At Emerge we are absolutely convinced that training through a recession is essential. We are even putting our money where our mouth is and will be running some in-house NLP Practitioner training for some of our team over the next couple of months. 

But some of the more cynical of you might say "Well you're a training company, of course you're going to say that". Just in case you are, here is part of an article published by the Institue of Directors to support our thinking:-

Predicting an organisation's future in 2009 is far from easy.

Is a core focus on training and development critical to your success? The IoD reviews the latest UK training news and research...

A recent survey by Business Smart International (BSI) suggests that many companies are planning to replace their training opportunities with more selective strategies. Two-thirds of the managers questioned out of 100 large companies say that they will need to "streamline their course portfolio" in 2009. The more classic training areas look likely to be replaced, with a focus on talented employees who will be picked for more intensive training.

According to the National Audit Office a skills gap in a 50-employee business can cost up to £165,000 to replace, which suggests that training investment can save you money in the long term. If used wisely, a balanced budget can help reduce a company's financial burden and ensure a recognisable return on investment.

The Learning and Skills Council has released the results of a new national survey. 62 per cent stated that learning a new skill would help them feel happier in their role and 77 per cent of workers recognised the room for improvement in their skill levels.

New research by the West Midlands Regional Observatory reports that in the five-year period from 2003 to 2007, increased investment in skills and training significantly reduced skills shortages in the region. The Regional Skills Assessment in 2008 showed that the performance gap reduced from six percentage points to less than one per cent. Much of this was due to a strong upturn in apprenticeship programmes and initiatives such as Train to Gain.

The UK Commission of Employment and Skills (UKCES) has warned that it's a "false economy" to cut staff training budgets. In its 2008 report, it said "Investing now in building new skills will put us in the strongest position as the economy recovers. From our experience in previous downturns, it was the businesses that did invest in their staff that saw the most dramatic recovery". UKCES research has also shown that those who are on programmes of learning increase sales by an average of 17%, while retention is at an average of 75%, compared with an industry average of 60%.

A report published by Cranfield School of Management claims that investing in training not only saves money, but is more effective than external recruitment. Three quarters of the 1,189 companies involved in the study felt that training their own staff was more beneficial to their business. Almost half actually saved money, with one-third of the companies benefiting from increased staff motivation. It also found that half the companies enjoyed improved staff retention.

The Times reports that downturns are the right time to boost your skills and knowledge. As companies look at new ways to remain competitive, it seems that MBA applications to British business schools are on the increase. Many UK companies are on the look-out for those with MBAs who are good at financial and cashflow management, and company turnarounds.