As companies slash business costs to stay afloat, recent studies have found that the training budget is one of the first to be cut. Employees and human resources (HR) managers, on the other hand, clamor for training during downturns. Unfortunately for them, many companies don't share their views.

According to a report released last month by enterprise learning and talent management advisory Bersin & Associates, the average training expenditures per employee fell 11 percent last year, from $1,202 per learner in 2007 to $1,075 in 2008. The U.S. corporate training market shrank from $58.5 billion in 2007 to $56.2 billion last year. This was the biggest drop in a decade, as Workforce Management notes.

A survey of 84 corporate and government training professionals late last year by training services firm Expertus and research provider Training Industry showed that they didn't expect much improvement in 2009. More than twice as many respondents (48 percent) expected training budgets to decrease rather than increase this year. Only 17 percent anticipated their training budgets to go up. Additionally, 38 percent saw decreases in their 2008 training budgets since they were first approved.

Trellis Usher-Mays, president of management consulting firm T.R. Ellis Group, tells Human Resource Executive that the results don't surprise her. "Most companies are cutting training budgets," Usher-Mays says. "HR leaders need to fully understand the strategic business objectives of the organization to ensure that training dollars get approved — and to make sure those dollars deliver the best return on investment."

It's not all bad news, she says, adding that "the focus on budget cutting provides an opportunity for HR leaders to highlight the value of training to an organization, particularly when it comes to compliance issues, creating a competitive advantage and keeping good employees engaged and growing professionally."

The Expertus/Training Industry report found that return-on-investment metrics are not often used to appraise training programs.

"We recommend that organizations make measuring the value and impact of learning a priority," Doug Harward, chief executive of Training Industry, said in a statement. "This way, training organizations can make better-informed budgetary decisions about which training should be supported and which training needs to be improved."

Human Resource Executive suggests HR professionals leverage their training dollars through e-learning and mentoring programs where employees rely on managers or peers for training.

But HR professionals aren't the only ones struggling with the training budget cuts. Employees looking to shore up their skill-sets in the face of widespread layoffs find that company-provided training may no longer be an option and must seek alternatives.

The following are a few ideas to consider for acquiring free or inexpensive training outside of work, from ABC News/Women for Hire, U.S. News & World Report and Monster.com.

Government Programs

• Career One Stop offers on-site and online skills development workshops and training programs, most of which are free.
• Career Voyages is a joint venture between the Department of Labor and Department of Education that provides access to apprenticeship and certificate programs for blue-collar and white-collar workers.
• Low-income workers can apply for the federal Pell Grant, which provides up to $4,731 for college tuition — enough to cover most costs at community colleges.

Nonprofit Organizations

• Jewish Vocation Services assists with job training and placement. It has 22 agencies nationwide and works with 40,000 employers and communities to customize training programs to meet the demands of various industries.
• Goodwill offers job training in a variety of industries, including health care, information technology, computer programming and more.

Online

• For people looking solely to develop new skills and who don't need credit can study the lectures and assignments posted online by professors at MIT, UC-Berkley and dozens of others at OpenCourseWare Consortium.
• ITunesU also posts free courses from Stanford, Michigan Tech and other universities.

Industry-Specific

• The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute's PMMI U offers practical, useful educational experiences based on real needs to help individuals and companies upgrade the skills of packaging workers and develop new talent in today's high-tech packaging industry.
• CarQuest runs the CarQuest Technical Institute, which offers ongoing training for auto mechanics, who can train in a shop or through a self-paced series of programs.

"Many trade organizations offer training programs to improve skill level within the field and to attract new workers," Women for Hire advises, so "check with the leading trade organizations in your current or desired field to learn about training opportunities."

Resources

Corporate Learning Factbook 2009: Benchmarks, Trends and Analysis of the U.S. Corporate Training Market
by Karen O'Leonard
Bersin & Associates, Jan. 9, 2009

Training is Taking a Beating in Recession, Studies Find
by Ed Frauenheim
Workforce Management, Jan. 26, 2009

Measuring Learning as Budgets Tighten
Expertus, Inc. and Training Industry, Inc., Dec. 3, 2008

Downturn Drains Training Budgets
by Scott Westcott
Human Resources Executive, Dec. 30, 2008

Where to Find Job Retraining Services and Classes
by Tory Johnson
ABC News, Jan. 2, 2009

Advice: Training Programs
Women for Hire

Affordable New Ways to Get Job Skills
by Kim Clark
U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 2, 2009

Get Automotive Training on the Cheap
by Jim McPherson
Monster.com