How many training hours does an employee receive on average per year?

Average training hours per FTE, broken down by gender

The question on training hours comes from the VSME core module, under the theme of workforce, and asks for the average number of training hours per employee per year. The figure must be broken down by gender: average number of hours for men and separately for women. The calculation is based on FTE (full-time equivalent), not per head — this makes part-time workers comparable with full-time workers.

In practice, "training" includes any form of training that the company offers or funds: internal trainings, external courses, mandatory certifications, e-learning with registered hours. If the answer is missing because hours are not recorded centrally, that is not in itself a problem for completion — you indicate instead that the figure is not available, rather than presenting an estimate as hard data. Those providing this figure for the first time often build a simple counter from HR planning or the LMS (learning management system); for subsequent years the source is then already established. This topic is often asked in one go with whether the staff is covered by a collective labour agreement because collective labour agreements regularly prescribe a minimum number of training hours.

Where that is stated in the VSME base module

The indicator is in the core module of the VSME under the theme "own staff", as part of the workforce indicators alongside, among other things, remuneration and turnover. The standard specifies the breakdown by gender and normalization per FTE, but does not impose a lower limit or target value — there is no "right" or "wrong" number of hours, only a factual report. See the EFRAG website for the full text of the core module. Those completing this indicator often also receive the question on the male-female distribution within the workforce because both figures come from the same HR administration and end up in the same table at the client's.