New research shows that over half of financial employers in the private and public sectors are unlikely to be getting the most from their investment in training.

It may be thought those with finance departments would have a better grasp of the need for 'Return on Investment', but the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) finds that 60 per cent of financial employers are 'conservative' in their attitude towards training and development of their staff, and are failing to develop the skills of their staff to their full potential.

AAT Chief Executive Jane Scott Paul said: "It is not so much a question of the 'conservative' businesses not investing in training, but rather their attitude towards it and the support they give their staff. The survey showed, for example, that 68% of employers prefer staff with practical skills not just paper qualifications, but when it comes to providing the necessary support in the workplace, many employers are failing to deliver."

The remaining 40 per cent of employers are more 'progressive in their attitude, according to the survey, taking a more expansive view on the benefits of training and development. Says Jane Scott Paul: "These people reported a real impact on the business as staff with a wider range of skills were able to take on greater responsibilities." Interestingly, small businesses were the most "progressive", with 49% of businesses employing 11-50 people falling into the category, although this is likely to be because necessity requires staff to take on extra duties and be more flexible where there are fewer staff to take up the slack. Jane Scott Paul warns: "Without the right attitude, many businesses could be spending hundreds, even thousands of pounds on training without seeing the real benefits."