Introduction

Ongoing Staff Training and Development is crucial for any Organization if it wants to improve its business performance and meet targets. 

The Human Resources team work to support the development needs of all staff. Our aim is to help staff as individuals by providing you with development opportunities that will help your contribution towards your Faculty & Sectional goals.

Note: Please refer to the Personnel Policy Handbook for detailed policies.

What types of training are available?

• Training Leave for Masters and PhD programs
  
  Is authorized release from official duties for a period up to 3 yrs to allow staff to proceed on a program of postgraduate study leading to a Masters or PhD Degree at USP or any other country outside the USP region as approved by the Staff Development Committee.
  
  
• Part time Studies
  
  Is any study program towards a Certificate/Diploma/Degree/Masters/PhD offered by USP and approved Institutions on a part-time study.
  
  
•  Visit/Short term attachments
  
  Is attachment of staff to other relevant institutions either in foreign countries or within the University region to further develop their skills, knowledge and experience.
  
  
• Conference Workshop
  
  To attend Conferences, Workshops or Seminars as speakers or facilitators of the program.
  
  

Am I eligible to apply?

Training Leave

• Academic and Comparable staff only are eligible to apply
  
  
• Staff should be citizens of any of the member countries of the University region.
  
  
• Staff should have at least served a three years contract and have already accepted a renewed contract of 3 years.
  
  
• Program of Study should be reflected in the Training Plan of the Department or School.
  
  

Part-time Studies

• Staff should have served the University for at least 6 months.
  
  
• Should be an Academic & Comparable staff or Intermediate & Junior staff.
  
  
• Program of study must be relevant to the staff’s current work.
  
  
• Must have an Offer letter for the program of study from the Institution.
  
  
• Program of studies should be reflected in the Training Plan of the Department/School/Faculty/Section/Campus.
  
  

Visit/Short-term attachment

• For contracted staff, you should at least serve the University for 3years.
  
  
• Intermediate & Junior staffs are also eligible.
  
  
• Attachment must be relevant to the staff’s current work
  
  
• Must have an offer letter for attachment from the respective Institution or Company.
  
  
• Attachment must be part of the Department/School/Faculty/Section training plan.
  
  

Conferences/Workshops/Seminars

• To have served the University for at least six months
  
  
• Must be an Academic & Comparable staff
  
  
• The staff should have been invited as a speaker or to present a paper or is a participant of the Conference, Workshop or Seminar.
  
  
• The Staff member’s teaching & work commitments should be adequately covered during their absence.
  
  
• Must be part of the Training/Research Plan of the School/Department.
  
  

What is the duration of training and is there any funding involved?

Training Leave

• 2 years for Masters program
  
  
• 3 years for PhD program
  
  
• Only 6 months extension is given if the studies cannot be completed on time.
  
  
• Partial funding only is offered by the Staff Development Scheme. The funding covers return airfares or tuition fees or living allowance only the rest is to be covered by the staff.
  
  
• If the staff secures a scholarship from an outside Institution, then leave without pay is to be requested through SDC.
  
  

Part-time Studies

• Studies done on a part-time basis either during working hrs or after hrs.
  
  
• Tuition fees only is paid either by USP for USP programs and SDC for FIT/TPAF programs.
  
  

Visit/Short-term attachment

• 1-4 weeks duration
  
  
• Funding by SDC covers return airfares, perdiem and attachment fees if required.
  
  

Conferences/Workshops/Seminars

• All Conference leave will normally be limited to a total of 28 working days during a contract (of 3 years) with a maximum funding of $6,000.

What is my responsibility?

Training Leave

• Satisfy the Institution’s performance criteria for continued studying
  
  
• Maintain schedule to complete studies within the original budgeted time frame of the award.
  
  
• Provide the University with a self report on his/her progress at the completion of each Academic year.
  
  
• Ensure that a yearly, confidential progress report is provided by his/her Academic Supervisor direct to Personnel Office. Where there is a doubt about a staff members satisfactory progress, reports maybe called for at the end of the Semester/term
  
  
• Staff will be required to sign a bond. The bond simply states that at the end of the training, the staff will have to return to serve the University an equivalent period of time as the actual training taken. Upon not returning to the University, the staff is required to pay back all the expenses incurred on training.

Part-time Studies

• Attendance at courses should not conflict with the applicant’s University duties.
  
  
• A staff may take two units per Semester; one is sponsored by USP the other one to be paid by the staff.
  
  
• Upon failing a unit for which he/she was sponsored in, the staff member will not be able to study in the following Semester nor be sponsored again for the same unit.

Visit/Short-term attachment

• Report is to be submitted to the Human Resource Office at the end of every attachment.
  
  
• Staff should be allowed to take only one attachment after every three years.

Conferences/Workshops/Seminars

• Report is to be submitted to the Human Resource Office at the end of every attachment
  
  
• Conference leave requests for Faculty staff are to be submitted to the Dean and Non-Faculty staff to be submitted to Personnel Office for the Deputy Vice Chancellor’s approval.
  
  

How do I apply for Training & Development?

• Staff can download the appropriate form(s) from the HR forms or the Personnel Policy Handbook on the University webpage.
• Staffs are advised to seek assistance from the Human Resource Office if they are uncertain about which form(s) to fill/complete or which policy to refer to.
• All applications for Training Leave, Part-time studies, Visit/Short term attachments, Leave without Pay for Training purposes are to be sent to the Staff Development Committee via the Human Resource Office.