2025 has been a(nother) tough year. Remember last year, when everyone was saying “survive to 25”, because they thought that this year was going to be amazing? For many, it hasn’t turned out that way, and we’re still dealing with uncertainty. That said, there’s some cautious optimism out there, according to the ANZ’s September 2025 business outlook survey. If you do a web search on ‘NZ business confidence’ you’ll find that it goes up and down like a central city office elevator.
When the economy is uncertain, or budgets are under pressure, staff training is often the first line items to face the axe. But cutting back too far can backfire. Instead, smart businesses look for cost-effective staff training options that keep their people learning and developing.
Your people are the engine of your business. When they lack skills, confidence, or direction, productivity drops, turnover rises, and mistakes multiply. Investing in employee training, even when money is tight, sends a clear message that you value your team and their personal and professional development.
It also ensures that your business has the skills it needs to adapt, compete, and succeed when things are looking brighter … because you’ve kept employee engagement and morale up, and retained your best people.
The good news is that professional development doesn’t always have to come with a hefty price tag. With the right approach, you can stretch your staff training budget further while still acquiring high-quality learning experiences for your people. Here are ten practical ways to make it happen.
1. Conduct a training needs analysis
A training needs analysis is one of the best ways to ensure you’re targeting development where it’s needed most. If you’re wondering how to get the most from your training budget, start by identifying your critical skills gaps.
For example, you may discover that while you initially thought your team needed leadership training, the real challenge is around communication, managing poor performance, or time management. Without this clarity, you risk wasting money on employee training that doesn’t move the needle.
By mapping out the skills your business needs today (and in the future), you can focus your limited staff training budget on the areas that will have the greatest impact for your team and your business.
2. Ask your team members what development they want
Staff training doesn’t always have to mean a formal course with a certificate attached. Sometimes, the most valuable employee development happens through mentoring, job shadowing, or cross-training.
Ask your staff what development opportunities they’d find most useful. They might suggest projects that stretch their skills, access to free webinars, or even just time set aside for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
These kinds of approaches cost little or nothing, but they can provide rich learning and personal development experiences while strengthening engagement and morale.
3. Shop around for the best courses—compare price and content
When you do decide that formal leadership training (for example) is the right option, don’t settle for the first training provider you find. Shop around. The cheapest leadership training course isn’t always the best value, but neither is the most expensive.
Look at what’s included in the course and consider:
- How much interaction and support is provided?
- Are there opportunities for practical application?
- Will your staff walk away with real skills, or just theory?
By comparing both content and price, you can ensure your staff training investment delivers maximum return.
4. Don’t dismiss low-cost training course providers
When it comes to workplace training courses, it’s easy to assume that higher price means higher quality, but that’s not always the case. Many smaller workplace training providers, especially those who operate entirely online, have good low-cost training solutions. Often, they have lower overheads than large corporate training companies. They can often deliver the same quality – or better – at a fraction of the cost.
If a training provider’s price looks competitive, take a closer look at their course content, trainer experience, and client feedback before you dismiss them. You might find an affordable gem.
5. Consider online classrooms to eliminate travel costs
Sending staff to in-person training can be expensive, not just in terms of course fees, but also travel, parking, accommodation, and lost work hours.
Online, interactive virtual classrooms with a real facilitator removes these costs entirely. Many providers now offer interactive online classrooms that replicate the engagement of face-to-face sessions, complete with breakout discussions, activities, fun interactions, brainstorming and live feedback.
For geographically spread teams, or for people who don’t work in a main centre, this option is especially powerful. Your people can log in from anywhere, saving both time and money. You can even include your overseas employees in the same classroom as your local ones … that’s a win in our book.
6. Explore training subscriptions for budget certainty
One way to stretch your employee training budget is to look for providers that offer training subscriptions. For a set monthly fee, your business gets access to a suite of courses. Different fees will have different levels of training availability.
This not only spreads the cost across the year but also provides certainty for your budget planning. Instead of unpredictable ad-hoc training expenses, you’ll know exactly what you’re committing to.
(You can learn more about our training subscriptions here.)
7. Ask about group discounts
If you have multiple staff who need the same training, always ask about group discounts. Many providers are willing to reduce their per-person rate if you book several places at once.
Even if you don’t have a large group from your own company, consider partnering with another business or others in your industry to share the cost of a group booking. This approach can make high-quality training much more affordable.
8. Enquire about in-house training options
Bringing a trainer in-house to deliver a session just for your business can often be more cost-effective than sending individuals out to external courses.
With a fixed price, you can train a whole team for less than the cost of sending them individually. Plus, in-house employee training can be customised to reflect your specific challenges, making it more relevant and impactful. (And in case you were wondering, yes we can!)
9. Look for flexible payment options
Cashflow challenges can make it difficult to commit to staff training, even when you know it’s needed. Many providers ask for their hefty training course fees up front. Ask providers if they offer instalment plans or spread payments over time. (Check out our pay as you learn facility for our 8-week team leader development program).
Flexible payment terms mean you don’t have to sacrifice staff training and development due to temporary budget pressures.
10. Check learner feedback before committing
Finally, remember that not all employee training is created equal. A poorly delivered course is money wasted, no matter how cheap it is.
Before you commit, check feedback about the trainers themselves. Do they have strong reviews? Do participants leave with practical skills they can apply straight away?
A great trainer can make even a low-cost course incredibly valuable, while a poor one can turn an expensive programme into a waste. Always do your homework.
Final thoughts on stretching your training budget
When budgets are tight, cutting employee training and development might seem like the easy option, but it’s often a false economy. Your people are your most valuable asset, and investing in their skills is one of the best ways to future-proof your business.
By taking a strategic approach – focusing on genuine needs, being open to creative learning and development options, and carefully choosing the right providers – you can stretch your training budget further than you think.
At the end of the day, training isn’t just a cost, it’s an investment. The businesses that continue to invest in their people, even during lean times, are the ones best placed to thrive when conditions improve.
Ready to make your training budget go further? Get in touch with us today to explore cost-effective options for developing your team leaders, managers, and staff.
Find out about our employee training subscription here.
We have a ‘pay as you learn’ facility – weekly direct debit – for our 8-week team leader development program. Find out about that program here.
And yes, we do group discounts, and love to bring training in-house. Contact us to find out more … ask and you shall receive!
