To turn down a training opportunity at work

[Angeldust2810]

I work in an industry where performance is measured on billable hours and have got to a reasonably senior position in which I am very happy just to do my day job to the best of my ability and not any of the extra curricular or business development stuff required to secure promotion.

I have just received an email confirming I have been nominated to take part in a course over the next 12 months which will involve time away from home and my chargeable work.

It is being sold as a "fantastic opportunity" but without meaning to sound ungrateful, I am just not interested.

Unless with DH or friends, travel gives me anxiety in any event and my experience when I have previously tried to force myself to attend these things is it just never results in anything which helps my work.

The email emphasises how much my company is investing in this training and as such "it is expected you will attend every session."

AIBU to turn this down, on the basis the place could be reallocated to someone who really wants it?

If not, how do I say no without hurting my job?

Do you know who nominated you?

My supervisor, but it was not discussed with me first.

Could you just tell them that you don't think the training is a good fit for your personal development plan, and you'd rather see it taken up by someone who would benefit from it?

Or you could go down the route of the travel being incompatible with your responsibilities outside work.

Or a combination of the two adding up to the training overall just not working for you.

How many training days are we talking op? In my company it's very much frowned on if you don't partake in these kind of things, is there any possibility you put something in your end of year review that would make your supervisor think you'd want this?