Bersin & Associates has released “The 2007 Corporate Learning Factbook,” a 79-page study that outlines metrics to assess corporate training initiatives.
The research and advisory firm, whose sole focus is enterprise learning and talent management, also included 130 data points in the report, which are categorized by industry sector and company size. In doing so, corporate executives who read the report are better able to compare their company’s metrics with those from comparable organizations.
“This study is the most detailed and up-to-date view of corporate learning and development available,” said Karen O’Leonard, research director for the study. “Our rigorous research methodology, combined with the extensive survey database we have built over the last few years, gives us a unique ability to quantify key metrics and provide fact-supported analysis of important trends.”
“The 2007 Corporate Learning Factbook” analyzes such metrics as:
- Budgets
- Budget allocations
- Cost per student hour
- Expenditures per learner
- Outsourcing spending
- Program priorities
- Staffing sizes
- Staff-to-learner ratios
- Staff to total spending
- Technology use
- Technology budgets
In addition to the metrics and data points, the Bersin & Associates study also details trends that shape the learning market. These factors are supported by quantitative research.
One of the findings is that outsourcing is still growing, and custom content development and learning management system (LMS) hosting are two areas in which projections for planned growth are highest.
Further, learning organizations consider sales training and management/supervisory training the most important learning programs to address.
In regard to numbers, the study yielded several interesting findings, including:
- In 2005, 73 cents of every training dollar went to payroll expenses, but in 2006, the amount was 65 cents of every dollar.
- Budget increases for corporate learning average 7 percent.
- The average spending per learner is $1,273.
- Total training spending grew from $51.1 billion in 2005 to $55.8 billion in 2006.
- The technology sector spends the most per learner at $2,763.
- Retail spends the least per learner at $519.
- Spending on products and services grew from $13.5 billion in 2005 to $15.8 billion in 2006.
- Almost 60 percent of the study’s respondents said they use virtual classroom technology.
- Forty percent of respondents said they have an LMS
- Twenty-five percent to 30 percent of the respondents said they use application simulation and rapid e-learning tools.
- Fourteen percent said they use a learning content management system (LCMS).
