CHAPTER ONE
BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Over the years, training has been defined in various ways by different authors. Broad and Newstrom (1992), defined training in the workplace as “the effective and continuing application, by trainees to their jobs, of the knowledge and skills gained in training – both on and off the job.” According to Jackson & Schuler (2003), training refers to improving competencies needed today or very soon. Obisi (2001) defined training as a process through which the skills, talent and knowledge of an employee is enhanced and increased. The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies as a result of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relates to specific useful competencies (Wikipedia, 2011). While Nwachukwu (1992) opines that training is an organizational effort aimed at helping an employee to acquire basic skills required for the sufficient execution of the functions for which he was hired. He went further to say that training involves the learning and acquisition of skills needed to perform a particular job or series of jobs. While Obikoya (1996) view training as away to motivate workers to put in their best in their work in order to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in an organisation. Broad and Newstrom also stated that, in their experience with a wide range of organizations, transfer problems nearly always occurs when training employees. Other authors have suggested that as little as 10% of training is transferred to the workplace (Georgenson, 1982), although this level may be higher immediately after training, and decline over time (Newstrom, 1986). Whatever the actual level of transfer of training, when training does not transfer, it is likely that employees will perceive training to be a waste of their time and employers will continue to question the benefit of their investment in training.
Training employees do have a significant role in modern business era. Not just to equip them with latest tools the company has implemented, there is a lot more to it (Wikipedia, 2012). According to European Centre for the Development of vocational training (1998), the need for training employees becomes important because of the following;