The latest survey results show that L&D is continuing to target its activity and impact upon the groups of employees who are strategically critical to organizational success. Leadership development therefore retains its place at the forefront of the L&D agenda.


However, there is now a noticeable shift away from more general talent-management interventions in favour of a greater focus on improving the performance of the middle-management population. Management performance is now the second-most-important issue for L&D overall, up twenty percent on the previous survey figure. By contrast, interest in talent management has fallen by fifteen percent, to sixth place overall.

In terms of L&D's external business drivers, the key priorities for learning departments remain consistent with previous survey results. Eighty percent of learning managers have reported that improving organizational execution and efficiency is their top business driver, an increase of fifteen percent on the previous survey. This is followed by a need to support employee engagement and commitment initiatives effectively (58%) and reduce overall costs (52%).

GoodPractice's Chief Executive Peter Casebow says, "It is really encouraging to see from the survey that the crisis phase of dramatic cost reduction and streamlining is now coming to an end. This indicates a welcome return to a more stable position for the UK's L&D profession."

Product Development Director at GoodPractice, Owen Ferguson, further comments, "Now that we have three sets of Learning Trends survey results, covering the past eighteen months, we're starting to see some significant patterns. In broad terms, learning departments are investing more in technology and cutting back on external provision. It will be interesting to see how this changes with any further shifts in the economic climate."