FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
I have so much work to do… how can I possibly take time away from the office for training?
Well, I guess you also have to ask yourself, how can you NOT? With technology taking over the office place and constant change making communication more and more vital, employees need to be constantly upgrading their skills and knowledge base just to keep up.
However, realizing that it's quite difficult for many employees to get away from the office, we are offering many courses and tools on-line and in shortened versions to accommodate your schedules. So before you say, “I just don't have time,” think again and check out the courses and tools right at your finger tips!
Will these courses be specific enough to really be helpful?
The answer to that is within your control. The initial course topics offered are based on feedback we received on the Training and Development survey completed by 138 employees. This survey served as a starting block to assess employees' needs, but we continuously welcome your suggestions and feedback. If you have a very specific training need and we don't have a current course in that area, we can still provide a mini-toolkit for you with the desired information or refer you to an outside training course.
Are there any courses that employees have to take?
For most courses, the decision of whether or not an employee should attend will be left to the discretion of the employee and his/her supervisor. However, to ensure legal compliance, MWC will require employees to take the following courses or a refresher course in these areas once every two years. Supervisors and employees will participate in separate courses and employee participation will need to be documented. The required courses include:
- Sexual Harassment
- Conflict Management: The State Grievance Process
- Preventing Workplace Violence
- Speaking up for respect in the workplace
We have a record of those who have attended MWC Sexual Harassment courses in the past few years and will provide you with the names of your employees that are up-to-date in that subject area. To make it as easy as possible, we are offering courses on-line as well as in a classroom setting. The schedule for these classes will be coming out in the beginning of February. Since various Sexual Harassment courses have been offered in the past, employees who feel that they have adequate knowledge of this subject area already, may take a test that, if passed, will exempt them from the course. This is only applicable for the Sexual Harassment course.
How does my department fit in?
The courses offered in this program are for all levels of employees. Therefore, the role of each department is to let me know what courses and tools would be especially beneficial for employees in their department and to allow employees to take advantage of courses and on-line tools that will help them be more effective in their jobs.
How can there be adequate money available in already stretched budgets?
The majority of courses will be offered at no cost to individuals and their departments. However, technical training courses specific to the operations of a department (i.e. licensure and certificate programs) will have to be funded by the department in which the employee works.
Will there be any pay increases due to skill upgrades?
While we can not promise this at this point, we can say that acquiring new skills and knowledge can not only help you better perform your current job, but will definitely widen the professional opportunities available to you sometime in the future.