Arwa Due-Gundersen, Senior Business Development Manager at Cambridge Advance Online, part of the University of Cambridge Online, says it shouldn’t. In fact, she argues, “instead of seeing it as an imposition, you should view it as a proactive step towards helping your business stay competitive.”
Arwa advises exploring “skill-based training opportunities that align with your personal development goals, the wider financial landscape and the priorities of your organisation”. According to LinkedIn, these ten finance skills are on the rise and offer valuable upskilling potential:
- AI literacy
- Governance, risk management and compliance (GRC)
- Strategic financial management
- Discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation
- Year-end accounting
- Business case preparation
- Customer relationship management
- Cross-team collaboration
- Investment strategies
- Data modeling
“The newness and rapid growth of AI technology will support your need to upskill in this area”, says Arwa. “Try to link any skill-building opportunities to areas your employer is likely to value, such as cost control, compliance, or strategic investment planning.”
Now is a good time to look into development opportunities, as over three-quarters of organisations globally (76%) are significantly updating their leadership programmes and planning to increase spending through 2025, a Gartner report claims.
But making a training request can still feel daunting, and those who are struggling with training and development are not alone. 41% of employees surveyed by McKinsey left their last role due to a lack of career advancement and development opportunities, the most common reason for quitting among all respondents. Additionally, Google searches related to job performance have increased by 700% over the past five years, indicating a growing emphasis on career progression and the means to achieve it.
Three ways to ask for finance training support
So, what’s the best way to start the conversation? Drawing on her expertise, Arwa shares three examples of how she would approach a training request, considering the most in-demand financial skills:
- AI Literacy ‘I’ve spotted a training course that will help me explore automation in forecasting, fraud detection, and customer insights. With the rapid growth of AI, I think this is something we need to stay on top of – AI literacy training will help us be more efficient and incorporate AI within our processes more effectively.’
- Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) ‘I’m conscious of the importance of GRC to our industry and I think it would be beneficial for me to top up my knowledge. I’ve found a training opportunity that will help us make better decisions around risk while ensuring we remain audit-ready and regulation-compliant.’
- Strategic Financial Management ‘As we’ve been talking more about long-term planning recently, I’d benefit from some training in strategic financial management to help support this. It will also improve my ability to explore financial sustainability at a strategic level. I’ve found a course that looks like a good fit, what do you think?’
Real answers to your biggest training concerns
Building on this guidance, Cambridge Advance Online analysed AlsoAsked data to identify the most Googled concerns related to requesting workplace training, answered below by Arwa:
Can an employer refuse training? A: “Yes, but most organisations will have specific budgets for learning and development and will actively encourage employees to use these for upskilling. Some reasons your request could be refused include budget constraints, timing conflicts or if the course is not directly relevant to the business’s needs. To reduce this risk, be prepared, communicate clearly and be aware of any budgetary requirements. If declined, ask for feedback to understand if it’s a firm no or if you can revisit later, helping you tailor future requests to be more effective and aligned with business priorities.”
Can you ask about training in an interview? A: “Absolutely, and it’s a smart move as it shows you’re invested in long-term growth and keen to contribute more to the business over time. It can feel daunting to ask when you’re meeting a prospective employer for the first time, but if development support could impact your decision to take the role, it’s worth bringing up. It shows ambition and will also give you a better sense of how much the organisation values ongoing development.”
How do you tell your boss you need better training? A: “Clearly communicating with your manager is really important to make sure that the time and money spent on your training is mutually beneficial. If you feel like you’re not receiving appropriate training, you should identify why that is and how training can be recalibrated to better benefit you and your team. Open a constructive conversation that focuses on growth, rather than gaps, to help keep the tone positive and respectful.”
For more of Arwa’s advice and insights, including advice for management, head to: https://advanceonline.cam.ac.uk/blog/an-awkward-ask
