February 17, 2025

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Imagination at work

Executive education 2021: FT survey shows what employers want

Coronavirus disrupted facial area-to-facial area call and compelled businesses to trim their charges, but it has also reinforced a lot of employers’ commitment to teaching for a broader vary of their center and senior professionals.

From a self-selective poll organised by the FT, additional than a quarter of chief discovering officers (CLOs) about the globe stated they intended to increase their budgets for government education in 2021, even though around 50 percent stated they would retain paying out at 2020 levels. Just 17 for every cent planned a reduction.

FT Government Schooling directories 2021

Check out a list of customised programme providers and open classes for professionals in our directories. Read through the relaxation of our coverage on government education at www.ft.com/execed and uncover out what the listings display.

The conclusions come from a revolutionary survey performed by the FT in partnership with Unicon, the global consortium for university-based mostly government education, along with the Affiliation to Progress Collegiate Educational facilities of Company and the European Foundation for Management Development — the two foremost accreditation businesses — as nicely as the Modern society for Human Source Management.

Of the 363 respondents surveyed in February and early March 2021, the bulk labored for businesses based mostly in the US and Canada, but Europe, Latin The united states, the Middle East and Africa were being also nicely represented. Respondents labored in organisations of numerous sizes: additional than two-fifths oversaw workforces of much less than 1,000 individuals and additional than a fifth were being dependable for teaching in groups with additional than 20,000 team. Respondents from finance, banking, health care and industrial corporations dominated.

Chart showing Workforce size of CLOs' companies

Far more than two-fifths of CLOs were being from businesses with beneath 1,000 team, with finance, banking, health care and industrial corporations dominating.

Prepared funds raises throughout 2021 were being biggest for businesses in Latin The united states and Asia-Pacific, followed by the US and Canada, then the Middle East and Africa. All those in Europe were being the least probably to anticipate progress in paying out on teaching, but however additional envisioned to increase than reduce expenses this calendar year. Overall, the average anticipated increase was seventy three for every cent.

Chart showing Budgets by company

Corporations with 1,000-4,999 staff noted the biggest anticipated alter in government teaching expenditure for 2021.

Leadership was the prime discovering precedence identified for government education, cited as important by eighty two for every cent of respondents. Change management followed, at 57 for every cent. Other longstanding priorities, including electronic transformation, tactic and innovation, were being also rated really by additional than two-fifths of respondents. In a indicator of the difficulties introduced to the fore throughout the pandemic, the need for teaching about resilience, wellbeing and remote or on the internet collaboration were being also cited by a lot of.

Chart showing Spending by region

Overall, eighty three for every cent of chief discovering officers surveyed stated they planned to retain or increase their teaching budgets globally for 2021.

A different rising concept — variety and inclusion — was a high precedence, cited by 55 for every cent, placing it 3rd overall. Amongst US respondents, it was even now better — in next position immediately after management. That reflects the rising target on a matter that has mobilised senior managements in modern months, activated partly by the killing of George Floyd very last Might and the Black Life Make any difference movement.

Chart showing Key learning Themes for 2021

Leadership, alter management, variety and inclusion and electronic transformation are amongst the prime priorities to emerge in the pandemic.

Company educational facilities can get some convenience from the actuality that just around 50 percent of the CLOs surveyed stated they would transform to universities throughout 2021 for their government discovering programmes. Having said that, a bigger proportion pointed to choices: additional than two-thirds stated they would use interior assets and nearly three-quarters planned to use non-university teaching companions.

When CLOs were being asked to take into account the most important features of teaching organisations with which they would work, they judged analysis-based mostly and empirical awareness — a person strength of business enterprise educational facilities — to be of very little importance. They as an alternative put the biggest emphasis on the benefit of customisation and an capability to reveal return on expense. Chopping-edge awareness and a strong on the internet system were being also really rated.

“People want anything that targets their need, somewhat than intriguing insights,” stated a person CLO. “They want short, sharp and engaging times of growth (extensive keynotes and time invested passively listening are OUT).” A different stated: “Virtual discovering has to be participative and to the point, with learners able to convey and work on actual, present issues with outlined, benefit-extra takeaways.”

Chart showing What makes providers relevant?

Customisation and return on expense were being rated better than classic business enterprise university strengths in analysis-based mostly and empirical awareness.

Several CLOs observed a pattern to discovering new and additional effective techniques to measure the benefit of teaching, with contributors citing a shift from annually to quarterly evaluations, conducting “360” critiques, and making use of surveys right before and immediately after classes. They stressed the need for ever increased alignment in between programmes made available and the strategic aims of their organisation, and for “learning transfer” from contributors to other staff.

Just one respondent talked about “actionable growth”. A different stated: “We will be wanting for project- or overall performance-based mostly results specifically tied to participation in government education.” A 3rd stated long term teaching programmes would be assessed to “more strictly measure and align with the capability to execute and carry out a project”.

Main discovering officers were being clear that the hasty change to on the internet discovering induced by Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 had not been fascinating, with the huge bulk stating in-man or woman discovering was superior. Having said that, they were being also practical about the long term: most predicted a blend of physical and digital discovering would be the “new normal”.

Chart showing the switch to online learning

Very last calendar year an enforced shift to on the internet discovering. While CLOs want in-man or woman training, the shift introduced gains such as enhanced flexibility.

Far more positively, four-fifths agreed or strongly agreed that electronic shipping and delivery had enhanced flexibility and accessibility to discovering, making it possible for businesses to achieve a broader group of leaders and staff. These views were being notably sturdy amongst businesses based mostly in Africa and the Middle East, and for bigger companies with workforces of 20,000-in addition.

Chart showing Where CLOs' companies operate

Virtually three quarters of surveyed chief discovering officers’ businesses operated in north The united states.

Numerous CLOs stated they anticipated a renewed target on government education, to fulfill a rising need for new expertise, succession organizing and finding techniques to detect candidates for advertising. “We are shifting from seniority-based mostly to capacity-based mostly,” stated a person. Other individuals cited a unique enthusiasm for expanding teaching that emerged throughout the pandemic: to motivate and keep vital staff.

Virtually two-fifths stated electronic discovering had enhanced the provision of self-paced and personalised material. Numerous cited the use of gamification and rising fascination in on-need teaching assets, “micro-learning” in smaller units and bite-sized video formats. Other respondents stated there was rising need for co-procedure and shared discovering with competitors and company universities, even though three-fifths stated evaluation and accreditation were being incredibly or very important in programmes.

Overall, 62 for every cent of respondents anticipated new types of collaboration about discovering, offering scope for innovation and intensified action by business enterprise educational facilities and other providers. But difficult negotiations lie in advance to deliver what CLOs seek. As a person stated: “[Nearly] all the things we have located is also fluffy, lacks actual globe material and depth, and has supplied virtually zero return on expense.”

Facts by Sam Stephens graphics by Chris Campbell