CIPD survey shows the cuts are hurting L&D

The CIPD’s Learning and Talent Development Survey for 2011 has recently been released. Some 11,562 UK L&D practitioners were invited to participate, although only 601 did, which rather indicates that people have other things on their mind at the moment – like staying in a job.

So what does the survey tell us from an e-learning perspective?

• Only 10% of CIPD members reckon e-learning to be the most effective approach, which is hardly surprising when you consider that the main drivers for using e-learning are efficiency rather than effectiveness and that the only e-learning many of the respondents will ever have encountered will have been self-study compliance courses (the CIPD is primarily an HR body and compliance is usually the responsibility of HR). Blended learning is not on the list of options by the way.
• Having said all of the above, some 76% thought that e-learning was effective for training non-managerial employees. This figure reduces for management grades, which is probably a good call when you consider the type of e-learning we are talking about and the fact that instruction is a poor technique to use for management development (regardless of whether it is ‘e’ or not).
• The use of e-learning is forecast to grow more than any other approach in both the public and private sectors. Beyond e-learning, the trend is to reduce external spend and bring as much as possible in-house.
• Only 9% of respondents report their budgets growing in the past 12 months. In fact, 54% have seen a decrease.

A simple and rather predictable picture then. Money’s tight, so use more efficient approaches and do more in-house. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar picture next year.