Training and Development Policy

Employee Training Development in a Manufacturing Environment

Develop a training and development policy for your business. Employee training development and cross training employees is key to your business success. Use this sample policy as a template for your business.

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If you want employees who are well trained and able to learn new technologies and new skills, you need to invest in education and development programs for them.

You also need to track employee training.

For example, by ensuring that once an employee has completed the training and/or education program that the completion is recorded in both their personnel file and in a training database that you set up and maintain.

And you need to build employee training plans that are specifically aligned with your business goals and strategies.

Cross training employees to optimize your workforce is a key business development strategy: your best resources are your employees and the better trained and the more flexible they are, the better your business can perform.


A Sample Training and Development Policy

Review, consider and adapt this policy as necessary for your business. This policy is for a manufacturing environment (with plant floor operators). Office, online and/or retail environments would need to develop a custom-built policy.

A Focus on Employee Training Development (Skills Oriented) and Planning:

Internal or External Training

To put greater emphasis on internal skill development, ____________’s (known as the Company) long-term objective is to focus on building formalized on-the-job development programs within the organization and within the progression structure.

There are two reasons for this increased focus:

  1. to ensure that the Company has the skills available to meet not only current demands for our services, but also to meet the planned marketing and sales objectives; and
  2. to provide you with the opportunity to learn new skills and provide you with the ability to progress to more skilled and progressively more senior positions within the Company.

Employee education and development is a cost to the Company and we are prepared to invest that cost in our employees because we believe that the benefit to the Company and to our employees (in job satisfaction and additional potential for progression) will be worth the investment.

We need your commitment to training and learning new skills.

To be considered for additional coaching and education:

  • There must be a need for the skills;
  • The person to receive the education must have the minimum qualifications skills, abilities, knowledge and/or experience that are necessary;
  • If internal training, there must be available internal resources to do the education (e.g. a trained trainer who has the time available).
  • If external training, there must be appropriate education facilities for the development.

If an employee wishes the company to pay for development courses or programs, he or she needs to put the request in writing and ask for approval before enrollment. If approved (not all education and development will be approved depending on company’s need and training budget), the employee will be required to pay half of the cost upfront and will be reimbursed upon successful completion. If the employee does not pass the course or drops out during the course, the employee will be required to reimburse the company for their investment.

For company-paid programs, the employee must be prepared to invest the time and energy to pass the course. All programs that require pass/fail or other marks to pass will not be paid by the Company unless the request for reimbursement is accompanied by proof of passing the course.


In most manufacturing environments, advanced technologies are driving the need for trained and highly skilled operators and workers. It is important for employers, and employees, to commit to ongoing, life-long learning and training.

Use this employee training and development policy sample to build a policy that best-fits your own business environment. Employee training development objectives need to be set annually and reviewed regularly. Build a business that revolves around a learning culture.


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Additional training information on: Employee Training Methods and Employee Training Development.

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