can help the business in achieving long term goals and building future visions. Development is all about building personality and attitude for facing future challenges and adopting a skillset to tackle them efficiently. They both are vital for an employee whether new or existing one. Therefore, each of these got their own perspective for being utilized and should be done accordingly.