How well equipped are national surveys to capture new approaches to training?

Abstract

Recent employer and employee surveys in the UK highlight a decline in training participation, a reduction in training expenditure per employee and an increase in online training/e-learning. The Covid-19 pandemic adds impetus to considering training trends given the importance of skills for economic recovery. Many workers are adapting to work and learning increasingly moving online. The Covid-19 crisis accentuates the need for employees to upskill and reskill and participate in new ways of learning. But how well equipped are surveys to capture these new trends? This paper reviews the focus of employer and employee training surveys in the UK alongside findings from selected in-depth employer interviews on training trends. It identifies greater focus on formal than informal training in current surveys, and a narrow interpretation of informal training. It identifies a gap in understanding the different types, duration and value of some informal workplace learning, while recent workplace changes mean the distinction between on- and off-the-job training is becoming less useful than previously. To capture new approaches to learning, surveys need to focus more on who is responsible for workplace training, communities of practice and perceived benefits of training.