non-participatory. The instruction provided in schools to the population as a whole is
usually what is meant by education (Holton & Yamkovenko 2008). Therefore, educa-
tion tends to focus on the acquisition of knowledge.
Training
Dessler (2005) defines training as methods used to give employees skills they need to
perform their jobs. Therefore, training implies preparing an employee for an occupation
or specific skills. In this case, it has to be narrow in its focus and be for the job, rather
than personally oriented.
Training is usually provided to adults and is aimed at producing an improvement in
performance at work, by addressing weaknesses in knowledge, skills, or attitudes. It
tends to be more practically focussed and can take place in a variety of environments
and concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Development
Usually education refers to the broadest view of knowledge and skills acquisition (Man-
kin 2009). It is more career-orientated than job-oriented and is concerned with the
longer term development and potential of the individual.
Managers look at employees as adaptable resources with a variety of skills and plac-
es within the organisation and are concerned with giving the individual the right mix of
skills, experiences and contacts to enable them to achieve their full potential. Education
tends to be a matter for the community and government to deal with.
Training and development are traditionally the matters for the concern of individual
organisations based on their specific needs. However, there are overlaps where the gov-
ernment intervenes to provide support for training sections of the population in certain
widely needed skills. For example, skills enhancement courses for the long-term unem-
ployed in developed countries to re-train them for new industries or needs.
Rationale for training
The best way to answer the question why organisations should train people is to answer
the question what will happen if they are not well trained. Training becomes important
if there are deficiencies that should be addressed through training, or if there are chang-
es in the organisation which have to be put in place by having well trained employees.
Training is required if there is a change in technology, working conditions, products,
inadequate performance, shortage of staff.
Training has many advantages for the individual, the department and the organisation
because it is expected to provide a skilled pool of human resources, improvement of
existing skills, an increase in knowledge and experience of employees, improve em-
ployees’ motivation, job performance, customer service, and personal growth and op-
portunity for career development.
Training needs analysis (TNA)
A training need is any shortfall between the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the em-
ployee vis-à-vis what is required by the job, or the demands of organisational change.
Training needs are discrepancies between identifiable shortfalls in knowledge, attitudes
or skills. A training needs analysis is a systematic process by which training needs are
investigated and consolidated to provide the basis for the training programme.