As we slide into the recession, there are those who see nothing but bad news for the training industry. Take a closer look, however, and there are some encouraging straws in the wind, as Mike Levy reports.

The T&D budgets of shrinking companies are surely going to be first to hit the financial shredder. However, the recession itself could bring new opportunities for training suppliers, especially in the world of education, and then there's London 2012.

"To me this is the time for people to redefine themselves as learners. By taking a look at what is valuable to themselves as professionals now, but also at how they can influence their learning and development going forward, making sure their learning questions actually get answered."

Ton Zijlstra

The public sector is certainly one place to look in these tough times. The new school diplomas, created to give entitlement to vocationally based learning to every secondary school child in England, is just one example. Some diplomas are already being piloted and the new retail diploma will be launched in five education authorities in 2010. According to Fiona Stubbs, diploma partnership manager for Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail: "There will be a need for creative ideas for new products in this exciting new market. We are also developing a 'diploma shop' on our website – a list of resources for learners." This, she says, will be a powerful shop window for suppliers. There will also be a need for suppliers to act as industry experts. Says Stubbs; "The teachers won't be able to teach everything. Those consortia providing the new diplomas will need experts to help them with real-life case studies. Specialisms will have to be bought in: logistics, visual merchandising, buying, supply chains and so on."

The five pilot areas for 2010 have not yet been named but Stubbs recommends making contact with your local LEAs to see what plans are in place.

These diplomas are not the only opportunity on the horizon. The government has just announced a further cash injection of £100m over the next three years for people who are currently facing redundancy and those looking for work. The money will fund new skills, qualifications and on-the-job training, from a range of approved training suppliers.

As skills secretary John Denham explained, "This extra funding will help to make sure those people affected get access to the services they need as quickly as possible."

Continuing the government's adventurous spending plans, Denham has also announced four new National Skills Academies, bringing the total number in the network to 16. The new Academy for Enterprise, for example, will focus on developing enterprise and innovation skills in young people.

How can a recession create opportunities?

Ton Zijlstra, Dutch knowledge management expert and consultant (and keynote speaker at the forthcoming Online Educa conference in Berlin) believes that we are seeing a revolution in learner preferences. "I think it is both a threat as well as a big opportunity. A threat because when people get scared they tend to fall back on the strategies they know best instead of trying something 'new'.

"An opportunity, because with a world in turmoil and institutions crumbling, alternative modes of learning and development are needed. There is room to re-evaluate your strategies and adapt to the changes around you.

"To me this is the time for people to redefine themselves as learners. By taking a look at what is valuable to themselves as professionals now, but also at how they can influence their learning and development going forward, making sure their learning questions actually get answered."

Christophe Binot, elearning manager for the French oil giant, Total, (and another keynote speaker at the conference) agrees. "The economic downturn clearly provides opportunities for new modes of learning and development such as informal learning, elearning and blended learning. Indeed, all the infrastructures - internet, enterprise intranets, home ADSL, Web 2.0 technologies - are already here. The rising costs of employee travel to businesses and the environment coupled with the growing number of unemployed mean a strong need for low cost, remotely accessible, learning and development.

"We have the rapid elearning tools to create courses from a standard PowerPoint with synthetic voice in two hours, which can be published to thousands of people. The ROI outperforms training in a classroom."

Business opportunity on the horizon

Looking further ahead the biggest business opportunity on the horizon has to be the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). Some training companies have already started to feel the benefit of this huge potential buyer. Claire Wilson of Broad Bridge Training is one. "I specialise in developing personal assistants and I also offer a range of writing skills courses. I have already given minute-taking and business writing coaching to some of the ODA's senior PAs.

"Clearly the ODA has a limited life-span in terms of its existence. Therefore offering courses that are instantly applicable, such as health and safety, as opposed to longer-term interventions such as leadership development is the key here. I have also been approached to add my details to the database to help me make contacts with other organisations that are involved with the Olympics."

Procurement for the games starts in earnest in 2009. The ODA and London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) expect to allocate over £6bn of work as part of an estimated 75,000 future business opportunities.

The 'London 2012 Business Network' has been created to help companies compete for London 2012. The Network has three component parts: essential information on upcoming opportunities and how to supply London 2012; business events; and the new 'CompeteFor' service, a business 'dating agency' that will match companies to thousands of opportunities to supply London 2012 contractors.

ODA and LOCOG are advertising their direct contract opportunities online through CompeteFor, which is co-funded by Regional Development Agencies. The appointed London 2012 contractors will be encouraged to advertise their supply chain opportunities on the site. Businesses can use it to express an interest in current opportunities and subcontracting opportunities will be listed throughout the supply chain. Once registered with CompeteFor, you will receive e-alerts when new opportunities are announced.

According to an ODA spokesperson, opportunities for trainers and coaches are likely to increase nearer to the time of the games themselves. You have been forewarned – though the skies are grey, there are hints of silver, or even gold, up there.

Mike Levy is a freelance journalist, author, writing and presentations coach.
www.writestart.co.uk.