Nearly all workers believe that training is helping them do their jobs better, according to a new survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The poll, of 750 workers, found that almost four in five feel their employer offers enough training opportunities and 94% of respondents who have undertaken training in the past 12 months believe the training they received has helped them do their job better.

However a fifth (21%) of staff still believe they are not being given enough training opportunities. The research also shows that those who already have an academic qualification, or have already received training, are most likely to get further training.

Victoria Gill, CIPD Learning Training and Development Adviser, said: “Although it is good to see more staff taking responsibility for their own development, employers need to ensure training opportunities are available and encouraged among all levels of staff, not just those who already hold academic qualifications, or who have the confidence to request training. This may run the risk of creating an imbalance among staff and a training gap”.

The study 'Who learns at work?' also concluded that the role of the line manager is critical to training and development. Line managers were responsible for over half (51%) of employee discussions concerning the success and evaluation of training. Also, 45% of respondents said their line manager initiated their most recent training, but only one in six employees (17%) said they had initiated training themselves.

These figures are supported by CIPD research amongst training professionals carried out last year. Training and development 2004, found that 60% of training was initiated by the HR/training department. It also reported that 94% of training and development practitioners agreed employees should take more responsibility for their own learning and development.

Victoria Gill said: “These results confirm the shift from centralised training to a learning culture. Increasingly front-line staff and their immediate managers are taking responsibility for building capacity and broadening the skills base of UK organisations.”

Other figures from the survey show:
* Those most likely to receive training are those in companies with 500+ employees, those working full-time and those with a degree.

* Being shown how to do things and then practising them was the preferred method of training (54%), the least appealing methods are reading books/ articles and watching videos.

* Those working in small businesses are less likely to receive training than those in larger organisations or in the public sector.