With hard work and experience, employees can master their positions. But education and mentorship can help them learn more quickly, widen their skillset, grow in different directions, and, ultimately, find purpose in their careers. 

Employee development programs are something that more and more workers are looking for in their job searches, allowing them to advance their careers. About 80 percent of employees say a company’s professional development and training opportunities are top considerations when accepting a new job, according to a 2021 American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor survey by The Harris Poll. 

Offering these programs can benefit companies, too. It helps organizations attract top talent, retain their best employees, and foster a happier workforce, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.  

This symbiotic relationship is a model that employees of all levels and companies of all sizes can learn from.

Educational programs enable employees to expand their skills 

One of the most effective ways to encourage growth amongst employees is through offering courses, workshops, and online training programs. Upskilling is increasingly important to workers. More than half, or 57 percent, said they were interested in training to upgrade their skills or learn new skills for career advancement, according to a 2021 Gallup study commissioned by Amazon. When upskilling opportunities are free and available as part of their current jobs, the interest grows to 71 percent. 

Rockland Trust employee Carla Goncalves has been taking advantage of opportunities to learn and grow within the company since she started there four years ago. She’s taken classes on how people interact and learn, which she says has helped her be a better manager. 

“The programs expose us to different people within the company and allow us to create our own brand,” she says. “It definitely makes a difference and an impact on how our career goes.” 

In October, Goncalves was promoted to vice president and business banking officer, where she covers five locations and helps business customers with their lending needs. 

Tuition assistance is another way to motivate employees and provide a path to development. At Rockland Trust, for example, the company covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for those seeking associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees at Cambridge College Global, and 75 percent of the costs of undergraduate and master of business administration programs at other colleges and universities. 

Morgan Ford, a Rockland Trust employee who started off the New Year with a promotion, is using the tuition program to earn an MBA with a concentration on human resources, which he says will help him keep growing at the company. 

Ford first joined the company five years ago serving as a relationship banker at the Hyannis branch. Most recently he joined the marketing department as a deposit products manager.

Ford credits career development programs for giving him the confidence and experience within the company to take initiative and seize opportunities. 

“What I appreciate most is the exposure,” he says. “You get to showcase your abilities, and what you can do, and the sky’s the limit. Once I started to [embrace the opportunities], I’ve been able to grab the reins and sow my own path.”

Mentorship exposes employees to new opportunities  

Mentorship is another way companies can foster career development. Mentorship helps employees feel happier at work, develop relationships throughout the company, grow their skills, and be more productive overall, according to MentorliQ. 

“We get to see different aspects of the business, how different people conduct business, allowing us to grow and to really just have the knowledge to move forward,” Goncalves says of the shadowing program at Rockland Trust, adding that seeing others in different roles gave her the confidence to seek advancement. 

Programs where newer employees can rotate through different departments of the company and work under different mentors for a short period of time can be a great way for workers to “sample” different working styles and environments and figure out where they fit best. This is offered at Rockland Trust through the Rising Stars program, where participants can network, set career goals, build awareness about their work styles and preferences, and participate in mentorship.

“It takes you through all the sectors of the bank, showing you the different career paths and that the bank is bigger than just being inside of a branch,” says Ford, who took part in Rising Stars for two years. 

Ford also participated in the leadership development program through The Partnership, an organization focused on building a diverse leadership pipeline. “It was more geared toward people of color and really helping you find your voice and your confidence, and also networking with other professionals,” he says. He was able to participate because his company sponsored him. 

Another excellent example of mentorship programming is Strategies and Tactics for Emerging Professionals (STEP), offered by Rockland Trust, that addresses the racial and cultural factors that limit career development for minorities by pairing employees with mentors. The proof is in the numbers – individuals who have joined the program have a 50 percent promotion rate. 

Both employees and companies benefit from career development opportunities

In a time when companies are looking for ways to keep their best employees around, internal development opportunities can be a good place to start. Nearly 70 percent of workers say they would stay with an employer throughout their careers if the company upskilled them, according to the University of Phoenix Career Institute’s 2022 Career Optimism Index. Among workers who quit their jobs in 2021, 63 percent said it was because they didn’t have any opportunities for advancement, according to the Pew Research Center. 

The ability to learn and advance motivates employees, heightens productivity, and boosts retention rates, Goncalves says. “It just makes for a better environment for all of us.” 

She plans to participate in more career development opportunities in the future and hopes to eventually become a mentor. So does Ford.

“They give you the opportunity and the keys to be successful,” Ford says.