PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Purpose

Company ABC is committed to providing a supportive and rewarding environment for employees and recognises that the quality, responsiveness and professionalism of its workforce are inextricably linked to the company’s achievement of its strategic goals.

The purpose of the Professional Development Policy is to encourage and support employees to actively pursue their personal and professional. Company ABC acknowledges that continuing professional development contributes to personal job satisfaction, workplace productivity, reward and recognition.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees on fixed term and ongoing appointments.

This policy should be read in conjunction with Staff Study Agreement and the Study Application Form.

Identifying development needs

A staff member’s learning and development needs are primarily identified through the performance cycle and are captured in the staff member’s Personal Development Plan.

Learning and development needs can relate to technical or behavioural capabilities required for the staff member’s current role or future career ambitions. Behavioural capabilities are defined in the Behavioural Capability Framework. For further information refer to the Behavioural Capability Framework guideline.

Where learning and development needs and opportunities have not been identified and agreed to in the staff member’s current personal development plan, staff will generally not be given approval in the that financial or calendar year.

Procedure

1. Company ABC’s Learning and Development branch has the primary responsibility for the provision of professional development programs and activities. The Learning and Development Branch provides advice and support for professional development.
2. Staff requesting professional development must complete the Staff Application Form and have it approved by the relevant manager, outlined in this policy and the application form.
3. Send the completed and approved application to the Learning and Development Branch for final approval and budget allocation.
4. Learning and Development will provide a Staff Study Agreement for you to sign, where relevant, at which point you may register or enrol for your professional development opportunity.
5. Learning and Development will not approve any study or professional development activities that staff have already have commenced without prior permission.
6. Learning and Development will only consider applications within the time frame advertised on the Intranet.
7. Learning and Development are not responsible for enrolling staff into their activities, paying directly for activities, booking travel and accommodation and will not reimburse staff for any associated costs such as meals, travel, accommodation, equipment and resources, stationery, etc.
8. Study leave and exam leave is to be approved by the staff member’s Branch Manager. Please read the award for allocations. Staff enrolled in Higher Education programs are eligible to apply for study Leave and exam leave.
9. Staff are responsible for providing evidence of completion to the Learning and Development Branch in the way of a Statement of Attainment, Completion Certificate, etc.

Financial Support

1. Internal professional development programs will be informed by the company’s strategic goals and priorities. Internal providers are funded solely by the company, and as a general principle, branch and teams are not required to fund internal professional development programs other than to provide work time for employees to attend programs or to subsidise costs such as an external consultant, catering or printing. Team Leaders are responsible for approving attendance at internal professional development programs.
2. Where an Branch or team unit requests the Learning and Development Branch to develop and deliver a specific development program, the costs of development and delivery are to be met from the requesting Branch’s budget with costs agreed to as part of the planning process. Executive Managers are responsible for approving the costs and attendance.
3. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) costs will be met by the Learning and Development team upon approval of activities on an annual basis. Branch Managers are responsible for approving attendance CPD programs.
4. High Education costs will be met the Learning and Development team upon approval by way of reimbursement at the successful completion of each subject. Staff enrolled into Higher Education programs must read and adhere to the procedure in the Staff Agreement. Executive Managers are responsible for approving attendance in HE programs.
5. Traineeships and other AQF level (Cert II, III, IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma) qualification costs will be met by the Learning and Development team upon approval. Branch Managers are responsible for approving attendance of these programs.
6. Short courses and conferences, seminars costs will be met by the individual Branch budgets. Branch Managers are responsible for approving attendance for short courses and conferences, seminars.
7. Financial support will be approved in line with the following guide:

Relevance to current role and Company ABC’s strategic goals:	Financial Support:
Directly related to current job role and strategic goals	100%
Relevant to future and agreed career goals identified in Personal Develop Plan	75%
Relevant to potential future career goals that may be achieved at Company ABC	50%
Relevant to potential future career goals that cannot currently be achieved at Company ABC	25%
Bears no relevance to current or future job roles or strategic goals	0%