CAO
How to secure funding from your organisation for an online course – practical tips and templates
Our employer funding guide has practical tips to help you align your chosen course or programme with your organisation’s goals and make a business case for your employer to fund your learning.
Employer funding helps you access professional development opportunities and keep your skills up to date, so you can both excel in your role and prepare for the next level in your career.
Our straightforward guide(Opens in a new window) takes you through the process of asking for funding. From choosing your course, creating a business case from our template form, to what to say when you make that request. It also includes practical details about flexible payment options for Cambridge Advance Online learning.
Continuous professional developments benefits both you and your organisation. This guide will help gain the clarity and confidence to pursue learning opportunities that will enhance your skillset.
Why your organisation should be investing in your training
The world of work is shifting exponentially – from AI adoption to global instability and sustainable transformation – which means the capabilities organisations need are changing too.
Continuing professional development is one of the best ways to ensure that teams are equipped with the up-to-date strategies and tools they need to drive innovation.
Organisations like yours can’t risk falling behind – so this is an opportunity for you to find learning that will both advance your career and help your organisation remain competitive.
Our Senior Strategic Collaboration Manager Arwa Due-Gundersen says:
“Innovation, efficiency and engagement are all driven by regular employee upskilling. Organisations can expect benefits like improved business resilience, reduced recruitment costs and a team that’s future proofed. For individuals, it can translate to increased confidence, improved career prospects and a stronger sense of value at work.”
The benefits to your organisation in numbers
Organisations that have embraced continuous professional developments are seeing significant improvements to productivity, talent retention and accelerated innovation.
According to PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey(Opens in a new window), leaders a from organisations that prioritise upskilling report:
improved workforce productivity (93%) – 16% higher than those just starting out
better talent acquisition and retention (95%) – 25% higher than early-stage upskillers
greater innovation and accelerated digital transformation (96%) – 27% higher than those at the beginning of their upskilling efforts.
What to consider when asking for funding
Often organisations are open to you undertaking professional development, however they also want to be clear about what the return on investment will be.
You should consider the learning outcomes of the course, and practical ways you’ll be able to apply what you learn in the workplace. Think about the benefit this course will have on you and your team, and whether that is worth the cost and time-commitment.
Our Senior Strategic Collaboration Manager Arwa Due-Gundersen says:
“Employers are usually really open to these types of requests because the return on investment is tangible – upskilled staff contribute fresh ideas, improved productivity, and greater innovation. Most organisations allocate specific budgets for learning and development for this very reason. So instead of seeing it as an imposition, you should view it as a proactive step towards helping your business stay competitive.”
If you’d like to ask your employer to fund your course, you can find more tips – as well as a template business case and funding request email to get you started – in our free Employer Funding guide(Opens in a new window).
