According to a benefits survey last year conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 68 percent of employers offer assistance for employees seeking to continue their education at the undergraduate level, and 65 percent do so at the graduate level.

Dan Henry, chairman of the board of the Northeast Human Resources Association, an affiliate of SHRM, said that many medium-to-large companies offer some form of tuition reimbursement plan for employees. Even smaller companies, he said, will often help out with job-specific training, such as obtaining certifications or licenses that enable workers to perform a particular task. “I think you can argue that apprenticeships are also a form of continuing education,” Henry said.

According to the SHRM survey, 86 percent of companies with more than 500 employees have an assistance program for undergraduate courses, 68 percent of companies with between 100 and 500 employees and 48 percent of companies with fewer than 100 employees.

Henry said human resource professionals have two kinds of roles in the continuing education process. In a general way, he said, they help formulate corporate policy on tuition reimbursements.

If the company is actively involved in succession planning, he said, human resources can play a role in assessing the specific needs of executives marked for advancement, whether that means a return to school or hiring an “executive coach” to help with leadership skills.

“You’re looking at someone and trying to assess the growth potential,” said Bob Eubank, executive director of the Northeast Human Resources Association.

One issue for companies providing tuition assistance is how closely the course work should be linked to employees’ occupational requirements. Henry said he thinks many companies are going to be taking a more careful look, if they’re not already. “Some companies are not really aware of how much they’re spending, and what the direct value is,” he said. “It can sometimes become a big number…. Someone might ask to take a photography course that has nothing to do with the job. They just want to take better pictures of their kids.”

Eubank, on the other hand, said he doesn’t believe there is abuse in most tuition reimbursement programs.

Eubank said one trend he’s been hearing more about lately is a greater acceptance of on-line education for employees. As the Internet has become more sophisticated and is able to incorporate more interactive features, he said, the quality of the training has improved. And it can be a far more convenient way for employees to obtain continuing education than going to a traditional classroom.

asmith@projo.com