MANY MANAGERS are, not unexpectedly, cutting back on training spending to cope with the recession, but one area they often fail to address is their own computer competencies and IT skills, writes GERALD FLYNN

The problem is that many managers have professional qualifications and see personal development in term of “continuous professional development” rather than in mastering e-mail, social networking, podcasts, video-sharing, wikis, blogs or presentation graphics.

In recent years it was possible to get around low computer skills by buying in some skills or hoping that a younger person would take on the task. With the fat now being trimmed, and managers expected to be both flexible and more productive, their low levels of personal computing skills are being exposed.

Many executives see the potential of IT systems – such as reductions in communication costs with on-screen brochures and sales material – but fail to see the potential literally at their finger-tips. A senior executive on €75,000 a year could be wasting over €200 a week with just an hour’s downtime or wasted effort on computer processing and tasks.

“Managers often need a private and personal assessment of their current skills so that they can be told of potential skills enhancement without learning tricks or procedures which they would never use,” explained Ger Coakley of Clear Learning. “People talk about basic keyboard skills but, at a management level, some database skills may be unnecessary while accessing report templates or tables for analysis could be key to making life much easier.”

Clear Learning – previously Calyx Training – is a division of the Calyx voice and data services group. Coakley saw that most training was centred on those who maintain the servers and phone systems, followed by more junior staff who were “sent” on courses whether or not they needed or wanted them.

“The one group that usually missed out were the decision-makers and their colleagues who sometimes thought that e-mails and an electronic diary was the limit of their needs. Recession has begun to expose these gaps but more senior staff are often reluctant to admit that the last personal computer skill they acquired was five or six years ago. They just do not know the potential benefits which will give them greater independence and more productive working practices,” Mr Coakley added.

Training and developing staff remains an important priority for employers, despite the economic downturn, but budgets are being squeezed and prioritisation of management and leadership development is the order of the day, according to the main people management professional institute.

A recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) survey found that the vast majority (81 per cent) of learning, training and development managers in a survey of almost 900 have highlighted the development of management and leadership as the most important skill to embed in organisations in order to meet business objectives during the recession.

Seven in 10 employers say learning and development remains a high priority regardless of the financial situation, while almost half state that their economic/funding situation has worsened (46 per cent), only a third (32 per cent) say funding for training has been cut this year. A similar number also expect funding to decline next year.

Claire McCartney, the CIPD’s learning, training and development adviser, says: “the recession is undoubtedly placing pressure on training budgets, but there is no evidence of budgets being slashed indiscriminately. A skilled and motivated workforce will be essential to ensure organisations are well placed to take advantage of the recovery when it comes.”

Gerald Flynn is an employment specialist with Align Management Solutions in Dublin. gflynn@alignmanagement.net