The Changing Landscape of Corporate Training

In July 2008, Bersin & Associates published a Corporate Learning Factbook. The paper made some salient points about the changing landscape of corporate training. Key points included the following:

• Training budgets and staffing are continuing to grow, but at a slower rate.

• Per learner spending is essentially flat, primarily because organizations have more employees to train.

• Organizations are spending the largest percentage of their budgets on leadership development and management/supervisory training.

• Cutting-edge groups are utilizing new approaches to better address the learning needs of younger workers.

• Learning is being integrated with performance and competency management initiatives.

• Chief Learning Objectives are aligning closely with overall corporate strategy to increase effectiveness.

As 2008 progressed and we entered 2009, it became clear that these points were no longer relevant. Training budgets were frozen or reduced; many organizations had fewer employees to train; and the reduced training budget was being used to motivate the masses rather than develop potential leadership.

If you had asked me my thoughts on these key points at the beginning of this year, I would have pessimistically predicted that every point would be rendered obsolete by July 2009

However, as we approach the middle of 2009, I am energized by the need to alter my predictions. I now believe that by July, corporate training research will produce almost identical results to 2008. So, even though multinational companies and the training industry have not evolved to the extent hoped, there has been no devolution either; which cannot be considered disappointing in the current economic crisis.

This, in turn, proves that Corporate Training is a vital component to the development of any company wishing to develop its employees and expand its business.

Many thanks,

Emma

I'd like to know your predictions for the rest of 2009. Will your company increase corporate training levels by 2010? Do you believe the 2009 report will unveil identical finding to the 2008 factbook? Feel free to leave your comments here or email me at eharradine@hotmail.co.uk. Thanks.