State of the Industry: Training Provider Survey
In December 2015, we surveyed 100+ UK and US training providers on the state of the industry, their business prospects and predictions for the future.
Due to Findcourses’ established presence in the United Kingdom and our 2015 launch into the United States, we took a new approach to our annual State of the Training Industry Report. This year we are revealing the UK report set alongside the US data. The UK and US hold opposing opinions about training industry challenges, favour different course formats, and face different barriers to forming new relationships with companies. The UK lags behind the US when it comes to using technology to teach, and this may be due to a strong appetite for online learning solutions on the US market. While both the UK and US markets can agree on the popularity of open courses, US training providers are almost half as likely to focus on in-house training than their UK counterparts, dividing their resources between in-house and online options.
UK and US training providers agree strongly on the most important factors of success for training providers. High quality training, outstanding instructors, and a solid reputation rank as first priority for training providers in both countries.
IN TERMS OF TRAINING DELIVERY, WHICH IS THE MOST POPULAR FOR YOUR COMPANY?
United Kingdom
United States
47% of the American training providers stated that open training courses are their most popular course format, while UK training providers agreed there was an even split in popularity between open courses and in-house programmes. Webinars seem to be on the rise in the US market, with 12% of training providers asserting their popularity. Compare this with the UK market where a mere 1% of training providers view webinars as a popular format.
DO YOU BELIEVE THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN SPENDING ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT YEARS?
KEY CHALLENGES REPORTED IN THE TRAINING INDUSTRY
United Kingdom
- Meeting the demand for cost effective training options that do not compromise quality.
- Generating new business in a competitive market.
- Helping companies understand their training needs.
- Demonstrating the value of professional development to corporate buyers.
United States
- Helping companies understand their training needs.
- Demonstrating the value of professional development to corporate buyers.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE COMPANIES FACE WHEN SEARCHING FOR TRAINING?
United Kingdom
United States
When asked what the biggest challenge companies face when searching for training, the UK providers ranked high competition as the main factor, while the US providers thought companies generally didn’t know what they were looking for in a training programme.
HOW DO YOU ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS TO YOUR COURSES?
United Kingdom
United States
When asked how these training providers attract customers to their courses, the American market agreed that digital advertising was the most essential with 44%, and social media as a close second with 29%. In the UK, digital advertising, listing sites, and social media ranked favorably – at 27%, 18%, and 23% respectively.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TRAINING PROVIDERS FACE WHEN GETTING NEW BUSINESS?
United Kingdom
United States
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR OF SUCCESS FOR TRAINING PROVIDERS?
United Kingdom
United States
