In an effort to balance the skills gap in the work force, employee development spending increased 9.5 percent for an average of $800 per head in 2011, according to a study by Bersin & Associates, a research and consulting human resources firm. 

The research also reveals that while training organizations faced double-digit spending cuts in 2008 and 2009, there was a slight uptick of 2 percent in 2010. The research also found that the large business investment in social learning tools in 2011 nearly doubled to an average of $40,000.

"U.S. companies are now reinvesting in training to address a major skills gap, which we identified in the market more than a year ago," says Josh Bersin, CEO and president of Bersin & Associates. "Organizations are turning away from formal classroom training – and even traditional e-learning programs – to deliver bite-sized learning on a continuous basis. In fact, our research shows that today, the demand is for 'just the learning you need, just in time.'