Training days in 2011 – How many have you had?

In an effort to understand current trends in the world of professional development, findcourses.co.uk regularly conducts user surveys. During the month of June, we asked our users in the UK, Sweden, Germany, and Finland – ‘How many days of professional training have you had so far in 2011?’ Despite the differences in CPD (continuing professional development) requirements from country-to-country, an overwhelming majority of respondents had similar answers.

In the UK, approximately 62% of users have received 1-2 days of training in 2011, while almost 32% have yet to receive any training.  This is problematic for both managers and employees as the Department for Education and Skills’ research shows a positive link between increased training and higher employee productivity levels. Only a combined 5% of respondents have had more than two days of training so far in 2011, perhaps suggesting that there have been cutbacks in training opportunities due to economic strain or the like.

In a time of economic uncertainty, this data has important managerial implications. Employee turnover and recruitment processes are one of the largest and most costly business investments. In fact, according to a study by recruitment consultants Angela Mortimer, recruiting a new employee will cost a company around £5,000! As such, making small CPD investments in staff will not only contribute to overall job satisfaction, but also result in improved productivity and effectiveness. “These small investments in CPD allow your employees to grow on both a personal and professional level which is good for company morale and in turn, lowers costly turnover rates,” said Kate Butterworth Site Manager at findcourses.co.uk.

Respondents from other countries also had surprisingly low employer-provided training. Finnish users had the highest training levels, with over 88% of respondents having received at least one day of training in 2011. It appears as though Germans have the lowest amount of training days, with a total of 60% of users having not received any training thus far in 2011. Swedish users were divided equally with half of the respondents having received at least one day of training. Other categories of respondents, such as individuals specifically seeking MBA programmes, found that 80% of users have not received any training so far in 2011; perhaps explaining their desire to enrich their own knowledge base by enrolling in an MBA programme.

Findcourses.co.uk believes that CPD is a vital resource in achieving strategic, company objectives; without which both employees and firms remain stagnant. Understanding the benefits of professional development facilitates both individual and business growth - engage your employees today by investing in their development. 

8^th August, 2011
Press Release issued by:
Leah Schothorst, Communication Assistant
leah.schothorst@findcourses.co.uk
+44 (0)203 318 6283