ASTD releases 2013 State of the Industry report. 

U.S. organizations spent $164.2 billion on employee learning and development in 2012, according to the just-released findings of ASTD’s 2013 State of the Industry report sponsored by Skillsoft and the CARA Group, Inc.

The report’s findings demonstrate that despite a continuously changing economic environment, organizations remain committed to training and development. Senior executives understand that a highly skilled workforce is a strategic differentiator. They are investing in the development of their employees and using technology, instructor-led training, and blended solutions to effectively meet training challenges.

ASTD’s 2013 State of the Industry report is based on a survey of 475 organizations representing a diverse sample of industries, sizes, and locations. For comparative analysis findings are reported for three data sources: a consolidated source of all organizations; a data source pulling from the 28 BEST Award winning organizations; and a data source reflecting 32 Fortune Global 500 organizations.

Key findings are:

• $164.2 billion spent on learning and development in 2012.

• 61 percent of expenditures were on internal expenses ($100.2 billion).

• Per-employee spending remained stable in 2012, at an average $1,195 per employee ($1,182 in 2011). 

• 11 percent of expenditures went to tuition reimbursement ($18 billion).

• As a percent of payroll, direct expenditure on learning increased from 3.2 to 3.6 percent.

• Employees averaged 30.3 hours of training in 2012. Employees in BEST organizations used substantially higher amounts of training, averaging 57.7 hours each—an all-time high.

• Technology-based delivery of instruction rose to 39 percent of formal hours, up from 37.2 percent in 2011.

• The top three areas of training content in 2012 were: managerial and supervisory (13.5 percent); mandatory and compliance (10.8 percent); and processes, procedures, and business practices (9.9 percent).

The ASTD 2013 State of the Industry report is available on the ASTD Store. It is a free report for ASTD members. ASTD will host a webcast about the report’s findings on Friday, December 13, 2013. More information can be found here.

About ASTD

ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to the training and development field. In more than 100 countries, ASTD’s members work in organizations of all sizes, in the private and public sectors, as independent consultants, and as suppliers. Members connect locally in more than 120 U.S. chapters and with 15 international partners. ASTD started in 1943 and in recent years has widened the profession’s focus to align learning and performance to organizational results, and is a sought-after voice on critical public policy issues. For more information, visit www.astd.org.