But training is an expensive proposition for most organizations, the cost of the facilitator usually being minor relative to the cost of providing coverage so employees can attend training. Training works better if there's direct input into what opportunities are offered and if it addresses immediate needs. People want training that is specific to the needs of individuals they support and results in learning of concrete skills. These sessions, if brief enough, can even be included in regularly scheduled team meetings. Some organizations have also developed creative mechanisms to support staff to take relevant courses at colleges and universities.
Some agencies make small loans to staff to pay for tuition and related costs.
While some places with greater resources forgive loans if staff achieve grades of B or higher, others simply arrange for loans to be paid back over a number of pay periods. Agencies which have adopted multi-tiered pay scales find them effective in helping them retain excellent staff. Staff who complete certificate training programs or take on additional responsibilities as mentors, trainers or project leaders are paid bonuses or at a higher scale. In some areas, governments have made these incentives possible. This money is separate from more general government service contracts, where the amount set aside for staff development depends on what's left after fixed costs of running the agency.