Many members of the biomed community have shown concern for the increasing lack of employer-paid training. The 24×7 2011 Compensation Survey bears that out: 55% of respondents reported receiving less than 20 hours of training during the year, and 66% said they received no management training at all. Jenifer Brown, president and owner of the newly founded Health Tech Talent Management LLC, Virginia Beach, Va, feels that when employers stop paying for training, biomeds should be proactive about searching for independent training opportunities.
“No one looks out for your career better than yourself,” Brown says. “If you know as a candidate that you’re not getting the training or advancement that you need, then you need to be the one to take control of that and get the additional training and education, even if it means paying out of your own pocket. It’s your career path that we’re talking about. A lot of candidates expect the employers to take care of their career but that’s not the way anymore; you have to take care of it.”
The compensation survey also showed that only 24% of respondents are currently pursuing formal education, a seemingly disproportionate number for a field that requires near-constant education.
What solutions have you found to decreasing training opportunities funded by employers? Do you actively seek out educational opportunities on your own or do you know peers that have taken this approach?
For more from Brown, make sure to catch my interview with her in the May issue of 24×7.
