Case study: staff development in the International Student Office

The International Student Office explains how staff training and development is central to the way they work.

Identifying development requirements

Training and development is often a key point of discussion in the regular one-to-one meetings which are carried out as part of the Staff Review and Development Scheme (SRDS). Colleagues’ training needs, as well as areas of interest, are identified and relevant training opportunities discussed.

Regular sharing of learning between team members

In weekly team meetings, colleagues who have attended training courses are asked to share key points with the rest of the team. This helps to embed learning for the person who attended training, and to keep the team members informed about useful tips or updates which have been picked up.

Maintaining regular development activities

Members of the team are encouraged to complete at least one training or development activity each month, dependent on workload. These activities could be attending a course, completing an online training course, or spending some time researching and reading up about a topic of interest.

Putting training into practice

The team tries to adopt good practice picked up through training courses. After one colleague attended the “Confidentiality and Information Security Workshop”, the team used what had been learned to develop their own policy.

The benefits for the team

The International Student Office is confident that appropriate training has impacted positively on the team’s performance. Staff regularly use techniques and skills gained in training, and the learning has been empowering for the team, as they are more confident and knowledgeable about what they’re doing. This in turn improves quality of the service offered to students.

Attending training also offers valuable opportunities for networking. Staff are encouraged to talk to and exchange contact details with other attendees at courses, which can provide a route into other teams, and make getting hold of information easier and quicker.