Dive Brief:

• Employers today are offering strong support for employees who seek to grow their skill sets, according to recent research. The report, from staffing firm Robert Half, found that 72% of CFOs interviewed said their company covers some or all of the cost for staff to obtain professional certifications, and 76% said their organization helps in maintaining credentials once earned.
• On the downside, 29% said their organization offers no financial support for employees' continuing education.
• HR leaders who find themselves in that situation need to step up and make a strong business case for how and why that stance is hurting the company's profitability over the long haul. 

Dive Insight:

While the strong CFO feedback on helping employees upgrade their skills is encouraging and certainly a win-win for both employers and their workers, the 29% who do nothing is somewhat surprising.

One idea to convince senior management to get on the bandwagon includes giving specific examples of how helping workers achieve certifications will help improve productivity and deliver a strong ROI.

By supporting that type of training, employers can help develop employees for leadership positions and succession planning. Another idea: A program whereby the employer can split the costs of certification training. With more employers helping employees boost their educational and certification levels, the time is right for that lagging 29% to get in the game.