Training and continuing professional development (CPD) are important not just in keeping your skills up to date but also in increasing your job satisfaction. Training should also act as a signal to savvy clients that you take your business – and them – seriously. It underscores your professionalism.
But training events can be expensive. There’s the cost of the courses themselves, plus travel, accommodation and meals. I’ve just attended two website usability workshops (on Copy Tactics and Optimisation and Search Engine Optimisation) run by the Nielsen Norman Group in London. And then it was straight into the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) conference over the weekend. So five days out of the office, train and plane fares to and from London, four nights hotel accommodation, meals and all the incidentals.
Training grants
That adds up to a lot of money. Luckily, I was awarded a training grant from Skills Development Scotland (SDS), a Scottish government scheme that promotes training for small businesses. SDS pays up to 50% of training fees (the maximum grant is currently £500 per course). And their application process is mercifully simple.
Local councils sometimes offer help, especially if you live in a regeneration area. For example, Glasgow City Council offers grants to local businesses under its Skills and Business Growth Programme. Chambers of Commerce are another possible source of help.
Even if grants aren’t available, your council or chamber might provide free (or reasonably priced) workshops in business skills – it’s worth checking out!
By Marian Dougan
By Marian Dougan
3 Responses
If there is government funding for training, all the better. But I figure that at least some of the investment should be seen as not just honing your skills for future assignments, but simple *marketing*. At industry events — including, in particular, non-language industry events — you learn about hot topics for clients *even as you meet and mingle with those clients*. Which, assuming you can avoid being too salesy, gives you a chance to become their preferred supplier. It’s an investment in time (and money, sure), but at this level CPD is far more effective than four-color brochures and lots of the social media networking people tend to rabbit on about. In my experience, in any case. 🙂
Chris
Hello Chris, and thanks for commenting. I agree: training/CPD should be multi-faceted and include attending industry events in our sectors. Participation in such events – and indeed in courses, workshops and the like – should also be a signal for clients, and something that marks us out from the ranks of “translators” who quite simply couldn’t give a damn about quality, customer service or their own professionalism. On the topic of social media networking: I’ve received work through recommendations by translators I’ve met on Twitter. And I find it a great way to keep up with colleagues (some of whom also post links to interesting articles and resources: just this week, I found the Financial Times Lexicon and Writing for Translation via Twitter. Both of which I promptly added to my website’s resource page (where you feature too). So CPD through Twitter too?
Hello again Chris – I’ve just remembered, I got a government training grant to attend last year’s Université d’été in Paria too…