Not only do employers see training as priority, they’re putting their money where their mouth is with 80% of UK organisations planning to increase or maintain their training budgets in 2006.

The finding comes from a survey undertaken by Capita Learning & Development during the recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Conference.

“These findings suggest that employers recognise that people are an organisation’s finest assets,” commented Sally Worsley-Speck, Research Manager at Capita Learning & Development.

“High quality training is in demand and today it’s imperative that employers see newly acquired skills in action and the added value that training brings to that organisation.”

According to the survey, 93% of Senior Managers had so far attended a training course in 2005 and that courses in 'Management and Leadership' and 'People Skills and Communication' (19% each), which are directed at management level, were identified as key skills which organisations would benefit most from.

However, sales and marketing training courses received a mere 9%.

Other findings revealed that 40% of organisations use a combination of in-house and external training methods; the most prevalent method of training is on-the-job training; and interestingly, e-learning was the least preferred showing it still has some way to go until it is accepted alongside the more traditional methods.