How to ask your boss to upskill — A step-by-step guide

In tech, staying at the top of your game is a necessity.

Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, there's always room to grow and learn. However, training courses aren’t exactly cheap, and many of us would struggle to find the time around our job.

Well, your employer might be the key. Companies have a yearly training budget set aside, usually calculated depending on their size, industry, and business goals. According to the Department for Education Employer Skills Survey report, the average cost per employee is around £1,500 annually, meaning employers spend around £50 billion per year on staff training.

If you’re a current employee, you’ll hear your training referred to as upskilling or CPD (Continuous Professional Development).

Sounds great, but how do you make the most of this money?

If you’re ready for the conversation about upskilling with your company, start it with confidence by following this guide:

1. Know the reasons why.

Before you approach your manager about your personal development, make sure you know why upskilling is so important.

By enhancing your skill set, you're boosting your worth as an employee. Keeping your skills up-to-date is the best way to stay relevant and the more you know, the more likely you’ll be able to adapt to any changes within the tech landscape.

Know your value!

2. Do your research and sell the benefits.

Begin by diving into the specifics. What online courses are you eyeing? How are they relevant to your work, and how will they benefit the company?

By building a compelling case, you can explain how your tech training will improve your work and help the company grow. Think efficiency, innovation, and maybe even cost savings.

3. Be realistic, and open to negotiation.

As important as your professional development is, it must fit around your current workload.

Your manager doesn’t want to pick up your work, and you don’t want to have to pull extra hours to meet your usual deadlines.

Think about planning your training in advance so your workload can be adapted to suit the requirements of the course. Explore how your most important responsibilities can be managed so you can reassure your boss it’s all in hand.

4. Present your plan.

Schedule a sit-down with your manager, or let them know in advance of your one-to-one meetings.

You’ve done your research, considered the best time for the course, and know it will benefit both you and the business. Present a clear plan for your training journey, including potential courses or resources, estimated costs, and a realistic timeline. They’ll appreciate this level of preparation.

5. Don’t forget to follow up.

After the chat, don't just leave it all up to them. Send a follow-up email to summarise the discussion and any action items. If further consideration is needed, actively explore other options or conduct additional research.

By following this guide, you're on the path to securing the training you need to thrive in the tech industry.

Ultimately, it’s cheaper to support your learning and development than to lose you. Know your value, show your commitment to the company and ask for training opportunities.

Your future self will thank you.

How Firebrand can help* (*The bit to send your employer)

There are lots of reasons to help improve specific skills within your team. Not only will it benefit business performance, but keeping up with training and development is a great way to keep your employees engaged. 
It also doesn’t have to break the budget.

Skills Bootcamps are funded by the Department for Education, and your company is eligible to claim a significant contribution towards training costs. They’re part of the Skills for Life scheme, looking to bridge the UK digital skills gap.

Thanks to this, upskilling with Skills Bootcamps can provide up to 90% off course fees, depending on the size of your business.

Interested?

Click here to make your training budget go further.