Stellar Training Platforms for Young Professionals

Read the views of Aoife McCrum, Director of Digital at SoolNua, and Gráinne Ní Ghiollagáin, Business Development Manager at SoolNua - both co-council members at Meetings+Millennials.

The hiring process can be a daunting and time consuming one. Shifting through CVs, sitting through endless interviews, salary negotiations, ensuring it is the correct fit, then the endless coaching and training that goes into that one individual to make sure they can thrive in that role... perhaps after six months, you have a strong new employee!

But the process does not end there. According to LinkedIn’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report, 93 percent of employees would stay longer at a company if it invests in their careers. Training and development are no longer optional perks that companies offer, they are expected. 

According to the Association for Talent Development, companies with a formalized training program have a whopping 218 percent higher income per employee than companies that don’t invest in their staff.

Not only does a comprehensive training programme increase overall profit and productivity, it also signals that employees appreciate and value their people and that they are willing to invest time and money in an individual. Thus, in turn, the employees are motivated and engaged with the company - decreasing the amount of time you would have to spend on the hiring process if they opt to move on. 

Understanding what training and development programs to invest in for your employees can be hard to navigate. That’s why we have highlighted below four different training opportunities for your millennial employees.

FYP - Forum for Young Professionals:

This programme takes place right before IBTM in Barcelona every year and is by application only. Facilitated by ICCA, the 35 delegates that attend the three-day programme are comprised of ICCA members (ranging from convention bureaus, venues, PCO, transport companies and meetings support) and associations. They have to be within the specified target group of less than 30 years of age and hold one to three years of experience in the meetings and events industry. The wide range of demographics allow for a full spectrum of opinions and experiences across a series of educational sessions and deep dive discussions. We had the privilege to attend this programme and we have kept in contact with the people we met - we are even still in the WhatsApp groups years later!

PCMA - webinars:

Encourage your employees to sign up for webinars and allocate time in their week to log in without distraction to topics that are of interest to them, so they can further their knowledge and development. There are lots of online education webinars out there and PCMA have a wonderful range of topics to choose from. Think of this as the Netflix for education option: you choose when you want to digest it!

SITE - Young Leaders Conference:

This conference takes place right before IMEX America in Las Vegas every year. If your employees are within the first five years of their career in the incentive industry, it will help them kick start their professional journey. The SITE Young Leaders’ Conference presents an opportunity to meet young professionals from all around the world and gather to learn, energize and focus on both personal and career goals. “Setting aside our precious time is never easy, but when such a great opportunity arises, it is worth it!” Heidi Goettemoeller, Conference Co-Chair, said in her event testimonial. “Attendees get to experience a stellar combination of networking opportunities with each other, with recognised industry leaders and with keynote speakers. Innovative sessions draw on the experience of being a young professional. With these new connections and education opportunities, I found that my passion for the MICE industry was reignited.”

Finally, talk to your team members about what professional development they might be interested in pursuing. There are lots of options!