I speak from personal experience when I say that on-the-job training and support from an employer is absolutely critical to achieve long-term success.
When I was 17 and looking for my first job, I had a few offers on the table. Some paid a little more than others, but one opportunity stood out. The employer made it very clear they expected, almost insisted, I continue my education alongside the role. For someone whose traditional route through education had been cut short for personal reasons, that mattered. The job title was “Assistant Research Technician,” and even at that age I knew one thing for certain: I wasn’t planning to be an assistant forever.
That decision shaped the next two decades of my life.
I officially finished my “full-time” work education at 35 years old. Along the way I completed numerous courses and gained a handful of additional qualifications.
Those qualifications, and more importantly the support to achieve them, opened doors. They created opportunities. They helped turn what could have been just a job into a genuine career path. One that eventually led to me sitting in the chair I do today. The route was long and unconventional, but it proved something fundamental to me: investment in people changes lives.
The view from the other side
Today, I’m now the one running a small business and making decisions about investing in other people.
And I’ll be honest, training staff, particularly for formal qualifications, is expensive. It costs money, and time. And if you’re personally mentoring a member of staff through their development, it adds further pressure on your own workload.
There’s also the fear that sits in the back of every employer’s mind: what if we invest all this time and money, and they move on?
These are real concerns. No business owner would pretend otherwise.
Because you’re worth it!
Despite the cost and short-term disruption, the rewards of investing in people are enormous.
Staff given the opportunity to learn are more engaged. They feel valued. They bring new skills, new ideas, and new energy into the business. Often, they teach you as much as you teach them.
But, if a course costs £2,000, would you be better off just adding that to someone’s salary instead?
Absolutely not.
A pay rise is appreciated, of course – but it’s like putting money into a current account. It feels good at the time, but it doesn’t grow. Spend that same money on training, and it becomes a real investment. It pays dividends.
The person you hired, because they were right for the job, becomes even better at it. They gain confidence. They become more capable. They start contributing at a higher level. Your business improves, your customers benefit, and your whole organisation gets stronger as a result.
Putting our money where our mouth is
At SiteZone Safety, we’ve tried to live by that philosophy.
We may be a small business, but we’ve made a conscious decision to invest in our people wherever we can.
In recent years alone:
- Sam, our Marketing Manager, completed her Mini MBA in Marketing with our full support
- Hubert successfully completed his Data Technician Apprenticeship, gaining new skills in data analysis, reporting, and system development. That learning has fed directly into improvements in our own technology platform. And anyone using SiteZone’s data portal today is already seeing the benefits of that investment – clearer reporting, better insights, and continual enhancements driven by in-house expertise
- Ellie joined as a bookkeeper with AAT Level 2 qualifications and, through ongoing training and development, has progressed to Management Accountant
- Adam, one of our Field Service Engineers, just started his HNC to further develop his technical expertise
Each of these qualifications has required time, commitment, and investment from both the individual and the company. But every single one has delivered real value back into the business.
More importantly, they’ve helped talented people grow their careers and improve their futures.
That’s something we’re incredibly proud of.
The Bigger Picture
Training isn’t just a cost on a spreadsheet.
It’s a statement about what kind of company you want to be.
Businesses that invest in their people build stronger teams, deliver better service, and create deeper loyalty. Customers may never see the certificates on the wall, but they absolutely feel the difference in the professionalism, knowledge, and confidence of the people they deal with.
And yes, sometimes people you invest in will move on. That’s part of life. But far more often, they stay – and they help you build something far greater than you could ever achieve alone.
As the famous saying goes:
“Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t.”
