Almost a third of European workers (30%) are in jobs they are not properly trained for because of recession cutbacks.

A report from SkillSoft and OnePoll shows 80% of employers across Europe offer some degree of training but 76% of staff think they could do more. And although 49% of staff think formal classroom training is partly useful, 87% would prefer to be trained at their own pace.

More than six out of 10 employees polled (61%) think a training or personal development programme is an important or very important decision to consider when applying for a new role.

Kevin Young, SkillSoft general manager for EMEA, said: "There is certainly a desire for training and further learning out there, but with training budgets under pressure potential is being wasted. A blend of learning methods, including e-learning, would satisfy the need for more flexible learning and be a cost-effective way to begin to optimise talent."