Training and Development in 2009

Smartbrief on Workforce says....

More than 130 SmartBrief on Workforce readers weighed in on last week's SmartPulse question: What direction do you expect your organization's training/development budget to go in 2009?

• Down, but we still will be spending -- 49 votes, 37.12%
• Our training/development budget won't change next year -- 31 votes, 23.48%
• Up, but only for select people/departments for which it's essential -- 23 votes, 17.43%
• Up. If people want training, they'll get it -- 18 votes, 13.64%;
  
• We will eliminate it completely -- 11 votes, 8.33%

"You may be looking for ways to cut costs next year, but you don't all plan on taking it out of your training budgets. Indeed, nearly a third of you reported that your training budgets would actually rise, whether across the board or for select departments and positions. But things aren't rosy everywhere -- a total of 45% reported that spending would decline -- in some cases to nothing at all." -- Mary Ellen Slayter, senior editor, SmartBrief on Workforce.