How to ask for training budget as an early career

As a young professional, investing in your personal and professional development is crucial, it will help you take ownership of your career, be more confident and proactive. There is so much to learn when you start your career; from how to work in a team, manage up, leverage data, write in a concise way, set personal goals, and more..!

Did you know that many companies allocate dedicated budgets for employee learning and development? These funds often go unused, so there is an opportunity for you to ask your manager or someone from HR about this. We know it can be daunting, so we’ve put this quick guide on how to approach this.

The first step is to find the training you want to attend. This can be an online course, an event, workshop etc. To know what you need start by assessing your current skills and where you think you have gaps. If you don’t know where to start we have a template for this.

For a quick recommendation, we are running our School of Work programme over 8 weeks, it covers key skills to ramp up quickly and grow professionally. If you want to improve your communication skills (written and when presenting), your ability to solve problems and make decisions, create a personal development plan or become an expert project manager this is for you.

Then, set up a meeting with your manager to discuss this.

When speaking to your manager:

• Start with your wish to grow in the company and be an even better asset for your team
• Explain where you’d like to progress and the training programme you have found
• Highlight the skills you will learn and how this will benefit your manager and company (essentially what is the ROI)

Remember, your manager is on your side and will want to see your commitment to professional development. By having this conversation you're showing that you're proactive and dedicated to your growth within the company.

After the meeting, follow up with an email giving the link to the programme, the cost and high level notes on the return on investment.

Here are some info to make your case to attend School of Work.

What will you learn?

• Communication essentials: write concise emails, present ideas clearly, manage meetings and lead 1:1
• Problem solving: when and how to use data to make decisions, presenting solutions and knowing when to trust your gut
• Project management: managing deadlines, tasks and working with different stakeholders at the same time
• Career planning: setting goals, building a personal development plan and being more proactive

How will this help the team and business?

By picking up these soft skills, you’ll be able to take on more complex tasks, work quicker and be more confident when handling new work. Without needing to ask for as much help, you’ll free up the time of your manager and the rest of the team.

Our past cohorts have seen a 20% improvement in performance after completing School of Work. We have a 9/10 satisfaction rate and managers have seen an increase in initiative from our graduates, helping with productivity.

Some testimonials to help you:

David, Head of UK at Maddyness:

“I saw a real improvement in her confidence and proactivity and desire to take the lead in a wide range of scenarios. As a result, she is taking on more complex roles, thinking more long term and teaching me a few things too!”

Helene, Co-founder and CEO at Spindata

“We saw a real difference in written communication from the second session. Internal interactions are also much more organised and exchanges with managers are more constructive.”

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