Many companies cut back on training in 2009

The online study was conducted by FindCourses Global in November 2009, across four active markets – Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The results clearly show how the crisis has forced many Northern European companies to cut the budgets for training. More than half of respondents (53%) claim they have not received any Professional Training in 2009, and only 15% have had 6 days or more, compared to an average of 6 days per employee in 2008 (CIPD Training and Development Report, 2009).

Fredrik Andersson, Chief Information Officer at FindCourses Global says:

“The results are fortunately directly contradictory of what we generally see among visitors to our sites, and in fact 2009 has been our busiest year ever. The study is still worthwhile to bear in mind though we certainly hope it is not a sign of a prolonged trend.”

Industry analysis shows that turbulent markets make it necessary for companies to adapt to new demands, and develop personnel’s skills accordingly. Lord Peter Mandelsen, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, recently stated his belief that for Britain’s economy to recover and achieve long term success, developing the UK’s skills base is critical (Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11).  Numerous studies show that firms which abandon training and development are two and a half times more likely to fail than those that don't.

Fredrik Andersson continues, "The importance of skills development is undeniable - the downturn is the time when you need training and development the most. Northern European countries which are constantly under productivity pressures need investment in staff development, to maintain competitiveness."

www.findcourses.co.uk - which launched in May this year - helps HR departments to strategically develop the skills of their workforce through connecting them with training providers. The trend for 2010 however, is that more and more employees will be responsible for their own development.

Findcourses.co.uk has seen record numbers of people searching for personal and professional development training courses, the number of visitors is up by 60% in just the autumn. The most sought after training courses have been in the areas of Leadership training, Management Development courses, Coaching courses, Communication Skills, and Personal Development.

Links to survey results:
Denmark
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom

Additional Information
Kate Butterworth
kate.butterworth@findcourses.co.uk

Findcourses.co.uk, the UK’s largest search engine dedicated to Professional Development, is part of the rapidly growing Swedish company FindCourses Global, which also operates www.searchMBA.com, www.utbildning.se, www.koulutus.fi, and www.finduddannelse.dk.