But cost, logistics and staff productivity cited as key barriers
The majority of employees and employers in the United Kingdom agree training is important, but worries about cost and lost productivity are holding employers back from fully meeting employees' training needs, according to a new survey.
The survey of 500 businesses and 1,300 workers, by online service provider Citrix GoToTraining, found 82 per cent of workers believe training opportunities are vital for their career development and 78 per cent say it’s a key benefit they would look for in a new job.
While 88 per cent of employers agree training is important, they highlighted key issues that are hindering their ability to provide training, including cost (56 per cent), making the time to arrange the sessions (54 per cent), and not wanting staff away from their desk or out of the office unnecessarily (30 per cent).
Nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) of employers say they want to increase the amount of training they provide to staff. However, British workers are frustrated about the professional training they currently receive, in particular compulsory sessions with irrelevant content (52 per cent), receiving out-of-date information (51 per cent) and the poor quality of trainers (49 per cent).
Unsurprisingly, the majority of training is conducted in person and on the job, although one in four businesses now offer online training to their employees. In fact, using technology to deliver training sessions was cited by 32 per cent of businesses as a way of making them more effective, with 23 per cent saying online courses would reduce costs.
The research is part of a wider study carried out by Citrix GoToTraining in Europe, which surveyed more than 1,100 businesses and 4,300 workers in Britain, France and Germany.
The results were largely similar across all three countries, with 80 per cent of German and 90 per cent of French workers saying training opportunities are vital to their career development, and 70 per cent of German and 80 per cent of French businesses saying they regard training as important.
“The research reveals the importance of training to both businesses and workers across Europe, and highlights a number of issues that are affecting the quantity and quality provided. Businesses in France, Germany and Britain all recognize the benefits training can bring, such as a more skilled and loyal workforce, but expense, time, logistical and resourcing issues are proving to be barriers,” said Andrew Millard, director of eCommerce at Citrix Online’s GoToTraining.
