Employers make the biggest financial contribution to learning at work. In 1993 (the most recent comprehensive figures), the cost of training courses and supervised on-the-job training to employers of ten or more was £10.6 billion. While the vast majority of employers with ten or more employees provide some training, there are distinct patterns to this provision.

Trends and Features
• 82 per cent of employers with 25 plus employees have provided some off-the-job training over the last 12 months.

• But the employers provided this training for less than half of their workforce.

• Younger employees are more likely than older employees to receive job-related training.

• Employees in professional occupations are more likely than others to receive training.

• Employees who have good educational qualifications are more likely than those with no qualifications to receive job-related training.

• Training is less likely in smaller firms than larger firms.

• Formal training is much less likely in the very smallest of firms, with less than 25 employees.