How To Calculate If an Employee Training Program Is Worth the Trouble

It's time for you to begin monitoring training expenses more closely.  The fact is that these expenses may be artificially large.  In addition, the most efficient methods of delivery may not be implemented, making it more difficult for your workers to get the training they need.

Before we begin, let me make one thing clear.  My background is in training and workforce development..  What I am about to say may get me into trouble with people of that profession.  But you as a project manager should understand my point:  A training program is like any other business function.  It must be worth doing.  It must have a net positive value to complete, or it should be modified or eliminated.  

In the past, the training and development profession (T&D) has not done a good job of training itself on linking its efforts to the needs of the organization.  Most T&D professionals do not know how to calculate the business value of their own work.  Some of these professionals would even take offense at being asked in the first place.  “Of course, training is necessary!” they say.  Unfortunately, their word is not good enough for you, so you may have to run your own checks on individual programs.

Your monitoring strategy should be…