Employee Development Policy
Intent
(Company Name) believes in the development of our workforce, both to enhance employee
engagement and commitment to (Company Name) as an employer and to ensure the continued
excellence of our organization. The development of our staff is an essential business investment
that enables (Company Name) to maintain and extend our employees’ knowledge and skills as
our business environment evolves. Training and development plans and budgets shall be built
into (Company Name)'s overall Business Plan.
In an effort to ensure that our staff members are exposed to as many facets of our business as
possible, (Company Name) will engage in cross-training efforts as well as secondments. These
directives will help to ensure that resources may be shared in times of need, and that our staff
gain valuable job skills and knowledge in a variety of roles.
The investment that (Company Name) makes in partnership with employees in their continuing
career development allows us to achieve maximum flexibility in meeting our current and future
skills requirements. (Company Name) is committed to creating and fostering an environment
that facilitates and enhances the skills training and career development of our employees.
Employees will be provided with opportunities so that they may maintain and develop their skills,
adapt to changing workplace needs and fulfill their employment potential within (Company
Name).
Definition
For the purposes of this Policy:
Training and Development - May include formal training, cross-training, secondments, work
experiences, job networking or formal courses of study to update and enhance the
skills/knowledge necessary to make a continuing contribution to the work of (Company Name),
in current and future roles.
Responsibilities
Senior Administrators
Create and foster an environment that facilitates and enhances the skills training, resource
sharing and career development of employees by:
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Considering employee development initiatives in annually reviewing performance of
division/department heads.
Providing resources for employee training and development to ensure that skill levels of
administrative employees are strong, broad and well-suited to the pursuit of (Company
Name)'s objectives.
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Communicating with various departments regarding cross-training opportunities and
secondments.
Communicating with various outside agencies regarding secondment opportunities.
Department/Division Heads
Create and foster an environment that facilitates and enhances the skills training and career
development of employees:
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Identify as clearly and realistically as possible (In their annual plans, in consultation with
staff), their staffing requirements as well as needs for employee training and development
initiatives, based on agreed upon objectives.
Assess supervisors in their annual performance reviews on their efforts to develop their
employees and, where appropriate, provide opportunities for development of supervisory
skills.
Communicate with other Department/Division Heads to identify cross-training and/or
secondment opportunities within the organization, and identify high-potential candidates for
these opportunities.
Create plans to ensure that training initiatives will ensure that all business requirements are
fulfilled.
Supervisors
Create and foster an environment that facilitates and enhances the skills training and career
development of employees by:
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Discussing with employees development needs in relation to the work of the unit.
Providing opportunities for the discussion of individual goals on at least an annual basis and
for the development of a mutually agreed on plan for training and career development.
Recognizing developmental achievements during the year.
Based on the operational requirements of the unit, providing job-specific training to enable
employees to acquire skills and knowledge necessary to the work of the unit based on
identified needs, for example by participating in training seminars, job network meetings and
temporary assignments.
To the extent that operational requirements allow, providing employees with appropriate
opportunities to acquire skills or experiences which would enhance their ability to make a
continuing contribution to the work of (Company Name), for example by participating in
training seminars, job network meetings, secondments and cross-training.
Reviewing and approving appropriate requests for training and development. Supervisory
approval for time away from the job for purposes of training and career development will be
based on the following criteria and shall not be unreasonably denied:
 Operational requirements of the work unit in relation to duration and timing of the
development activity.
 Benefit of the development activity to the work of (Company Name).
 Benefit of the development activity to the achievement of the employees’ career
goals within (Company Name).
Employees
Take the primary responsibility for managing their careers by:
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Examining current skills and identifying areas for further development.
Seeking opportunities for ongoing skills enhancement.
Taking advantage of relevant training.
Keeping skills and knowledge up to date to meet changing workplace needs.
Contributing to the department/division's annual planning process.
Human Resources
Provide support to administrators and employees in carrying out their career development
responsibilities by:
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Administering and reporting on central funding support for employees’ training and
development.
Conducting training needs assessments and developing programs in consultation with
(Company Name) management.
Supporting individual career development through the provision of counselling,
workshops and publication of career information.
Posting job vacancies which represent career opportunities for employees in accordance
with the (Company Name) Staffing policy.
Providing information and consultation to managers on implementing employees’
planning and career development processes within their departments/divisions.
Providing training in management and supervisory skills.
Programs and Resources for Training and Development
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Educational Assistance
Cross-training
Secondment
Professional Development
Job Sharing
Job Shadowing
Mentoring
Career Counselling
Lateral Transfers
Intern/Extern programs
Apprenticeship programs
(Company Name) is committed to a Career Development Program that may include but is not
restricted to the above components.
General Procedure
For all staff training and development activities, applicants will be selected on the basis of
identified (Company Name) and individual needs, assuming candidates meet program
standards and requirements.
(Company Name) employees may either:
a) be requested to participate in training courses / cross training / secondment; or
b) request to participate in training courses / cross training / secondment.
Application
All employees who are applying for, or are requested to participate in, training and development
courses will complete the Application for Training form in consultation with their supervisors.
Detailed descriptions of course content and requirements should be attached to the application.
Criteria for Approval
Approval for participation must be obtained prior to enrolment in the program. Approval and
authorization shall be granted in accordance with the following criteria:
Departmental Approval – Prior to approval for enrolment in any training and development
program, course, seminar or conference, the Application for Training form shall be reviewed to
determine appropriateness of the candidate for the program/course, etc., based on a review of
their job description, performance reviews, career planning/succession planning activities and
departmental budgetary concerns.
Evaluation Reports - Courses, External Assignments, Seminars and Conferences: Employees
are required to complete an evaluation form report on the course, external assignment, seminar,
or conference attended. These reports are to be submitted to the department head for comment
and review. Following review, all reports will be placed in human resource files for future
reference.
Guidelines for Reimbursement
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Application for tuition reimbursement must be submitted prior to commencement of the
course.
Original tuition receipts must accompany final transcript of marks (where appropriate).
No reimbursement will be granted in cases where the employee has failed to attain a
passing grade in the course.
Part-time or seasonal employees will not normally be eligible for reimbursement of tuition
fees.
Training Requiring Leave of Absence
Any training or development program which requires a leave of absence must be in a field
directly related to current responsibilities or as approved in conjunction with career planning /
succession planning activities, and will be subject to the standard criteria for approval.
The employee may be eligible to receive ______% of their full salary if the leave of absence
required is less than six weeks. For periods longer than six weeks, the employee may receive
up to ______% of their full salary, dependant upon the recommendation of their supervisor
and/or department head.
Acknowledgement & Agreement
I, (Employee Name), acknowledge that I have read and understand the Training and
Development Policy of (Company Name). I agree to adhere to this policy and will ensure that
employees working under my direction adhere to this policy. I understand that if I violate the
rules of this policy, I may face punitive or corrective action, up to and including termination of
employment.
Name:
____________________________________
Signature:
____________________________________
Date:
____________________________________
Witness:
____________________________________