PD Training courses

What is PD Training?

Students can book and sit a professional development course on campus Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, or online with PD Training (PDT). PDT is the leading provider of Professional Development, Lean Six Sigma, Psychometric Profiling, Positive Organisational Psychology programs, and survey tools.

They support businesses and Governments in 7 countries covering Asia-Pacific and the USA.

Participants and clients benefit from industry-leading resources and the best specialist trainers in the industry.

PDT is always searching for the best individuals to join our team, and the best partners like Lumify Group who believe helping people achieve their goals should be at the core of every business and wants this purpose to drive everything they do at work.

Please consult with us today on PD training in NZ.

What is a professional development course?

And why is it important in 2023 and beyond? Professional development and continual learning help individuals cope with increased competition and challenges in the workplace. It also supports advancing and expanding one's skills from the technical aspects of the role to job expectations related to dealing with people - from customers, colleagues and even subordinates as one moves into a supervisory position.

Professional development courses are suited for people in all industries. Teachers, nurses and IT professionals in New Zealand often sign up for a professional development course online or in-person to improve communication within their teams and to grow their careers.

According to PDT, employee turnover is one of the biggest problems businesses face today. 94% of employees surveyed by LinkedIn for its annual Workplace Learning Report said they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their professional development. Retaining your employees significantly impacts your business's bottom line and quality. According to the Human Resource Institute, replacing an employee costs about $10-$15k. It can take up to three times to replace a management or senior-level employee.

When it comes to factors impacting Employee Retention, the pandemic is one of them. It has sped up digital transformation and the ever-enlarging skills gap. Skilling, employee retention, well-being, leadership, and L&D are all urgent priorities.

Business volatility is another. It amplifies the need for HR to think holistically. There’s a need to focus on professional development, skill-based planning and internal mobility to build a work culture based on continuous learning.

PayScale surveyed 38,000 respondents and found that professional development courses can address the learning opportunities they want, with the rest focused on technical skills training and employer-subsidised degrees.

• 32% Management and leadership training -  As departments expand and organisations restructure, they must identify new leaders with the skills to manage and lead teams and subteams. Management skills are vital in completing tasks and meeting key performance indicators. Leadership skills, on the other hand, ensure that leaders are prepared to motivate their teams. 
  

• 30% Professional certifications - As team members get involved in the business overall, they need to gain an understanding of how to support different departments and how to make decisions for matters like recruitment and bidding. Professional development courses in human resources, accounting and finance and in negotiations can equip them for these situations.
  

• 17% Technical skills training - Staff want to advance their technical proficiency to perform the technical aspects of their jobs better. Depending on their focus, specialised training can cover Art and Design, Media and Publishing, Architecture and Engineering, Information Technology (also available on Lumify), Maintenance and Repair, or Science and Biotech.
  

• 8% Teamwork and interpersonal skills training - Individuals and organisations have realised the value of soft skills. Competencies like resilience, verbal communication and creative thinking encourage smoother collaboration between customers, partners and colleagues and are critical factors in the success of projects.
  

• 7% Employer-subsidised degrees  - Some employees are looking for support for tuition fees towards advanced education like diploma courses, master's degrees or doctorates. These can take longer to complete and require more financial resources. It also entails establishing details and guidelines around the program regarding time commitments and costs covered. Although the rewards can be great - in one case study, a health insurance company experienced a 129% return on investment.

The benefits of professional development courses

Whether you are just starting, going through a career change or have been a lifer in the industry, completing professional development courses regularly is a good practice. These courses can:

1. Help you handle more types of challenges

Some people are set in their ways about how to handle a problem, how to deal with colleagues and how to deal with customers. But as the pandemic has shown us, we will encounter new issues or concerns. These demand that we expand our thinking and approaches to problem-solving.

2. Re-energise you

We mentioned how employee retention is a challenge for many companies. This is often due to staff feeling stuck in the same job with no growth opportunities and little collaboration. A continuing professional development course is a great initiative for helping employees engage with colleagues and connect to the company's vision.

3. Prepare you for career advancement

Professional development courses identify potential growth opportunities like leadership and management roles or working with partners and the community.

4. Keeps you updated on industry trends

Staff must deal with changing customer behaviours, technological innovations and hybrid work arrangements with multi-location and multi-cultural teams. And continuing education can help you cope with these.

5. Expand your professional network

Whether online or face-to-face, a professional development course sees students interacting with other students through workshops, discussions and exercises. This provides them with an expanded network of contacts they can sound off on challenges, learn from and connect with for business partnerships or work opportunities.

What can you expect in a professional development course?

Professional development courses with PDT and Lumify are fun and interactive sessions where students receive presentations and are prompted to join group discussions and exercises.

Whether the professional development course is online or in person, participants can gain practical skills and knowledge that will transform personal and professional interactions.

You can contact us for more information on PD assessment and training in NZ - whether in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch. Course length varies from three hours, half day, and one day with a maximum of 2 full business days.