{"id":18122,"date":"2020-04-17T08:58:49","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T12:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/news\/how-provincial-aerospace-promotes-employee-education-144567"},"modified":"2020-04-17T08:58:49","modified_gmt":"2020-04-17T12:58:49","slug":"how-provincial-aerospace-promotes-employee-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/2020\/04\/17\/how-provincial-aerospace-promotes-employee-education\/","title":{"rendered":"How Provincial Aerospace promotes employee education"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

The aerospace firm and regional airline, with headquarters in St. John\u2019s, Nfld., provides no-limit tuition subsidies for staff who want to grow within their current roles or set themselves up for other positions in the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cEducation and development is really important to our employees and to us as an employer,\u201d says Laura Cashin, the company\u2019s director of human resources policy and programs.<\/p>\n

The program has been in place for years and is central to PAL\u2019s focus on internal movement, which makes unique sense for the company. It\u2019s a part of the PAL Group of Companies, which has businesses around the world, so employees have the opportunity to move and develop their career within the group.<\/p>\n

Read: Canadian employers investing more in employee training: survey<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAll of our jobs are posted internally and we see a lot of employees keeping an eye out and finding the opportunities that suit them,\u201d says Cashin. \u201cWe are a connected group of companies that do similar things . . . and we wanted to point that out to employees and make it known that we\u2019ll support you as you want to grow and change your career here. We are in many provinces across Canada and we also have opportunities internationally. If you want to stay in Newfoundland, there\u2019s a ton of opportunities, but if you want to go see Cura\u00e7ao or you want to experience working in the United Arab Emirates, we have opportunities there too.\u201d<\/p>\n

PAL also has many positions that Cashin calls highly regulated, including flight crew, radar operators and aircraft maintenance technicians. These roles require ongoing education, such as simulator training, when employees move from working on one type of aircraft to another.<\/p>\n

In addition, PAL recruits young people fresh out of school. \u201cBecoming a pilot, [it] can be a challenging thing to get a job and get onto the aircraft you want,\u201d says Cashin. \u201cWe bring in pilots who are developing and they want to become a first officer. They\u2019ll join our company in a different role and use our internal movement process and growth opportunities to move their way through to captain. We\u2019re looking for opportunities to get people who are junior in their career in here and learning with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read: Amazon, seeking more skilled workers, will offer free training<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

While certain employees, such as pilots, require continued learning to stay certified, the tuition support program is available to all employees. If an employee wants to go back to school \u2014 whether for a one-day seminar, a one-year certificate or even a master\u2019s program \u2014 they must fill out an application form and speak with their manager, outlining their professional goals and how they believe the program they\u2019re interested in would support them. The request then goes through an internal review process by the HR department and, if it\u2019s approved, the employee is eliible for the full tuition amount to be covered by PAL.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not every program or any program,\u201d says Cashin. \u201cIt needs to be relevant and something where the goals are in line with the goals of the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

PAL works closely with Memorial University\u2019s Gardiner Centre, a professional development hub in St. John\u2019s that offers practical certificate programs and seminars, as well as with other colleges across Canada, particularly those with aircraft maintenance programs. PAL also receives some funding for its tuition assistance program through Newfoundland and Labrador\u2019s job grants program, which helps offset some of the costs to the employer.<\/p>\n

Supporting employees\u2019 education<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to a 2019 WorldatWork survey, 86 per cent of North American companies now offer tuition reimbursement, while a further 20 per cent offer tuition discounts.<\/p>\n

\u201cTuition subsidies and tuition reimbursement is one of the most popular and prominent programs offered in any development program by an organization,\u201d says Steve Boddy, content director at WorldatWork.<\/p>\n

Read: Technology to have biggest impact on the future of work: survey<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

However, Dominic L\u00e9vesque, president of Randstad Professionals Canada and Innovation Labs, notes PAL\u2019s program is unique in offering unlimited reimbursement and allowing people in new positions to complete the training necessary to do their jobs well. \u201cI don\u2019t think we see this enough,\u201d he says. \u201cA lot of organizations usually train people once in a [new] job and it\u2019s usually too late, because they might screw up for six months. . . . If you start to train them and get them prepared for that job, it\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

How are employers promoting continuing education? <\/strong><\/p>\n

95%<\/strong> allow staff to attend outside seminars and\/or conferences<\/p>\n

93%<\/strong> support classroom and virtual learning<\/p>\n

88%<\/strong> offer leadership training<\/p>\n

86%<\/strong> offer tuition reimbursement<\/p>\n

20%<\/strong> offer tuition discounts<\/p>\n

Source: WorldatWork, 2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tuition benefits are growing in popularity due to the need to retain the best talent, says L\u00e9vesque, noting this is particularly true in sectors that are highly technical, such as information technology, engineering and finance. \u201cThere\u2019s a trend in the market of reskilling and upskilling,\u201d he says. \u201cThe world of work is shifting quickly. Technology is shifting quite rapidly. It\u2019s not only a perk; it\u2019s becoming a necessity to keep the best talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many tuition programs include a grade-equivalent or recognized level that employees must achieve to be reimbursed, says Boddy. For example, if a class is graded as a pass or fail, employees would have to pass to receive credit from their employer. He\u2019s also seen more complicated programs that offer levels of reimbursement depending on the final grade, so an A grade may warrant a 100 per cent reimbursement while a C grade may only receive 50 per cent coverage.<\/p>\n

Read: Walmart introduces tuition benefit for U.S. employees<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

On the other hand, L\u00e9vesque says it\u2019s more common for employees to receive a flat maximum amount per year for education, with the average typically between $2,000 and $5,000. Some organizations may offer less generous programs, such as a 50 per cent reimbursement, but are more open to supporting non-technical skills training, such as leadership development and people skills workshops that can enhance their employees\u2019 careers in other ways.<\/p>\n

Easy as 1, 2, 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

For employers that aren\u2019t yet reimbursing employees\u2019 education costs but want to do so, L\u00e9vesque suggests they consider three key things.<\/p>\n

Firstly, the cost. \u201cYou need to understand that a lot of people \u2014 [particularly] the new generation \u2014 want to be trained. You need to make sure you can afford it financially or fund it somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

He suggests companies review their benefits plan to determine if there are offerings that aren\u2019t being used or any training budgets that haven\u2019t had uptake, and reallocate those funds toward tuition coverage.<\/p>\n

Also, employers should identify how education support fits into the company\u2019s broader strategy and philosophy. L\u00e9vesque suggests thinking about the company\u2019s direction and what kinds of talent and skills it requires to succeed. \u201cIt needs to be tied with the company strategy, and not just a program to offer to keep people from leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read: \u2018War for talent\u2019 to drive employers\u2019 total rewards strategy in 2020<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

And finally, he says companies should get management on board, ensuring they understand the purpose of the program so they can make the best use of it.<\/p>\n

Employers that offer tuition reimbursement could see a significant cultural benefit, says Boddy. \u201cNot only does the employee get a great deal of satisfaction, knowing a company is supporting their personal growth, development and learning opportunities, but it also creates a culture of learning, a culture of support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelsey Rolfe<\/a> is an associate editor at <\/em>Benefits Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read the full article at BenefitsCanada.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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