Transfer of learning is important for supervisors, trainers, learners and co-workers because:

• Transfer of learning is in the best interest of clients. Health care workers participate in a learning event to acquire new knowledge and skills to better meet the needs of their clients. Improving the transfer of learning enhances the quality of services — and may lead to increased client satisfaction.
• Learning interventions can be expensive — improving the transfer of learning helps to protect these investments.
• Learners are motivated to perform well at their jobs when they are able to apply what they have learned. The support and guidance of supervisors, trainers and co-workers can encourage and empower learners to make changes and improve performance.
• Supervisors and learners are more accountable for implementing what is learned if there is early agreement about what will occur after training (often as outlined in an action plan).
• Trainers are more likely to prepare interventions that meet the specific needs of learners and health care delivery sites when they have become invested in the outcome of training.
• While supervisors may not be proficient in all of the clinical services provided by the health workers they supervise, being involved in the transfer of learning process can help them stay up-to-date.