Training Costs Up

The A.S.T.D. 2011 State of the Industry report found that U.S. companies spent approximately $171.5 billion on employee training in 2010, including training staff salaries, administrative costs and delivery expenses. That total breaks down to an average of $1,228 per employee in direct training expenditures — an increase of nearly 13 percent over the previous year’s average training cost ($1,098). Instructor-led classes accounted for approximately 70% of training, while about 29% of classes were delivered through technology-based based methods.

Although the learning hours used by organizations remained stable in 2010, the associated cost per learning hour used increased by 14.2 percent, from $63 in 2009 to nearly $72 in 2010. In addition, the cost per learning hour available increased by 1.2 percent, from $1,399 in 2009 to $1,415 in 2010.

—More info: www.astd.org/TD/Archives/2011/Nov/Free/Nov_11_Feature_State_of_the_Industry.htm

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