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Training Intervention Strategies

When Is Training Worth It?

Training has costs: not only the costs of the training itself, but also the cost of taking employees away from their duties. Therefore, for any training, it is important to ask whether the benefits outweigh the costs. Some training might be expensive but end up saving your organization money in the long-term if it can increase the number of clients that can be served or if it can eliminate the need to hire new employees. Even if the training cannot be shown to produce immediately quantifiable cost savings, it may have a high value if it enhances the reputation of the organization, enables it to provide a new reimbursable service, or positions the organization to apply for grants or State support for needed services. Measurable benefits of training can be grouped in three basic categories:
  • Quality of work
  • Efficiency of work
  • Reduced administrative costs 
Other tools for cost-benefit analysis include the following:
  • Workforce Week offers a free membership where you can search for resources on labor and human resource issues.
  • TOOL: Calculate the Cost and Benefits of Training provides a four-step process for measuring the savings that training provides and comparing it to the costs.
  • Mind Tools provides an informative article on Cost-Benefit Analysis – Evaluating Quantitatively Whether to Follow a Course of Action.
  • F. John Reh’s provides a useful cost-benefit analysis example.

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