Want to Convince Your Manager You Need Training? Tips on How to Make That Happen

Alexandra Kenney | Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Want to Convince Your Manager You Need Training? Tips on How to Make That Happen

Receiving technical training for your job tasks and responsibilities can make a huge difference for you personally and has a dramatic impact on company productivity. The more skilled a professional, the better the chance of individual and team success.

Often times, getting approval from your manager for technical training can be difficult. Whether there are budgetary constraints, the inability to travel or merely a lack of understanding of what is involved in getting trained, there may be several challenges to overcome.

The following are a few ways to increase your chances of getting your manager to say “yes” when you ask to take training:  

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Reasons to Ask for Training

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Before you start your sales pitch to convince your manager, you need to take a step back and evaluate your work environment. Some circumstances may weigh in your favor, and others you should avoid. Here is a list to consider:

  • 1. System or Application Upgrades

    Has your company recently implemented new software suites, applications or other technologies? Are they changing cloud vendors or perhaps adding another vendor to the mix? Has Oracle or SAP been upgraded to a newer version? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” this is a perfect opportunity to get you and your teammates trained.

  • 2. Staying Current on the Latest Technology

    You may be an expert on a particular cloud service or enterprise software solution, but these technologies are continually being improved and augmented, and getting trained by an authorized training provider gets you educated on the latest and greatest of that specific technology.

  • 3. Training for a Certification

    In the case of some government jobs, employees must be certified to use particular enterprise software or systems. If this is the case in your place of work, this is an important reason to ask for quality training that gets you down the path toward the required certification.

  • 4. Team Training

    If you have a group of coworkers with similar responsibilities or working on projects jointly, training for the entire group might be critical for the success of the project. It can also potentially be less expensive than if each member of the group received training individually. And, private group training can have content tailored specifically to your team. 

  • 5. Personal Development

    Individuals who are happily employed are typically more productive than those who are not. And, as many employees desire to do their best work, any activity that adds to their personal and professional development increases their ability to work effectively. Technical training allows for development personally and professionally, which in turn improves employee satisfaction.

  • 6. Keep Technology Expertise In-House versus Outsourcing

    Outsourcing technical expertise is not only expensive but also time consuming. Companies might not have the required technical skills to complete a project and may be forced to hire outside help to accomplish these tasks. If the technical skills can be improved through the training of internal employees, not only does the expertise reside in-house, productivity and responsiveness can be dramatically improved compared to outsourcing the tasks.



How to Ask for Training

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Now that you have evaluated your work environment, understand your manager’s directives and initiative and have started considering what type of training you want to take, it’s time to put together the best way to ask your manager for training approval:

  • 1. Plan Ahead

    Don’t wait until the last minute to ask your manager for approval for training. Try to plan a couple of months ahead of the desired training date. This will give you time to research, plan, compile your business case and get the necessary approvals from your manager.

  • 2. Do the Research

    Explore all the training options available. It is often helpful to visit vendors’ sites to find out recommended and authorized trainers for their technology, service and software.

  • 3. Reach out to an Education Consultant

    You’ve done the research but still have questions. Now is a great time to reach out to an education consultant and your training provider should be happy to help you evaluate your training requirements and provide a recommended proposal to meet your needs.

  • 4. Analyze the Costs

    The cost and type of training can vary tremendously from vendor to vendor. While authorized vendors typically cost more than “gray market” trainers, the former use authentic training materials—which usually cover the latest versions of the technology. Also, individual or private training are the most expensive training type, so be sure to look at both options as an excellent way to potentially reduce costs, particularly if you and your coworkers need to be trained. Lastly, remote training using audio/video conferencing can save you travel costs, so see if that’s an option. 

  • 5. Prepare a Backup

    When you ask your manager for approval for your training, make sure you’ve arranged a backup to cover your work duties during your absence. Training typically lasts one to five days, so it’s important to ensure your work is covered.

  • 6. Prepare a Business Case

    When you present your case to your manager, you should include details of the courses, costs, timing and justification. Often, different course websites offer justification letters and details on what the course will cover. Packaging all of these assets can help increase the odds of getting your training approved. 



How NOT to

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It probably goes without saying that you have to be tactful when requesting training. For starters, demanding that you must have training will most likely be met with resistance. If you avoided the previous recommendations, there is a good chance that your request will be denied. Here are a few more actions to avoid: 

  • 1. Threaten to leave

    Saying you will quit your job if you don’t get training may leave you out of a job. If you really feel you need the training, spend more time on the business case, or do the training yourself outside of work.

  • 2. Not doing your job

    Unless you cannot or are not allowed to do your work without a certification (or training), you shouldn’t simply stop working. There may be other reasons why you can’t get training approval at this particular point in time.

  • 3. Seek out training just for a salary increase

    While it is always nice to get a raise, don’t think that completing training (or certification) warrants a salary increase. If you are trained, and the company sponsored or paid for it, you have effectively received a raise (as well as added to your skills for future employment).

Now you know you need training to advance you and your organization. Here’s a sample email template that makes the business case for the investment.

Lastly, it is essential to ask for quality training through an authorized training vendor to have the most current and authentic training materials possible. Good luck with your training request!