Are you an employee looking to develop new skills? There are a number of ways in which you can get your employer to finance your continuing training. What are the options? How do you apply to your company for funding? We explain everything in this article.

How can I finance my continuing program as an employee?

Continuing education, a right for all employees

Continuing education is a right for all employees. There are two main ways of accessing continuing education programs if you are an employee:

  • Your employer takes the initiative: in the case of a company-designed training plan, the company takes care of the organization and generally covers all program costs.
  • You take the initiative: you need to contact a continuing education center and make a formal request to your employer. You and your company will then have to agree on the terms and conditions of your participation. The aspects generally discussed revolve around the percentage of program costs to be covered (registration fees, accommodation, transport or meals) and the duration of your unavailability (training days granted).

Continuing education: a duty for employees

When a company agrees to finance training, it expects a return on its investment.

As a result, the employer may try to negotiate your departure: generally, he will ask you to respect a certain deadline before leaving the organization. This is known as the "no-training" clause. And if you leave before then? Then you'll have to reimburse the program costs incurred by your employer. Once again, these terms need to be discussed in advance.

How to get financial support from your employer?

Avantages of continuing education

Are you worried that your company might be reluctant to help finance your continuing education program? Don't panic, there are a number of arguments that could make it easier for you to get help from your employer.

Here are the main advantages of continuing education that you can put forward.

Benefit n°1: enhanced employee skills

Thanks to continuing education, you'll acquire new skills that you'll be able to use within the company. The more you train, the more qualified you become. All our continuing programs are designed to meet the needs of the Swiss market. Professional continuing education is therefore a godsend for your company's development!

Benefit n°2: the value of practical work

During a professional continuing education program, there is often group work or organizational reports to hand in. This means that the company can benefit from your work on very specific subjects. This is an important advantage to emphasize to your employer!

Benefit n°3: reduced staff turnover

By contributing to the financing of continuing education, employers can "motivate the troops", increase productivity and, above all, build employee loyalty. By acquiring knowledge, you'll feel valued and supported in your career: so why would you go elsewhere? In other words, professional training is a real lever for improving employee retention... and limiting recruitment costs!

Benefit n°4: enhanced corporate image

By providing access to ongoing training, employers show that they are open, humane and concerned about their employees' development. A company's (good) reputation also depends on its training policy. The result is a modern, dynamic and caring corporate image!

Choosing the right continuing education program

As you can see, your employer has his own interests to consider. In concrete terms, he's not going to finance your professional training - he'd rather you stayed!

To give yourself the best chance of success, choose the right program:

  • How does it relate to your current position?
  • How does it relate to the organization's development prospects?
  • Does the program you have chosen meet a need already identified during an appraisal interview?
  • Does the program require your presence on the organization's premises (and therefore that you leave the company)? Or can you take it online?

Preparing for the interview

The first step is to be clear about the information concerning the program: duration, cost, type of establishment and terms and conditions are essential elements to prepare. You need to be able to answer any questions from Human Resources and your manager. In the same way, take stock of the most relevant advantages to put forward to convince them.

Once you have these elements, you can discuss them with your employer, either informally or formally (interview). The idea is to "take the temperature" so you can fine-tune your sales pitch in preparation for your formal application. Take the opportunity to respond to any initial objections!

Then it's time to draw up a written request to the employer, specifying :

  • Your reasons for applying & motivation
  • The title and description of the program (specify why you think it's the most appropriate)
  • The objectives of the program (to develop skills in a specific area)
  • The benefits to the organization of training you (what will it gain by agreeing to finance this program?)
  • Logistical details (name of program organization, start and end dates, location, number of hours and timeframe)Cost of program

Be ready to request training from your employer

Don't hesitate to back up your arguments. In particular, you can emphasize the organization's good reputation thanks to testimonials.

In some cases, to be valid, your written request must be sent by registered mail. Employers have 30 days to inform you of their decision.

Do you have any questions about financing continuing education programs? We're here to help you get started. Contact our team.