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Upskilling vs. Reskilling: Which is Right for You?
Why Most Professional Development Training is Just Expensive Theatre (And the Bits That Actually Work)
Let me tell you something about professional development training that might ruffle some feathers.
Twenty three years I've been running workshops, sitting through courses, and watching good money get flushed down the drain on training that does absolutely nothing except tick boxes for HR departments. And before you think I'm just having a whinge, I make my living from this stuff. Been a workplace trainer in Brisbane for the better part of two decades, so I'm essentially criticising my own industry here.
The fundamental problem is that training gets designed in boardrooms by people who've never been on the shop floor. You know the type. New graduates with their fancy qualifications, armed with PowerPoint presentations full of buzzwords and theoretical frameworks that sound impressive but fall apart the moment someone asks "yeah, but how do we actually do this on a Tuesday afternoon when three people are off sick and the system's crashed?"
Recently attended a workshop run by one of the major training companies and the facilitator spent forty five minutes explaining the importance of "authentic leadership communication." Beautiful slides. Fancy graphics. Then during the break, I watched him have a go at the catering staff because they'd stuffed up something trivial.
That's the industry in a nutshell right there.
Let me tell you what really makes a difference, though it wont win any innovation awards. Real mentoring, not the fake stuff. Genuine mentoring relationships, not the tick box exercises most companies run. I'm talking about creating relationships that make sense for both parties, then giving them time real time, not twenty minutes grabbed between meetings to work through challenges together.
The training that changed my career happened with Bob, this straight talking site supervisor in Adelaide. Worked alongside him for months, learning how he managed complex projects, how she planned her day, how she knew which battles to fight and which ones to walk away from. No workbook. No certificate at the end. Just real skills from someone who'd learned the hard way what actually works.
But you cant scale that, can you? Cant put fifty people through it at once and charge $300 a head. So instead we get these cookie cutter training sessions where everyone sits in bland hotel function rooms, checking their phones, and goes back to their desk with a folder full of handouts they'll never look at again.
Don't get me wrong. Some group training works brilliantly. Skills based workshops often work well. Show someone how to use a new software system, let them practice it, job done. Safety training saves lives. Compliance training keeps you out of court. These are concrete things with obvious outcomes.
Where it falls apart is the interpersonal skills training. Leadership development. Communication skills. Team building. Time management. All the things that actually matter most for career progression, and we've turned them into these generic, one size fits all programs that ignore the fact that every workplace is unique.
Had finance directors in the same conflict resolution course as community workers. Makes about as much sense as using the same playbook for brain surgery and baking cupcakes.
That construction supervisor needs skills for managing subcontractors and dealing with site disputes while keeping projects on track. The retail manager needs methods for handling customer complaints and motivating casual staff. Distinct problems. Different solutions. Same training program.
Here's what really gets me we track all the wrong metrics. Participant numbers? Happy sheets? Budget compliance? Meanwhile, nobody checks whether people are using any of this stuff back at work.
I track my own participants for a year after training. About thirty percent implement something meaningful from what we covered. That's not terrible, actually industry average is somewhere around 15%. But it means seventy percent of the time and money spent is essentially thrown away. Try explaining that to a CFO.
The training that makes a difference always has these elements. First, it tackles genuine challenges they're dealing with right now. Second, they get to practice it properly during the session, with feedback from someone who knows what they're talking about. Third, ongoing support and check ins are built into the process.
Everything else is just costly entertainment.
Online training is even worse. The e learning programs that let you tick off "Executive Communication" during a coffee break. I've watched participants blast through comprehensive programs in record time without engaging. Their completion certificates look exactly the same as someone who actually engaged with the content.
This might be controversial, but participants need to take some responsibility too. We've created this culture where development is done to people rather than with people. People rock up expecting to be transformed by sitting passively through a workshop, then whinge when it doesnt change their lives.
People who benefit most arrive with genuine problems to solve, take notes, ask for clarification, and follow up afterwards. They treat it like an investment in themselves rather than a day away from their normal responsibilities.
I had this woman in a project management course a few years back. Sarah, worked for a construction company in Perth. Came with a list of actual projects she was struggling with, asked detailed questions about everything, stayed back afterwards to work through specific scenarios. Six months later, she'd been promoted to senior project manager. Coincidence? Maybe. But I dont think so.
Organisations that see real returns approach training systematically. They diagnose precise requirements, implement focused programs, and establish ongoing support. They dont just send people to random courses because there's money left in the training budget.
Wesfarmers does this really well. Their management development programs are targeted, practical, and tied directly to business outcomes. They track career progression of participants and refine the programs based on what actually works. Not revolutionary stuff, just simple common sense applied consistently.
Too many companies see training as optional rather than essential. They'll pour millions on new equipment or software, then baulk at investing properly in the people who have to use it.
The reality is that people performance drives most business outcomes. You can have the best systems and processes in the world, but if your people dont know how to use them correctly, you're stuffed.
Here's what training companies dont want to hear you can probably do most of this in house. The experts within your business, people who've proven they can deliver results, sharing their knowledge with colleagues. Industry knowledge matters. Industry knowledge matters. Your unique situation matters.
Outside experts make sense for niche skills or independent insights. But for core skills development? Your team probably understands the reality better than any outsider.
This isnt popular with my fellow trainers, but it's honest. We've convinced organisations they need us for everything, when what they really need is better systems for capturing and sharing internal knowledge.
What's the way forward then? Professional development training isnt going anywhere the demand is too strong and the regulatory requirements keep growing. But maybe we can get serious about separating useful from useless.
End the fiction that brief sessions create lasting change. Start measuring outcomes that actually matter. Concentrate on applicable knowledge with immediate use. And for the love of all that's sacred, quit forcing experienced people through basic content for compliance.
Real development occurs when experts share their knowledge with people ready to learn. Everything else is just paperwork.
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