Corporate Training Is Soaring—Here’s Why

For the past few years, U.S. organizations have increased training spending by double digits annually, a trend that shows no signs of slowing.* This comeback is great news. It’s a welcome bellwether of continuing economic growth and a positive sign that companies are seizing opportunities to develop employees’ skills and leadership. Kiawah Island is hosting more training-focused events than ever, and our ProMeetings team has insights about what’s driving growth and tips to get the most from your leadership and development investment:

Leadership training has never been more vital. It’s estimated that more than 3.6 million baby boomers will retire this year. (Simple math tells us that’s almost 10,000 experienced people leaving the workplace each day!) The fresh faces around the office are millennial workers, eager to take over management roles. That’s what makes next-generation leadership development a top priority now. Consider your corporate succession goals, and plan sessions to prepare these up-and-comers to meet new challenges and to lead with knowledge and confidence. Keep in mind that boomers and millennials have different styles. (Read more about that here to understand how younger workers’ expectations around interaction and flexibility may affect your events, and ask our planners for pointers in meeting your session goals.)

Developing talent is essential. A strengthening economy and expanding global marketplace heat up the competition for highly skilled employees. Faced with the challenge of attracting top-notch candidates, many companies realize the advantages—and economies—of developing that talent internally. This key business strategy encompasses coaching, mentoring and sessions that create opportunities to learn and share knowledge. Companies that choose Kiawah for their training events report that an off-site meeting, free of daily distractions, is fundamental for focused learning and fostering collaborative relationships. We have been interested to see that many of our corporate clients don’t use outside trainers, but rely on their managers and executives to lead the sessions. This ensures that the knowledge they share is authentically rooted in the organization, and there’s the added benefit of building relationships through sharing common goals.

Great companies know their culture counts. However you define it, a positive corporate culture involves people-centered attitudes and proactive values. It’s surely one of the reasons that Google, famous for its culture, continues to top Fortune’s list of “Best Companies to Work For.” Meetings can be an ideal way to develop corporate culture, when they’re designed to involve attendees in understanding expectations and to communicate the knowledge of what’s necessary for success. If you’re interested in learning more about the relationship between training and corporate culture, Columbia University professor Ross Tartell, Ph.D. makes a compelling case. Read his article in Training magazine to understand more about the power of culture to boost organizational performance.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” (We wish we’d though of this eloquent phrase, but it belongs to Irish poet William Butler Yeats.) True learning is vibrant, inspiring and interactive. It’s a two-way dialogue where everyone—including your session leaders—learns fresh and exciting things about themselves and their organizations. This result ignites passion for success. To achieve this, the tone and format of your event can play key roles. Our ProMeetings team has shared tips about this in recent blogs like How Fresh Formats Can Spark Your Meetings (read it here to fire up your next meeting.)

The bottom line is that corporate development returns results. Let us help you plan your next learning and training event on Kiawah Island, where you’ll enjoy an exceptional conference experience and the dedicated support of our professionals, plus a range of resort amenities, including five championship golf courses, two tennis complexes and endless recreation. Please contact our Director of Group Sales, Marty Couch, and his team at 800.576.1585—and act quickly to secure outstanding savings available for a limited time:
*Corporate Learning Factbook 2015.