Hi [NAME],
I’m reaching out today to discuss my professional development. As you know, I am eager to support the success of our team and organization, as well as continuously improve my own skills and grow professionally.
For that reason, I would like to attend the Tourism Academy's Leadership Accelerator Program. This program stood out to me because [EXPLAIN WHY IT INTERESTS YOU/ANY UNIQUE FEATURES]. I believe with my level of interest and commitment, the program will help me [LIST A FEW BENEFITS TO YOU AND THE ORGANIZATION].
Here are the program details:
- Start date: 06/01/2023
- End date: 09/02/2023
- Time commitment: Weekly online courses with review/mentoring
- Price: $2995
Does [COMPANY NAME] provide funding for professional development opportunities like this? If so, I would like to discuss what it would take to get this opportunity approved and funded so that I can begin on 06/01/2023.
Thank you so much for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you!
[YOUR NAME]
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HELPFUL TIPS FOR CUSTOMIZING YOUR LETTER:
- BASE YOUR JUSTIFICATION AROUND SOMETHING TANGIBLE
Employers are far more likely to approve and pay for professional development and training when it’s in response to something tangible. For example, were you recently told to improve your skills in a specific area in a performance review? Are you dealing with an ongoing issue in your position? Is there an imminent change or disruption in your industry? If so, use it to justify your professional development and training request. State something like, “As you know…” or “As you have told me…” and then follow it up with, “In light of this, I propose…”
- CIRCLE BACK TO YOUR COMPANY’S CORE VALUES
It is quite common for companies to include continuous improvement or learning among their core values. For example, if “We believe in investing in life-long learning” is written directly into your company’s culture code, cite this in your request to round out your justification. Say something like, “Not only is this opportunity closely aligned with my own commitment to my development, but with our company’s core value of learning as well.”
- IF YOUR REQUEST GETS REJECTED, REFORMULATE IT AND TRY AGAIN
Say your request for professional development and training gets rejected. Instead of immediately letting it go, consider the rationale you were given. Depending on what that rationale is, you may just need to reformulate your original plan. For example, it is not uncommon for employers to reject a request of this nature given the timing. If this is the case, you may be able to try representing it with a new date or timeline that is farther in the future.
