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As students headed back to school this month, those already in the workforce may want to consider continuing their education, a new survey suggests.

Of senior executives interviewed, 84 per cent said their firms offer tuition benefits for their employees. All of the respondents said their companies also reimburse for other forms of professional development.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, a staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 100 senior executives from Canada's 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, "Does your company offer college or university tuition reimbursement benefits for employees?"

Their responses:

Yes: 84 per cent

No: 15 per cent

Don't know: 1 per cent

"Providing educational and professional development opportunities helps companies attract top performers, maximize productivity and boost retention efforts," said Max Messmer, chair of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummies, 2nd Edition.

"Employees who take full advantage of the resources available for learning remain intellectually challenged and increase their ability to take on greater responsibility at work."

Messmer noted that technical skills aren't the only ones that professionals should seek to acquire.

"Interpersonal skills are vital as the workplace becomes increasingly collaborative," he said. "Classes that offer instruction on how to communicate more effectively can be especially useful for career advancement."

Accountemps has more than 360 offices worldwide, including locations in North York, Scarborough and Toronto, and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com