Professional development is important for growth and career development, including advancement. But it often goes far beyond that. Professional development can also lead to overall career satisfaction and earning potential and often translates into personal satisfaction.
Employees that receive additional training and certifications have increased confidence in their own work. According to Business News Daily, professional training is mutually beneficial for employees and employers. Employees gain new insights and skills, which often lead to better job satisfaction. Employers often see higher productivity rates and gain more-equipped employees who can fill skill gaps.
Professional development can include workshops, lunch and learns, classes, and certification programs. While some of these programs are mandatory and offered within a company setting, there is often room for growth from a personal perspective independent of the workplace. AMSG is offering that opportunity to employees looking to level up on their own.
AMSG is proud to offer courses and training through The Knowledge Academy for all employees seeking to learn new skills and earn certifications.
AMSG’s CEO Jim O’Farrell believes in supporting his employees. Encouraging growth and development, whatever the topic, is one of the things he values: “Regardless of the job you have, training and exploration bring great value and perspective, both professionally and personally. I want employees to reach their goals and offering education programs and training can help them do just that.”
The Knowledge Academy is the world’s largest provider of classroom and online training courses, offering more than 30,000 courses. Categories of courses include cloud computing, project management, IT, Microsoft, and more. Certification courses include Lean Six Sigma, Agile Project Management Foundation & Practitioner (AgilePM®), Scrum Master, Project Management Professional (PMP)®, and more. AMSG chose to offer programming from The Knowledge Academy because of the diversity of courses so that team members have a variety of options in interest areas, in both online and in-person training options.
Mohamed Elhag recently shared why he sought professional development and earned his Professional Scrum Master (PSM1) certification. Mohamed is continuing his education through The Knowledge Academy with a program in data science analytics.
Mohamed isn’t alone — 14 AMSGers have enrolled in The Knowledge Academy seeking to broaden their skillset taking courses such as machine elearning, SharePoint, Adobe Premiere, web development, and more.
Beyond the possibility of career advancement and new opportunities, continuing education and being a lifelong learner are good for your overall mental well-being and self-esteem. Research also shows that continued lifelong learning may decrease the risk for dementia because of mental stimulation. The bottom line is whether you’re participating in professional development now for career opportunities and growth, or later in life to sharpen your skills, professional development and additional trainings can make a big impact.
By: Sheila Rupp, AMSGazette Contributor and Editor