Training Needs Assessment at Assir General Educational Directorate, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to explore the current management and practices for Training Needs Assessment (TNA) process at Assir General Educational Directorate (AGED) in Abha, Saudi Arabia. It aims also to shed the light on the most important concerns, problems, and challenges that face Training and Development (T & D) processes and programs and to propose practical suggestions and recommendations to improve TNA process and practices and overcome T & D problems and challenges in AGED. The study adopted the quantitative deductive approach through a survey research strategy. A self-administrated questionnaire which was constructed based on previous studies was the main data collection method used to capture the data from almost all the administrative female supervisors (70) working at AGED. The findings of this study show that: in spite of the importance of identifying and assessing training needs of individuals, the majority of the study participants have never identified training needs for the people that they supervise. They do not rely on systematic techniques when identifying trainees; however, they use their own subjective manners. Moving individuals from one work place to another; low morale of individuals; students’ dissatisfaction; increasing complains and lack of skills were among the most important indicators of training needs. Lectures, guidance and supervision, group discussions and practical show were the most common T & D techniques and used methods. Main challenges of T & D were: the inability to identify training needs, insufficient numbers of qualified training centers, lack of motivation to participate in T & D because of the lack of support from the external environment such as (family, friends, etc.) and lack of time and budget to support the training processes. The study has made significant contributions to the body of knowledge at academic and practical levels and has come up with good recommendations to improve management of TNA, which will affect the effectiveness of T & D processes and programs in AGED; all were presented in the final chapter of this dissertation.