ASTD Takes Pulse Of Industry.

Training expenditures by employers decreased slightly in 1999, the first decrease since 1996, according to the 2001 ASTD State of the Industry eport. However, while total training expenditures decreased from 2.0 percent of payroll in 1998 to 1.8 percent in 1999, projections for 2000 indicated a temporary decline. Other major findings reported by ASTD, Alexandria, Virginia, include the following:

* The percentage of training delivered in the classroom rose slightly to 79.9 percent in 1999--up from 78.4 percent in 1998, while training via e-learning technologies (see chart) held steady at 8.4 percent.

* Organizations are spending a decreasing percentage of payroll on payments to outside training companies-19.9 percent in 1999 versus 24.4 percent in 1998.

* Hours of training per eligible employee dropped from 29 hours in 1998 to 26.3 hours in 1999.

SURVEY DATA

Use of Learning technologies [*]

PERCENTAGE OF ORGANIZATIONS USING


TOP 3 PRESENTATION       1999  2002 [**]
METHODS

Multimedia               64.9    91.0
Computer-based training  64.4    79.3
Teleonferencing          35.9    63.0

TOP 5 DISTRIBUTION
METHODS
CD-ROM                   61.5    82.7
E-mail                   46.5    62.1
Local area network       40.9    62.0
Intranet                 39.8    83.3
Internet                 38.0    70.5



(*)Findings from 365 U.S. organizations that participated
in ASTD's benchmarking service an annual
process that collects information concerning training
expenditures and practices.

(**)Projected

Source: 2001 ASTD State of the industry Report, ASTD,
Alaxandria Virginia. Reprinted with permission