Nearly three-quarters of employees would give up their free time to undertake work-related training, and more than half would pay for it themselves, according to new research by learning and development provider, Cegos.

The findings, from its European survey of 2,200 employees in France, Spain Germany and the UK, points to a growing acceptance among workers to manage and update their own skills at a time when job opportunities are still in the doldrums.
 
Respondents said they were most motivated to develop their skills by the potential for increases in salaries (65%), followed by a desire to fulfil their personal and professional potential. Half said they were motivated to undertake training to put them in a better position should they be made redundant.
 
Francis Marshall, managing director, Cegos UK, said: "In the current economic climate, employees are highly motivated to develop their skills and take control of their learning. With most willing to make personal sacrifices to undertake training, this points to a blurring of the boundary between work and home life."
 
The survey found 53% of UK workers undertake online learning alone, but 90% of employees say they prefer on-the-job training instead, followed by classroom training (89%) and mentoring (86%).
 
It also found 25% of staff still do not receive any training at all.