Skillsoft Study Reveals CEOs Want More Training in Less Time and Are Willing to Pay for It

Study Finds Length of Training to be the Most Important Consideration When Selecting Professional Development Tools

NASHUA, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skillsoft today announced the results of a study which reveals that in the current global economic climate, CEOs increasingly believe in the value of learning, with 93 percent of business leaders in the UK stating that they will either maintain or increase their training budget over the next 12 months. Only 13 percent listed cost as their most important consideration. The study, conducted by OpinionMatters, the UK’s leading research company, on behalf of Skillsoft, surveyed 503 CEOs of businesses with more than 250 employees, across 13 business sectors, on topics that included recruitment, leadership, learning, succession-planning and staff turnover. Skillsoft, a pioneer in the field of learning with a long history of innovation, provides cloud based learning solutions for its customers worldwide, ranging from global enterprises, government, and education to mid-sized and small businesses.

“This research shows that business leaders increasingly appreciate the value of learning”

“This research shows that business leaders increasingly appreciate the value of learning,” said Kevin Young, managing director, Skillsoft EMEA. “However, while training budgets themselves are not being cut, the time businesses have available to undertake training sessions is clearly shrinking. Courses need to be more succinct and to-the-point than ever, delivered in highly relevant, bite-sized pieces. Cost may not be a priority for the CEO, but it will and should matter to the Training and Development team, and we work hard to set the standard in cost-effective learning with a measurable ROI.”

Reflecting the time constraints in today’s competitive business marketplace, 42 percent of the CEOs interviewed for the study said the length of a course was a more important deciding factor than its content. They prefer shorter courses that require less time and allow for employees to remain productive while receiving necessary training.

The study also found that measurable return on investment from training mattered most to only seven percent of respondents. Also, the format of delivery was largely irrelevant with only six percent listed this as an important factor in choosing training. But the study did show that innovative technologies are starting to impact the workplace, with 61 percent of CEOs responding that they have a mobile learning strategy in place, with 24 percent planning to embrace mobile learning in the near future.

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To support the leadership development and training CEOs value, Skillsoft offers a variety of dynamic award-winning resources including videos featuring world renowned business gurus in Skillsoft’s Leadership Development Channel, Skillsoft's Leadership KnowledgeCenters, user-friendly learning portals that allows learners instant access to trusted and targeted content, and Skillsoft Leadership Advantage 2.0 (SLA 2.0), a leadership skills training and development solution designed to make learning quick and engaging. Skillsoft’s leadership development solutions can also be accessed on-the-go with Skillsoft’s mobile learning solutions that deliver relevant content for smart phones, tablets and other web-enabled devices, and on demand for the mobile worker.

The research for this study was conducted by OpinionMatters and involved 503 telephone interviews with CEOs and MDs of businesses with more than 250 employees (across the following business sectors: professional, arts & culture, legal, HR, IT & telecoms, finance, sales, media & marketing, retail, catering & leisure, healthcare, manufacturing & utilities, architecture, engineering & building, travel & transport, and education.)

A detailed analysis of the research can be found in the latest Skillsoft whitepaper titled CEO perspectives on people: leadership, recruitment and skills which can be downloaded on http://www.skillsoft.com/emea/documents/Research_Whitepaper_A4.pdf

About Skillsoft

Skillsoft is a pioneer in the field of learning with a long history of innovation. Skillsoft provides cloud based learning solutions for its customers worldwide, ranging from global enterprises, government, and education to mid-sized and small businesses. Skillsoft's customer support teams draw on a wealth of in-house experience and a comprehensive learning e-library to develop off-the-shelf and custom learning programs tailored to cost-effectively meet customer needs. Skillsoft's courses, books and videos have been developed by industry leading learning experts to ensure that they maximize business skills, performance, and talent development.

Skillsoft currently serves over 5,000 customers and more than 13,000,000 learners around the world. Skillsoft is on the web at www.Skillsoft.com.

Skillsoft courseware content described herein is for information purposes only and is subject to change without notice. Skillsoft has no obligation or commitment to develop or deliver any future release, upgrade, feature, enhancement or function described in this press release except as specifically set forth in a written agreement.

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