Survey Shows Most Companies Pay for Employee Tuition, Professional Development

As students gear up to go back to school this fall, those already in the workforce may want to consider continuing their education, a new survey suggests. Ninety-four percent of senior executives interviewed said their firms offer tuition benefits for their employees. Ninety-five percent of respondents said their companies also reimburse for other forms of professional development.

Executives were asked, “Does your company offer college or university tuition reimbursement benefits for employees?” Ninety-four percent of respondents said “yes,” only five percent said “no” and one percent did not know.

Executives were also asked, “Does your company reimburse for other forms of professional development or training?” Here, 95 percent of respondents said “yes,” only two percent said “no” and three percent did not know.

“Providing educational and professional development opportunities helps companies attract top performers, maximize productivity and boost retention efforts,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. “Employees who take full advantage of the resources available for learning remain intellectually challenged and increase their ability to take on greater responsibility at work.”

Messmer noted that technical skills aren’t the only ones that professionals should seek to acquire. “Interpersonal skills are vital as the workplace becomes increasingly collaborative,” he said. “Classes that offer instruction on how to communicate more effectively can be especially useful for career advancement.”

Source: Accountemps; www.accountemps.com.

Reprinted with permission. © CCH

(submitted Aug. 20, 2008)

Ninety-four percent of senior executives interviewed said their firms offer tuition benefits for their employees.