Report shows lack of corporate training in the UK

According to ‘The Global Productivity Report’, published by the operational improvement consultancy Proudfoot Consulting, companies in the UK are spending less time training their staff than those in any other country.

The report reveals UK companies are spending just seven and a quarter days a year training staff, despite almost one in six UK managers highlighting inadequate management and workforce training as being key barriers to improving productivity.

Jean Baron-Mazloumian, European President of Proudfoot Consulting, said: "In the current economic climate, training is more important than ever. Effective training, for example, can vastly improve productivity by expanding the skills set of managers and improving their quality with the obvious positive knock on effects on communication – both internal and external and staff motivation and morale.

"Improving the quality of training delivered should be imperative for all companies in the UK and I urge all companies to review their methods and approach now as it is here that too many companies fall short."

The research is derived from interviews with over 1,200 managers from organisations across the globe. It also uses the 109 on-site business reviews Proudfoot Consulting conducted before all major projects during 2007.

Although 82 per cent of UK managers said they were planning to invest in employee skills development and training over the next year, 28 per cent said their company does not currently assess the effectiveness of corporate training. Some 18 per cent also said they do not regularly assess training needs, and 16 per cent revealed the training programmes that are provided are not aligned with their company’s strategic goals.

Speaking on the importance of companies to act now in the face of the current economic climate, Richard Lambert, Director General of the CBI, said: "Now is precisely the time to keep investing in the skills and talents of our people. It is the people we employ who will get us through. When markets are shrinking and order books falling, it is their commitment, productivity and ability to add value that will keep us competitive.

"Investing now in building new skills will put us in the strongest position as the economy recovers."