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What do employers want from training and elearning?

Darren Sidnick

Head of Innovation & Research

http://www.learndirect.co.uk/

www.darrensidnick.blogspot.com

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Overall, the skills employers believe to be lacking are most frequently technical and practical. Customer handling skills, communication skills (particularly oral), team working and problem solving skills were also commonly cited

5338

353434

3028

2423

141313

10

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Skills lacking in connection with skill shortage vacancies

tech and prac skills customer handling oral communication problem solving

team working written communication literacy management skills

numeracy office/admin foreign languages general IT skills

IT professional skills

Source: National Employers Skills Survey 2005

3Source: Business Brand Tracker, Oct 2006, BMG Research

43%

69%

81%

91%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

2-9

10-49

50-249

250+

All businessesAll businesses

Yes 48%

No52%

All businesses – by company sizeAll businesses – by company size

Almost half of all businesses have arranged or paid for training in the last 12 months, or almost all large businesses

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45%

25%

26%

13%

10%

12%

6%

4%

5%

1%

4%

5%

5%

2%

2%

1%

4%

2%

2%

55%

39%

28%

21%

16%

15%

8%

7%

3%

5%

5%

4%

2%

5%

2%

1%

2%

4%

1%

61%

41%

28%

23%

19%

16%

11%

6%

6%

7%

4%

3%

4%

3%

3%

2%

1%

1%

65%

39%

27%

22%

12%

20%

12%

14%

14%

4%

2%

4%

6%

4%

4%

0%

0%

0%

2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

The cost of training

They provide training specifically for my needs

They are locally based

They have relevant experience in my sector

Reputation / track record

Quality of training

They were recommended by someone I know

Availability

Flexibility

Accredited / approved

Time taken / length of course

Reliability

Success rates / effectiveness

Offer training that offers a recognised qual'n

A nationally recognised brand

The ability to offer training on our premises

Accessibility

Convenience

Efficiency

2-9

10-49

50-249

250+

Source: Business Brand Tracker, Oct 2006, BMG Research

Interestingly, larger companies place more importance on cost than smaller businesses when sourcing a provider

Q: When choosing an external training provider for any type of training, what are the three main factors that you look for

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Q15/16:Could you just confirm, has your company undertaken training by e-learning in the last 12 months?Q19 How much have you spent on e-learning in the last 12 months (Base: All who used elearning provider 122)Q25: Why has nobody in your company undertaken e-learning in the last twelve months?Bases: all who did not say Didn’t have a training need at Q25 (311)

Have you undertaken/considered e-learning in the last 12 months?

Nov/Dec 07 Jun/Jul 07

Consideration of e-learning is on the increase, driven by people feeling much more comfortable with the concept – 25% versus 5%

SME 18%

LE 7%

SME 26%

LE 63%

Nov/Dec Jun/Jul

Comfortable 52% 36%

Prefer not to 30% 35%

Would not 18% 29%

Undertaken18%

Considered25%

No 57%

Undertaken18%

Considered5%

No77%

Source: Ufi/learndirect Brand Tracker 2007

6Source: Business Brand Tracker, Oct 2006, BMG Research

Benefits of e-learningBenefits of e-learning

8%

5%

5%

4%

3%

3%

3%

4%

60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Ability to work atyour own pace

Ability to learn atthe workplace

More convenient

Easily accessible /available

Quicker / save time

Cheaper / morecost effective

Other

None

Don't know

The basic problem remains that employers are uninformed about e-learning. 60% could not state what the benefits of the medium were!

Q: What do you perceive to be the benefits of e-learning?

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Need to be promoting a range of strengths

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1 in 10 online

3%of lowest income

groups online

Young, rich, male

7%of Board Directors

saw web as strategic issue

High internet prices

1999

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2006

Ecommerce sales rising

75% of companies

had broadband (05)

98% of companies had a website

(05)

SMEs closing the gap

with Large Organisations

200864%

online 90%broadband

75%digital TV 87%

mobile

C2/D/Es are fastest group online (also 68%

buy online)

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Engagement

Learning

Evidence

NVQs

Course Builder

Assessment

Profiler

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Learning Through Work

‣ Work-based HE qualifications

‣ 2000 students enrolled

‣ Run in partnership with 15 UK Universities.

‣ Currently scaled to deliver to 15,000 new students a year.

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Further discussion on my blog

darrensidnick.blogspot.com

Any questions?