3.0. Learning & Development Allowance
Who is eligible to receive the Learning & Development Allowance?
Employees of Catalpa are entitled to an annual learning & development allowance and the limit of the allowance will be specified in your employment contract. Part-time employees will be eligible for this allowance on a pro-rata basis according to their contracted hours of employment.
What is the Learning & Development Allowance for?
The learning & development allowance empowers our staff to drive their own learning and growth. When it comes to learning we know that what one employee needs is different from another - this allowance lets our staff own their professional growth and provides the flexibility to utilize the allowance in a way that suits them best.
What can it be used for?
The learning & development allowance is to be used on learning opportunities that are related to your role and career growth at Catalpa, such as:
Attending courses, seminars, conferences or workshops
Registration with professional bodies or industries
Subscriptions to industry research, professional magazines etc
Purchase of books and similar professional resources
University or other tertiary institution fees
The learning & development allowance should generally not be used to provide for airfares and accommodation costs.
What is the process to utilize the allowance?
Once you identify what you want to use the allowance for in line with your professional development goals, discuss the request with your manager in the first instance, and seek their approval via slack/email.
Factors managers may consider with regard to the request are:
Relevance of the opportunity to the employees role and career growth at Catalpa
Timing of the learning event
Performance of the employee
To enrol in or make purchase, staff can either:
Pay costs up front then seek reimbursement through Expensify
Provide an invoice to the Finance Manager who can arrange payment from Catalpa.
How often can I claim this allowance?
The allowance is available to employees on an annual basis. It can be accessed at the start of their contract period and throughout the year. The annual entitlement year is your contract year and anniversary.
You can make one or multiple claims in the entitlement year for professional development activity/activities undertaken in that entitlement year but the maximum allowance (as per your contract) needs to be adhered to. The allowance is not accumulative - if you don’t use it, you lose it the following year. Anything over the allowance limit is the responsibility of the staff member.
Examples of how the learning & development allowance is being used at Catalpa:
Attendance at a 2-day conference at a University, the allowance paid for the registration fees
Paid for an professional body annual membership to keep up to date with industry best practice and news
Contributing to paying for university fees for a post grad course
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