Tuition reimbursement. In-house training. Professional development stipends. More than 90% of companies offer some form of continuing education benefit. And in theory, employees want them: 80% of working adults say they’re interested in furthering their education.
But in practice? Engagement remains staggeringly low:
- Just 40% of employees know these benefits exist
- Only 25% ever begin the application process
- And only 2% actually use them
To put this in perspective, tuition reimbursement as a corporate benefit is utilized only slightly more than pet insurance—a benefit often considered a niche perk rather than a core offering (Access Perks, 2024).
That gap persists—even as interest grows. In fact, according to InStride’s 2024 Workforce Education Motivations Report, the number of employees who say tuition assistance significantly influences their decision to join or stay with a company has jumped dramatically since 2019.
Why Employee Education Programs Matter for Business Growth
When designed and delivered effectively, continuing education can drive business and employee outcomes simultaneously:
- For Employers: Upskilled, future-ready talent aligned with business needs—not just academic degrees. A recent World Economic Forum report showed that 85% of employers plan to prioritize employee upskilling in order to meet the needs of their business by 2030.
- For Employees: Career mobility, personal growth, and access to skills that matter in the real world—both technical and human. With the rapid pace of change, 39% of employees can expect their existing skillsets will need to change in the next 5 years.
- For Organizations: Improved retention, stronger internal pipelines, and a more engaged workforce.
Education should be seen not as a perk, but as a lever that increases the business’s ability to innovate. Yet many companies still treat it as a passive offering—available, but not activated. And that’s where the disconnect begins.
Top Reasons Employees Don’t Use Tuition Reimbursement or Training Benefits
Employees aren’t avoiding education—they’re running into a system that’s hard to navigate, poorly communicated, and often not built for their needs. Across industries, common barriers continue to suppress engagement:
1. Cost Confusion
Inconsistent rules around eligibility, reimbursement, and approval create friction for even the most willing employee. Even when tuition is reimbursed, employees often front the money and wait months for repayment—an impossible lift for many. Delayed or partial reimbursement further undermines access.
2. Time Scarcity
Juggling work, life, and education feels overwhelming—especially when learning happens on top of the workday, not within it.
3. Misaligned Content
Off-the-shelf programs may check boxes, but if they aren’t relevant to an employee’s role or aspirations, motivation plummets. Relevance drives engagement.
4. One-Size-Fits-All Formats
Rigid schedules and in-person-only options exclude swaths of the workforce. Flexibility—modality, timing, pacing—is non-negotiable for today’s learners.
5. Lack of Awareness
Even the most generous benefits are useless if employees don’t know about them or understand how to access them. Communication is often sporadic, buried in onboarding materials, or never personalized.
6. Cultural and Organizational Disconnect
Too often, learning is treated as a compliance task or employee perk, not a strategic lever for retention and growth. Without visible leadership support or manager encouragement, employees deprioritize education—even when it could move their careers forward.
How to Increase Employee Engagement in Professional Education Programs
To move the needle on participation, employers must treat education not as a checkbox, but as a core part of the employee experience. The following strategies are helping organizations boost engagement and drive real returns from their learning investments:
1. Foster a Culture of Learning
Leadership has to walk the talk. Celebrate education wins. Talk about learning in performance reviews. Reward curiosity, not just credentials.
2. Align Education with Career Paths
Help employees connect the dots between coursework and opportunity. What skills open doors? What programs tie to promotions? Build roadmaps, not catalogs.
3. Design for Flexibility
Offer hybrid, online, asynchronous, and modular learning. Integrate learning into the workday where possible. Adult learners need options—period.
4. Remove Financial Barriers
Fast-track reimbursements or move to direct billing. Explore low-cost, high-impact options like microcredentials or skills badges. Access shouldn’t depend on cash flow.
5. Promote the Program Like a Product
Use clear, ongoing communications across multiple channels—not just one HR portal. Feature testimonials, manager talking points, and real-time guidance to increase visibility.
6. Recognize and Reward Progress
Tie learning to performance reviews, career progression, and public recognition. Even small incentives—badges, stipends, shout-outs—can spark engagement.
7. Partner with Trusted Institutions
Ensure the quality of offerings matches employee experience. Consider partnerships with universities to develop content that has depth and can be customized with specific assessments that are immediately applicable in daily work.
How to Create a Custom Employee Learning Program That Drives Results
Off-the-shelf programs often don’t go deep enough—or align closely enough—with your business needs. In fast-changing industries, especially, employers are increasingly building their own learning ecosystems to support skill growth at scale.
If you’re not sure where to start, a strategic education partner can help. At Noodle, we collaborate with employers to create learning solutions tailored to workforce goals and industry demands. That includes:
- Collaborative planning with industry experts
- Learning design that supports busy, working adults
- Integrated marketing and communication strategies to drive awareness and engagement
- A flexible tech stack that supports varied formats and user experiences
- Partnerships with leading universities to allow you to curate a trusted content hub
The result? A workforce development strategy that’s as intentional as it is inclusive—and built for real-world application.
The Key to Boosting Participation in Employee Training and Education
Offering education benefits isn’t enough. Activating them—strategically, intentionally, and inclusively—is what turns a perk into a powerful driver of growth.
If you want to compete for talent, foster retention, and future-proof your workforce, start by asking a better question: What’s stopping people from learning—and how can we remove that barrier today?
How Noodle Supports Corporate Learning Teams
Noodle helps you deliver scalable, compliant continuing education—without overloading your internal team. Whether you’re training clinical staff or upskilling employees in emerging specialties, our platform makes it easy to launch and manage CEU programs that work.
- Modular, Mobile-First Learning: Support learners with flexible, accredited courses they can access anytime, anywhere.
- AI-Guided Pathways: Recommend the right courses for each role using AI trained on your goals and employee data.
- Seamless Integration: Our LMS-agnostic platform connects to your existing systems with minimal lift.
- Compliance Made Simple: Track CEU progress and licensing in real time—no spreadsheets required.Whether you’re expanding your internal L&D programs or looking to offer accredited CEUs at scale, Noodle gives you the tools to deliver meaningful results across your workforce.
