Training must fill a needs gap

Wendy Lomax (“People power” MW August 5) makes the valid point that few courses train people in the now fashionably derided “four Ps” of marketing. Courses either offer something called “pure marketing” (whatever that means) or training in the physical tools of advertising. But this is not the training needed, and employees and job seekers who are only too aware of what skills businesses lack, are trying to fill in the gaps. As a former lecturer in Western business schools, I agree that employers have become overly reliant on MBAs as a measure of job seekers’ calibre. This is too simplistic – anyone knows there are MBAs and MBAs, depending on the quality and slant of the school. As a final point, I am a marketing trainer in Eastern and Central Europe, and find that companies here do recognise the value of training in both attracting and keeping staff. However, the training must be appropriate to needs, which can often be distinguished from perceived wants. Norman Clark NormClark Training Latvia