Proving the value of training is a critical to corporate employers, but many are ‘obsessed’ with happy sheets that fail to deliver business information, according to industry analyst eLearnity.

The company warned that failure to prove the value of training could lead to outsourcing.

eLearnity has researched best practice in measuring and proving the value of corporate learning with seven major corporate employers for its Learning Scorecard project.

The project researched best practice in measuring and proving the value of corporate learning with seven major corporate employers.

The main conclusions were:

* The need to show real value for learning is now a critical issue for corporate learning and development groups, both to help them properly engage with the business, and to manage their function more effectively and efficiently.

* The extent and usefulness of training evaluation within many companies is currently overstated, tending to focus on satisfaction with training events, the least relevant information for the business.

* Analysis of return on investment for training is done inconsistently, and is largely retrospective and defensive.

David Wilson, eLearnity's founder and Managing Director said: "Our research shows that the current thinking and activity for evaluating learning will not deliver the information really needed by the business"

"There is a strong need to turn current thinking on its' head, moving away from traditional happy sheet / reactionnaires for training, and instead focusing on measuring the value of learning, aligned with its' underlying purpose; developing core competencies, meeting learning needs on demand, or in supporting major projects and business initiatives".