Diagnosing Training Needs in the Changing Context of Work

Abstract

There is one thing that we can agree on; it is the world of work which is changing quickly. The pressing concern of everyone today is what does the future hold for work in the twenty-first century? With growing pace of technological change and rapid economic globalisation, there will be a shift that will transform the world of work, and it will keep advancing over the next 10–15 years. This drift will have implications on the future workforce and workplace, including the size, composition and skills of the workforce; the nature of work and workplace arrangements and worker compensation. In this perspective, employee competence and their constant professional development through proper training are becoming strategic factor for long-term competiveness of any organisation. Policy to invest in employee development is becoming a priority for every organisation to increase its efficiency. To develop employee, diagnosing training needs is a vital activity for the training and development function in any organisation or institution. There are numerous approaches to assess the training needs. An attempt is made in this article to contribute in the ongoing discussion on the issue of diagnosing training needs and share ideas and techniques for ensuing sustainability of organisation. In doing so, there is a likewise need to underscore on integrating the training policy and practices to face the challenges of the world of work.