Very few companies rely on digital training today. Why is that? In this article, we show based on a study why so many companies hesitate:
"Employees need the right skills to drive digital transformation forward. A modern training culture is the key to this." – Michael Fübi, President of the TÜV Association
True words – unfortunately, they are often not put into practice: The current study report “Training for the Digital Work Environment (full PDF)” from Bitkom Research clearly shows that many companies have significant catching up to do regarding the topic of “digital transformation.”
The three most important findings of the study at a glance:
90% of the surveyed companies stated that training is important to them and
99% stated that they consider lifelong learning to be significant.
Only 43% of companies have a concrete training strategy!
Important but no strategy – How does that fit together?
The Bitkom results also show that:
the demand for training measures is usually determined by the specialized departments (73%) or the executive management (57%).
the majority (40%) of surveyed companies provide 1 - 2 days a year for training, especially large companies plan little to no time for this.
the average annual budget per employee is €709.
7% of companies do not provide any budget for internal training!
In short: In most companies, there is both little time and little money available for training!
When we look at the currently most used training measures, it becomes clear that they do not match the resources provided:
Own results presentation of used training measures in companies // Bitkom Study 2018
In particular, offline offerings (48%) with external speakers and seminar offerings are very costly. The daily rates for external providers are usually between €800 - €1500 according to the current fee study. This partially exceeds the training budget of €709 per employee – even if multiple employees participate in an in-person training session. Additionally, there are lost work hours, as well as potential travel and accommodation costs. It is evident that effective training is not possible under these conditions: Budget and method do not align in many companies!
Significantly more cost-effective are online-based learning programs (42%) or the combination of in-person and online content (Blended Learning, 34%): Learning platforms are often available for under €500 monthly and can provide content for a large number of employees simultaneously. You can reuse these learning materials repeatedly. Therefore, investing in digital training measures is financially worthwhile in the long term – and also leads to better transfer results.
Opportunities of Digital Transformation in Training
The results of the Bitkom study clearly show that companies should indeed invest in training. In particular, digital topics will gain significantly in relevance in the future. Embrace the change of the times and optimize your training in the spirit of digital transformation.
Are you looking for a learning platform that supports you on the path to digital transformation? Then test the blink.it learning platform and convince yourself! Book your free admin demo and learn all about the relevant features that suit you and your company.
