Tips for Writing a Training Request Letter (With Example)

Updated March 10, 2023

Training is an important step in advancing your career and attaining professional goals. To pursue additional training opportunities, you'll likely either have to pay for the training yourself or request that your employer cover the cost. If you choose to request additional training through your employer, you can write a training request letter that outlines the benefits of the training for both you and the company.

In this article, we explain how to write a request letter that will help you get the training you want.

What is a request letter for training?

A request letter for training is a document you give your employer to ask the company to pay for additional training that will help you in your role or to learn new skills. Ongoing training and education can help you progress in your career, develop new skills and improve your abilities, making you a more valuable member of the team.

Many companies encourage professional development among their employees because they see the value of additional training to close skills gaps and build stronger teams. Your employer may be willing to pay for training opportunities if they feel you are loyal and hardworking. Research all the options available so you can present a letter that outlines the best opportunities for the skills you want to build.

How to write a training request letter

Follow these steps to draft an effective training request letter:

1. Research

Start the process by researching what skills you’d like to improve and how those skills will benefit you in your career path or the career you wish to pursue. You can research conferences, online trainings or other opportunities that relate to your field, or you can ask your coworkers what type of training they have sought out in their careers. After you identify the skills you want to develop, discover what training options are available.

2. Ask for help

Consider internal colleagues who might be able to help you develop a certain skill or supervisors who might recommend you for training. If you want to learn graphic design, you may be able to find a mentor at your company, such as a senior graphic designer or marketing professional.

3. Present the benefits

When writing a training request letter to your employer, you’ll need to clearly outline the benefits of the training, as well as how your development of those skills will benefit your team or the company overall. For example, if you’ve noticed a skills gap on your team, frame the letter in a way that points out the gap and describes how the training will remedy it.

4. Show your commitment to the company

Your employer might worry that after the company pays for your training, you’ll take your new skills and move on to a new position. Address this common concern in your letter by expressing your loyalty and showing how you will use your new skills to benefit the company.

5. Outline the options

It’s helpful to discuss multiple options that will help you build the necessary skills. If your employer can’t cover the cost of a graduate-level program, they may be able to send you to a seminar or conference that would give you training in a certain area as an alternative. By presenting options, you show your employer that you’ve spent the time to research what’s available and are willing to compromise.

6. Show the return on investment potential

When a company allocates funds and time for an employee to develop their skills, the leaders want to know what the outcome will be. You’ll likely need to report back on what you learned and how it will benefit your career progression, as well as how you can apply your skills in your role. If your training program is ongoing, such as a higher education program, you may need to check in regularly to provide progress reports and outline instances when you’ve been able to use your skills.

Tips for writing a request for training letter

Consider these tips that have worked for other employees requesting training opportunities through their employers:

Use a professional format

Compose your letter in a typical business style, using a standard easy-to-read font and one-inch margins. If you send the letter on paper or as an email attachment, use a professional heading that includes your contact information, the date and your employer’s contact information. If sending an email, use a clear subject line. Begin the letter with a professional greeting, such as “Dear X,” and include a polite closing, such as “Sincerely,” before your signature.

Praise your supervisor in the letter

Consider complimenting their leadership style through encouraging and appreciative words about their role as a mentor to you. You could write, “I admire your style of leadership and want to develop similar skills,” or “Since you have been a role model for me in my position, I’d like to request your feedback on pursuing an opportunity to develop additional skills.”

Highlight your efforts

As you write about what you’ve done in your career, include details about how your efforts have benefited the team or company. By showing your willingness to work hard and contribute, you may increase the chances of having your training request approved. You could mention how you’ve put in extra hours to broaden the impact of the marketing team or your time spent implementing a new system that improves the way the company manages customer support requests. Tie these efforts back to your request by expressing your desire to have the company invest back in you in appreciation for your work.

Express gratitude

Show your appreciation for the willingness of your employer to review and consider your request. In this section, you can explain how your new skills can benefit the team as well. Examples of this type of expression include, “I appreciate your consideration of my request, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts,” and “Thank you for considering this request. I am committed to this company and would like to further my skills in a way that can help me give more to meet my goals and achieve the goals of the business.”

Sample training request letter

As you draft your letter to request training, reviewing an example may help you frame your letter more effectively:

Dear Mrs. Waters,

As part of my professional development with this company, I would like to pursue additional training to help me further improve and develop my skills. I have noticed that in our marketing department, we seem to have a gap when it comes to generating and handling incoming leads for our product. To fill that gap, I am requesting that the company cover the cost associated with training that will allow me to learn how to generate more leads and process them in a timely and efficient manner.

I have researched several training options and found several that I think would offer the most benefit to the company and our department:

HubSpot Lead Generation Courses: HubSpot offers 45 courses focused on lead generation and management. All of these courses are provided online and can be taken at any time. Some of these courses also provide certifications for certain skills. The cost for access to the full training library is $500.
Demand Metric Lead Generation: Demand Metric offers six video-based training courses that will help me learn how to develop a comprehensive plan for lead generation. The cost for access to the full training library is $1,000.
Econsultancy Masterclass in Lead Generation Training: This is a two-day in-person workshop focused on the ins and outs of how digital marketing can help generate leads, engage prospects, grow opportunities and retain customers. The cost for the conference is $1,600 plus travel expenses.

I feel the in-person workshop would be most beneficial to me in my goals, although the Demand Metric Lead Generation program would be my second choice. After reviewing each option, I found that the HubSpot Lead Generation course library doesn’t include as much information about developing a strong action plan and implementing the concepts into my own responsibilities and tasks. The agenda for the in-person training includes detailed action plan samples and how to use them to implement a lead generation strategy in any industry.

I am committed to continuing in my current position while undergoing this additional training and do not foresee the need to alter my schedule in any way. I am also committed to applying these skills in a way that will benefit the company in the years to come. By providing this opportunity for training, I believe the company will see an increase in lead generation, which will help produce additional revenue and generate more awareness about our product.

If you have any alternative training programs or courses you would recommend that would help me gain the knowledge and skills I’m seeking, I am interested to hear about these. I appreciate your consideration of my request for training. If you’d like, we can schedule a follow-up meeting next Wednesday to review my request and answer any questions you may have.

I look up to you as a mentor and appreciate your time in reviewing this letter.

Sincerely,
Daniel Santos

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.