Training sees a shift towards the individual

The UK training market is experiencing a significant change and the industry that serves it is struggling to keep up with its clients. The market for training has proved to be a difficult one for operating companies - a fact which is reflected in the reduced profits recorded by most of the training providers that file public accounts. It appears that there is a shift towards an increase in training focused on the individual.

For the new edition of their report on the training industry, market analysts Key Note spoke to a number of training specialists, including Martyn Sloman - Training Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Sloman argues that there is a shift in training away from the top-down intervention towards much more learner-centred initiatives. He believes that the growth in training is being derived from the interventions that are focused on the individual, hence the popularity of coaching.

Coaching is one of the areas that is taking an increasingly larger role in training. The CIPD’s 2004 survey on training practices - Training and Development 2004 - found that 78% of respondents commented that coaching takes place in their organisation. The results also showed that employers are training their managers to be able to coach their staff. Training is more often being designed around an individual’s needs. Individuals are also being encouraged to be more active in seeking training and informal training.

Key Note estimates that, in 2004, private sector expenditure on training will rise by 2.5% to 17.8bn, although this is lower than the 2001 figure of 17.9bn. In the financial year ending 2003/2004, Key Note estimates that public sector expenditure initiatives on training amounted to 11.6bn.

All the various training providers are being forced to realise the fact that the market is changing. With many companies yet to prove that they truly believe in the concept that people are a company’s most important asset, and training still having to sell itself, evaluation of training is a popular issue. This is obvious from training conferences; according to those who organise training conferences, the session that centres on evaluation of training is a sell-out year after year. Training managers are continually searching for ways to justify what they are doing.

There appears to be a trend for more control over the training experience - both by employers and employees - a factor which is likely to have long-term consequences for training organisations. In the future, training operators will need to expand their role from being training providers to advisers, facilitators and enablers. Key Note believes that there will be many training companies that will not be able to provide this at the required quality.