Companies have been warned that providing workers with suitable staff training could be vital during the country's emergence from the recession.
Fiona Lander, managing director of training and performance specialist Lander Associates, noted that many employers consider training to be unnecessary during difficult economic periods.
She explained that a large number of bosses think it is not "business critical" so fail to invest in this aspect of their company when times are tight.
Ms Lander described this as a "worrying trend", although she admitted that it is not a particularly surprising one.
However, she asserted that firms aiming to perform well during the recession should be working to improve the skills of workers as much as possible.
"To thrive in a downturn - or even just to survive - developing and upskilling your people is crucial," she stated.
Her views were echoed by Sunil Duggal, managing director of Just IT, who noted that even those in senior positions can benefit from training.
"Irrespective of whether there's a recession or not, training your management is important to help your business develop and grow," he commented.
A number of companies have announced that they will be investing in staff training schemes to ensure workers are equipped with the appropriate skills.
Among these is Chesapeake, which revealed to Training Journal that workers at its packaging plant in Tyne & Wear all enrolled on NVQ courses to gain a level two qualification in business improvement techniques.
To find out more how learndirect can help your business through the recession, see our redundancy support for your business section for more details.
