trends in corporate training

Skills Corporations Want From College Grads

Source: Job Outlook 2015, National Association of Colleges and Employers

Trends Shaping Corporate Training And Development

Source: AMA Enterprise, a division of the American Management Association

The definition of “leader” is broadening. A majority of large organizations now consider individuals to be leaders based on their impact, not on their authority or position.



The sluggish economy and weak job market have created a more risk-averse workforce. Management must assess how to create a culture that fosters initiative or risk-taking.



Demand for “Big Data” skills is growing sharply. Employees lack the analytical skills to deal with such complex data and management is now pressed to provide the needed training.



Leadership programs are being retooled for globalization. The top competencies for global leadership development are change management, ability to influence and build coalitions, and critical thinking and problem solving.



Many organizations find themselves ill-prepared for rising turnover. One-third of employers are concerned that employee turnover may rise as the job market improves. Programs that engage incumbent employees will be in greater demand.



Core skills are a renewed focus. There is now greater demand for programs that develop communications skills, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity — all of which aim to improve long-term employee productivity.



More and more employees now seek entry into leadership programs. Organizations realize they must find ways to meet this growing demand.



There is a growing focus on developing individual contributors instead of focusing mostly on high potential candidates from the management ranks. More training and development resources will be given to these key constituents described as “core players who get things done.”

Spending on Corporate Training Soars: Employee Capabilities Now A Priority

Source: Forbes Leadership

US spending on corporate training grew in 2014 by 15% last year (the highest growth rate in seven years) to over $70 Billion in the US.

Corporate Spending on Training

Source: Bersin by Deloitte 2013

Spending on Corporate Training


Spending on leadership development remains very high. As in prior years the research shows that the #1 areas of spending is management and leadership (35%). Research shows that global leadership gaps continue to be the most pressing issues on the minds of business and HR leaders.

Spending by Industry

Manufacturing organizations, which are characteristically large organizations, report on average spending $535 and providing 27 hours of training per employee.

Source: : The Association for Talent Development’s 2014 State of the Industry report

Spending by Industry:

Healthcare/pharmaceutical Organizations spend on average $1,392 and provide 24 hours of training per employee.


Spending by Industry:


The combined group of finance, insurance, and real estate spend on average $1,107 and provide 33 hours of training per employee.

What is Fueling the Increase in Spending?


Because of confidence in a stabilized and growing economy, organizations are will to spend on training and development to overcome the “skills supply chain” challenge. More than 70% of organizations cite “capability gaps” as one of their top five challenges.

Corporate Training Content Focus


About one-third of corporate training content is focused on:• Managerial and supervisory skills• Mandatory and compliance training• Profession–or industry-specific training.

Corporate Training Content Focus


The remaining two-thirds of content cover topics such as:• Processes and procedures• Customer service• Sales training• Executive development

Growing Demand for Soft Skills

A 2014 study by Bloomberg BusinessWeek found that more than 60 percent of managers agree that soft skills are most important when evaluating an employee’s performance, followed by 32 percent citing hard skills, and only 7 percent citing social media skills.

Top 10 Soft Skills

1. Communication skills 2. Computer and technical literacy: 3. Interpersonal skills 4. Adaptability5. Research skills6. Project management skills 7. Problem-solving skills 8. Process improvement expertise 9. Strong work ethic 10.Emotional Intelligence

Top 10 Soft Skills

Soft Skills Training Needed for MillennialsResearch studies conducted by various organizations including UNC Executive Development and Center for Creative Leadership, suggest adding the following programs into organizational training initiatives for millennials:

• Assimilating into a new workplace culture• Working with team members assertively and diplomatically• Processing feedback• Approaching a supervisor for coaching and mentoring• Developing transferable long-term career goals, such as problem-

solving, communication, negotiation and leadership

Case Study: RHA

Richard Heath and Associates (RHA) was awarded a contract by California’s state-run insurance exchange, Covered California, to provide program design, oversight and training services in support of the rollout of the Affordable Care Act.

Case Study: RHA

RHA’s strategic plan was to deliver training statewide for certified enrollment educators and certified enrollment counselors. They subcontracted with the California Corporate College to act as a single-point-of-contact with over 34 community colleges statewide.

Case Study: RHA

The Training SolutionBy collaborating with community colleges statewide, CA CC provided classroom space and logistical support for training classes held at college locations including Redding, The Central Valley, The Central Coast, the Bay Area, the LA Basin, and San Diego.

Case Study: RHA

Through the CA CC held contract, RHA trained 25 community college instructors to train staff from organizations including:

• Community-based OrganizationsStaff member from organizations that have been awarded grants from Covered California were trained to become certified enrollment educators.

• Healthcare Organizations Healthcare providers such as hospitals, medical groups and urgent care centers are sponsoring employees to become certified enrollment counselors.

Case Study: RHA

Training Rollout TimelineJune 2014: Training was provided for certified enrollment counselor through June 2014. A total of 2,500 certified enrollment counselors have been trained.

August 2013: Training for Trainers (TTT) began for certified enrollment counselors.

September 2013: Trainers started to work in the field.

Case Study: RHA

“The infrastructure, logistical support and training services provided by the California Corporate College have been instrumental in helping train the grass-roots networks that reach and educate consumers statewide about eligibility requirements and other important issues related to the Affordable Care Act. It was extremely helpful that we could contract with one entity to gain access to the extensive network of California community colleges, which have a physical presence in the high population centers where we needed to hold training classes. Because of this, we did not have to recruit instructors or develop contracts with 40-50 individual colleges.”

—Cynthia R. Bruno, Director, RHA Health Benefit Exchange Program

Case Study: RHA

“A great benefit to our involvement with CA CC is that we have been able to participate in large contracts that we would have never been able to pursue on our own. For example, we were brought in by CA CC to provide training and logistical support services in our district for the statewide rollout of Covered California, which is the marketplace implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in California. The revenue we received from that project was significant. Additionally, it is really helpful to have synergies with another organization that understands our workforce training services business.”

–Cassandra Storey, Executive Director, Employee Training Institute, San Diego Community College District

trends in corporate training

Leadership & Management