It is often said that an organisation is only as good as its people. Organisations of all types and sizes, including schools have at least one thing in common that is they must employ competent and motivated workers. This need has become even stronger as organisations grapple with the challenges presented by a fast paced, highly dynamic, increasingly global economy. To compete and thrive, many organisations are including employee education, training and development as an important and effective part of their strategy.
Human Resource Development (HRD), part of a larger human resource management system, includes training and development, career development and organisational development programs and processes. HRD managers and staff must establish working relationships with line managers in order to coordinate HRD programs and processes throughout the organisation. To be effective, HRD professionals must be able to serve in a number of roles. These roles will help the HRD professional to meet the challenges facing organizations in the future. These challenges include changing workforce demographics, competing in a global economy, eliminating the skills gap, and meeting the need for lifelong learning and becoming a learning organisation.