Continuing Vocational Training Survey: CVTS 5

Continuing Vocational Training (CVT) is recognised both by the European Union and European national governments as a key contribution to competitiveness and productivity, to adaptation of workforces to changing patterns of production and work organisation, and to social cohesion. To monitor progress and change in the delivery of the CVT supplied by employers across Europe, the European Union commissions a regular survey of employers to assess their CVT practices. This survey, the Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS) takes place at 5-yearly intervals. The results of the fifth...  [+] Show more

Continuing Vocational Training (CVT) is recognised both by the European Union and European national governments as a key contribution to competitiveness and productivity, to adaptation of workforces to changing patterns of production and work organisation, and to social cohesion. To monitor progress and change in the delivery of the CVT supplied by employers across Europe, the European Union commissions a regular survey of employers to assess their CVT practices. This survey, the Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS) takes place at 5-yearly intervals. The results of the fifth edition of the survey in the UK, 'CVTS5', are set out in this report.

Findings include: 86 per cent of employers provided their staff with some form of CVT in 2015; 67 per cent of employers provided CVT courses, as opposed to less formal forms of CVT (such as workshops, job-rotation, on-the-job training, or self-directed learning); The provision of all forms of CVT was more frequent in larger employer organisations; 44 per cent of employers provided CVT courses internally to their organisation; Where external provision was used, private training companies were the main source (84 per cent) and these were used significantly more often than publicly-funded colleges or universities (39 per cent); Of the less formal methods of CVT, guided on-the-job training was, by a wide margin, the most significant, being provided by 63 per cent of all employers; The average number of hours in total spent on CVT courses by organisation (across all employees) during 2015 was 1,100, which compares with 600 in 2010; The average number of hours spent on CVT courses per participant was 30; 36 per cent of all hours on CVT courses were devoted to mandatory training, such as that related to health and safety (26 per cent in 2010); Technical, practical and job-specific skills were the most important focus of CVT courses; Employers' average total training expenditure on CVT courses in 2015 was around £31,300; The average cost per participant relating to CVT courses was £1,320; The average cost of CVT courses per employee (that is, averaged across all employees in the organisation whether they participated or not) was £400.

Excerpts from publication.