HRD 2010: Investment in L&D gives long-term competitive edge

Learning and development budgets have been an easy target during the recession, but cutting spending now will have long-term implications, delegates at the CIPD’s HRD conference were told. “The easy thing is to cut L&D, but I’m quite keen on spending more,” said Richard Cuthbert, chief executive of FTSE 250 consulting and business services group Mouchel. “It will give us the competitive benefit we need in this environment. If you stop spending now you will probably see the result in 18 months and I don’t want to be here in 18 months thinking ‘damn I wish I’d spent more’.”