Tom Greenan's tips on how to boost the number of staff taking up training courses.

1. Is the training good enough? Has it been bought off the shelf, is there a chance that it's not fully relevant, inspiring etc?
2. Is your organisation selling the benefits of the training enough - to enhance their customer interactions, continuing professional development, their future etc? If we want buy-in, then it needs to be sold.
3. Is learning being sufficiently promoted by the organisation to the staff in line with the organisation's core values?
4. If the staff have managers, what part are the managers (not) playing in this?
5. Is the learning linked in with personal development plans?

It may not be feasible geographically but if it were me, I would have them in and take them through a session linking personal vision and values to team vision and values and organisational vision and values.

If you hit the right note on the personal vision and values - that, to some extent, their futures and those of their own personal stakeholders (family, reportees etc) are dependent on their learning - then many will change their attitude. This is assuming, of course, that the leadership will support this from then on. I have had experience in several situations just like you describe and it does work.

* View the question that prompted these tips, and other members' advice on how to boost course take up, here.