What the evidence means
The Employer Skills Survey estimate includes the direct and indirect costs of employer-funded or arranged training across the UK.
Modelled expenditure estimate from the Employer Skills Survey.
G&G verified business evidence
UK employer training expenditure in 2024
UK employers spent an estimated £53.0 billion on training in 2024.
£53
billion
Original source
Department for Education
Employer Skills Survey 2024
The expenditure results estimate total UK employer training expenditure at £53.0 billion.
View original evidence
Department for Education. Employer Skills Survey 2024. 24th of July, 2025. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/employer-skills-survey/2024
Why this matters to UK SMEs
Training is a major UK employer investment and an important capacity decision for SMEs. The national total shows the scale of spending, while the per-person measures are more useful for smaller employers deciding whether their own training budget is proportionate and focused on genuine capability needs.
Key breakdowns
Total training expenditure was £53.0 billion, split relatively evenly between off-the-job training (£26.9 billion) and on-the-job training (£26.1 billion). In real terms, the total was 10.2% below 2022 and 18.5% below 2011. Average expenditure was about £2,710 per person trained and £1,700 per employee. Spend per trainee decreased with site size, from £6,260 at sites with 2 to 4 employees to £1,550 at sites with 100 or more employees. Spend per employee was £1,850 in Wales, £1,770 in Scotland, £1,690 in England and £1,670 in Northern Ireland.
How to interpret this evidence
Employers continued to invest substantial sums in training, but real expenditure was at its lowest level in the survey series. Smaller sites spent more per trainee than larger sites, which may reflect fixed delivery costs and smaller participant groups rather than more extensive provision. The total should therefore be read alongside participation, training days and outcomes.
Limitations
This is a modelled estimate based on the Employer Skills Survey and its follow-up Investment in Training survey of 5,935 employers. The population is employer sites with at least two people on payroll, not every UK business, and the total includes direct and indirect costs reported or estimated by employers. National totals are dominated by larger employers. Comparisons with earlier years are inflation-adjusted, but the result does not measure training quality, relevance or return on investment.
Practical considerations
G&G perspective: build a training budget from priority skills, expected business outcomes and the realistic cost of releasing staff time. Track whether training changes competence, productivity, quality or retention rather than measuring spend alone. Small employers may reduce fixed costs through shared provision, online delivery or carefully targeted external support, while retaining role-specific coaching where it adds value.