The research by start-up Create eLearning states that huge savings could be made by dropping expensive face-to-face classes and putting training resources onto computers, tablets and smartphones which are more likely to be used and can be referred back to.
The firm is hoping to change the conventional approach with a software platform that allows training programmes to be condensed and distributed around an organisation.
"Companies can spend millions on training courses that are seen as a jolly or weekend away, but information is actually absorbed better in bite sized chunks," said Mark Taggart, entrepreneur who started Create eLearning.
With 40 per cent of staff who receive poor or no training leaving a firm within a year, bringing in a comprehensive training programme accessible to all staff can also save money on recruitment and re-training costs, and by avoiding downtime, the Glasgow-based firm said.