Learning Light publishes its third definitive research report on the corporate e-learning market

Learning Light has published its third report in four years on the state of the e-learning sector in the UK – and, this year, provides analysis on e-learning in 19 other countries too.

‘The UK e-learning market 2010’, a report by Learning Light, an organisation which focuses on promoting the use of e-learning and learning technologies, suggests that in the next 12 months, the UK market will grow by no more that 4.76% on the 2009 figure.

The report reveals that, at most, the UK e-learning industry is currently turning over some £472 million a year. Moreover, it reveals that last year’s predicted UK market growth - of up to 8% - was achieved despite the general economic downturn.

Much enhanced compared with Learning Light’s previous 2007 and 2009 e-learning market reports, the 2010 version includes interviews with over 40 of the UK’s leading e-learning companies, along with a number of other organisations and individuals across Europe.

The report concludes that the UK remains the largest but not the fastest growing European market for e-learning.

Learning Light’s analysis of the market indicates that, while France will enjoy considerable growth (7.64% on a market size of £375m), as will Germany (7.75% on £242m), the e-learning markets in most Scandinavian countries will grow faster, albeit from a lower base. The fastest growing e-learning markets are identified as those in Eastern Europe - notably Slovakia – which will be driven by government and EU funded projects.

One of the report’s co-authors, Gillian Broadhead, commented: “While few of our interviewees failed to see the potential for growth in the corporate e-learning market, many also felt that the present economic downturn and the large reductions in Government expenditure in the UK will dampen demand.”

Her colleague, David Patterson added: “In terms of technology trends, we see considerable innovation and potential disruption to business models driven by open source technologies, mobile and smart devices, e-books, the Cloud and software as a service (SaaS). We retain our fundamental belief that this industry is evolving and will continue to do so, its appetite undiminished in its wish to exploit new technologies, devices and approaches to deliver effective learning.”

“We do, however, remain perplexed,” said Glynn Jung, a learning specialist, head of Learning Leadership and co-author of the report. “Given the widespread acknowledgement that e-learning is now both effective and engaging, it’s curious that we’re not seeing a greater drive toward the adoption of e-learning by corporate leadership.”

This report has informed discussion at the European e-learning Summit, held in Sheffield from 17th to 19th November. The Summit delegates – Europe’s top e-learning strategists, content and systems developers, drawn from the private and public sectors as well as academia - discussed the European and world markets for e-learning, identified industry trends and the key issues in e-learning today.

The Summit was supported by learndirect and by Creativesheffield, which has also helped to sponsor ‘The UK e-learning market 2010’ report.

Copies of Learning Light’s latest report on the e-learning market can be obtained from the Learning Light and E-learning Centre websites, price £499. A brief summary of the report is available for download, free, from http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/

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Notes for Editors
About the Learning Light Report
This report began as a simple attempt to update the report written by John Helmer, on behalf of Learning Light, in 2007 on the size and value of the UK e-learning industry. The 2009 Report updated this by interviewing a number of leading players (vendors) in the industry to ask their view of the market and by further seeking to quantify the market size. This series of semi-structured interviews was continued for the 2010 report.
About learndirect

Over the last 10 years, learndirect has pioneered the large scale delivery of learning - supported by people but enabled by technology. Over the last ten years learning with learndirect has been shown to transform people's lives and helps businesses thrive. Whether it is to get a new job, a promotion or to gain the confidence needed to do more with their lives - helping people is at the very heart of what learndirect is about. learndirect has opened up opportunities for many who'd been turned off by education by offering people a new way of learning. This has been done on a large scale - after all, more than 2.8 million learners to date can't be wrong.

About Creativesheffield

Creativesheffield is the UK’s first city development company, charged with delivering Sheffield's economic transformation. Its core activities are:
• Investment – to build on the success of Sheffield First for Investment in attracting quality inward investment into the city.
• Marketing – to achieve a positive shift in the perception of the city; by publicising events within the city and promoting the city to the outside world.
• Regeneration - to develop the city's physical infrastructure to internationally competitive standards, in line with the Sheffield City Centre Masterplan.
• Innovation – to create initiatives that will promote the growth of the city's scientific, creative and cultural knowledge base.
• Business Support Services – support businesses within the city and locating in the city, including access to property databases, HR support and advice on financial support.

About Learning Light Ltd
Sheffield-based Learning Light is a centre of excellence in the use of e-learning and learning technologies in the workplace. Its knowledge base contains over 400 papers offering insights and advice on how to use e-learning & learning technologies.

Learning Light, which operates www.e-learningcentre.co.uk one of the leading resources on e-learning in the UK, works closely with the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield and has undertaken a Systematic Literature Review of the available papers on the effective use of e-learning in conjunction with the University of Sheffield.
Learning Light occupies a unique space in the e-learning and learning technology sector networking with:
• Suppliers of e-learning and learning technologies to support the growth of the sector
• Buyers seeking out learning technology solutions to improve the effectiveness of their business or organisation
• Leading organisations worldwide who provide it with market knowledge from around the globe
It:
• Provides unbiased and impartial advice to both suppliers and buyers
• Hosts events and workshops that provide the platforms to impart and gain knowledge by encouraging collaboration and sharing of best practice
• Acts as a conduit between suppliers and buyers to forge successful business partnerships
• Provides market intelligence and benchmarking information gained from its many contacts and networking partners
• Provides access to research materials from leading learning technology professionals

Learning Light Ltd
First Floor, The Fountain Precinct, Balm Green, Sheffield, S1 2JA, UK
Tel +44 (0)114 223 2442; Web www.learninglight.com
Contact: David Patterson/ Gill Broadhead, Learning Light, +44 (0)114 223 2442

PR contact: Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 23 Sherwood Avenue, St Albans, Herts, AL4 9QJ, UK Tel +44 (0)1727 860405

This release was published on openPR.