Why do employees struggle to make time for training? When learning feels optional, it becomes avoidable. It’s time to rethink how training fits into real work.
April 2026
“I don’t have time for this” often resounds when training appears on calendars. While leaders often view development opportunities as an investment or even a perk, employees frequently experience them as an added burden competing with deadlines and performance pressures. This disconnect isn’t about laziness or a lack of ambition. The disconnect is about systems, signals, and structure. When those systems fail, organizations pay the price through slower adoption, stalled performance, disengagement, and preventable turnover. Understanding the “why” behind this resistance is the first step toward building a culture of continuous learning.
In our March 2026 Workforce Strategies Group LLC employer poll, we asked:
“Why do employees struggle to make time for training?”
The following four reasons employees struggle to find time for training are prioritized based on percentage response from our poll along with “The Fix” for each.
Company Culture doesn’t encourage growth. 39%
Organizations without a true learning and development approach give the message that it’s not needed. That mindset is reinforced when people advance in the organization without upskilling and development.
The Fix:
- Make training part of the job
- Ensure leadership buy-in
- Connect training directly to career growth
- Create a low-risk learning environment
- Use Mentorship and Cross-Training
- Involve employees in training design
Training feels disconnected from daily tasks. 29%
If a workshop feels like a detour rather than a shortcut, employees will bypass it. When the content doesn’t directly solve a problem that they currently face, it feels like wasted energy.
The Fix:
- Align training with immediate performance goals.
- Use “just-in-time” learning modules—short, targeted videos or guides that address specific technical issues or client scenarios.
- Ensure employees see an instant ROI on their time.
- Design every session so participants leave with a tool they can apply immediately
They are unaware of available opportunities. 18%
Sometimes, the struggle isn’t a lack of time, but a lack of direction.
The Fix:
- Managers should discuss career learning paths during 1-on-1 meetings to ensure opportunities are top-of-mind.
- Implement a transparent communication strategy including internal newsletters, virtual channels, or physical bulletin boards.
- Highlight the “Course of the Month” or the “Trainee of the Month”.
There’s no incentive to participate. 13%
We are wired to prioritize tasks with clear rewards. If completing a certification leads to more work without more pay or recognition, the motivation to “find time” evaporates.
The Fix:
- Create tangible rewards (i.e., digital badges, public “shout-outs”, etc.)
- Concrete incentives like training being a prerequisite for promotions or bonuses are a direct incentive to participate.
- Make it clear that skill growth directly influences advancement, opportunity, and compensation.
Ultimately, a company that prioritizes personal and skills growth by helping employees understand the value added to them and to the company, advertising it, structuring it into the work, connecting it to the daily performance, and recognizing when it happens, are creating a culture that encourages growth. The question isn’t whether employees value training. It’s whether organizations are designing it to be worth their time.
*Percentages indicate March 2026 poll results
-Greg Vitek, Workforce Strategies Group LLC
