In the UK, Spain and Benelux nearly forty percent of companies train more than fifty percent of their employees via eLearning. France lags behind at only seventeen percent. eLearning is most used within the services sector - 43% of service-based companies train more than fifty percent of their employees via eLearning.

British companies, despite having used eLearning for less time than counterparts in other countries, are quickly developing their application of eLearning: in 2011, 51% of companies delivered at least one training via eLearning to over fifty percent of their employees compared to 39% in 2010.

The study also underlines the link between the length of time that a company has been using eLearning and the sophistication of the modules and delivery methods that it makes available. In summary, the more a company puts eLearning into practice, the more they enlarge and generalise the offer of eLearning in all its forms.

The most popular delivery methods


For 76% of companies, the most popular delivery method for eLearning is blended learning. The 47% already using this approach are planning to intensify usage.

eLearning with no tutoring is the second-most-popular method (58%): this seems to fit well with the idea of providing "just-in-time" training via eLearning and being able to adapt training to individual needs.

The future of eLearning


The use of eLearning looks set to increase in 2012. Given the economic climate, many companies are seeking to maintain or cut back their overall training budget; furthermore they are looking to reduce training cost per learner in order to be able to train a greater number of employees without increasing spending on training.

eLearning is being rolled out to a growing circle of employees creating a boom effect. Between 2010 and 2012 the number of companies that train between ten and fifty percent of their staff will grow from thirty to forty-five percent of the sample surveyed. Without a doubt, this is influenced by the widespread adoption of 2.0 technologies made popular by Generation Y, which promote collaborative knowledge sharing and the exchange of best practices.

The results of the barometer confirm that eLearning has become a credible delivery method for all sizes of enterprise. Whether the company has less than 1,000 employees or between 1,000 and 10,000, the number of users is on the up.


Methodology:

This survey was carried out from 08 September to 07 October 2011 in six European countries: France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

It was jointly produced by CrossKnowledge, Fçfaur, and Ipsos, with support from the following professional associations: Learning and Skills Group (UK), AEDIPE (Spain), and AIDP (Italy). The survey was carried out via an online questionnaire that enabled CrossKnowledge to query 511 training directors and managers.