Ongoing training

Training is one of the areas that in my opinion business finds hard to grapple with and justify..especially in Australia.Its almost as if we see training in general as a necesssary evil ,especially if the business is required or asked to provide or support such taining in financial or time terms.It is almost as if business considers it to be a right to be provided by the general community or worker or 'someone'else such as the government... free of charge and available as a readily available resource to be snapped up and used whenever required.The same view is taken sometimes with safety training.Compliance becomes the main focus and not a proactive and continuously improving and evolving safety management plan.Why is this?Is it because we cannot see the productive side of safety?Is preservation of workers health and safety not enough of an incentive and obligation?To my way of thinking encouraging all forms of training ,whether it be mandatory,organisational or personal development or professional development based add to any business in both direct and indirect ways.Workers truly do become skilled assets the more that such is appreciated and managed appropriately and tapped into as a mutual resource for a business.