Industry experts share practical strategies for developing workforce skills without big budgets, from peer learning and mentorship to leveraging free digital resources strategically.
It’s the challenge facing countless managers and HR leaders: your team needs new skills, but the training budget has been slashed. So how do you bridge the gap between development needs and financial reality?
We posed this question to experts in learning and development, talent management, and organizational leadership. Their answers reveal that the most effective upskilling strategies often don’t require hefty course fees or expensive consultants, they just require creativity, commitment, and a willingness to tap into the resources already within your organization.
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Lauren Anderson, Senior Talent Strategy Advisor at Indeed
“Micro learning is one of the most practical ways to upskill a team on a budget, but it only works when everyone is moving in the same direction. A micro learning Skill Sprint is a great technique that supports alignment by giving a team one clear, shared focus for a fortnight.
In the first week, the team agrees on a focus or a business problem that needs attention. The scope should be narrow and relevant to everyone. It helps to remind people that this is just one sprint in an ongoing series, so if they compromise this week, there is room for different priorities in the next cycle.
Once the focus is set, each person spends a dedicated block of time finding content that helps them explore the decided area of focus or business problem. This could be a short video, an article, a podcast clip that suits their learning style.
In the second week, teams complete the content, reflect on it, and come together for a quick share back. This is where the value sits. Ten people can look at the same theme and walk away with ten different insights.
At the end of the fortnight, the team can choose to stay with the same focus for another round or shift to something new. The rhythm keeps learning light, flexible, and genuinely self-directed.”
Brendan Wong, Career Expert, LinkedIn Australia
“When training budgets are tight, the goal isn’t to cut learning but to rethink it. The most cost-effective strategies embed development into everyday work rather than relying on expensive, infrequent programs.
Employees now change roles twice as often as they did 15 years ago. If growth isn’t available internally, they leave, which leads to disengagement, weak leadership pipelines and costly external hiring.
Continuous learning and internal mobility have become essential for organisational competitiveness.
Digital learning platforms, like LinkedIn Learning’s Career Hub, make this possible by connecting organisational needs with individual aspirations. Career Hub customers see 18% higher internal mobility and 13% lower attrition, showing the impact of aligning learning with career growth.
Ultimately, organisations that treat learning as an ongoing habit, supported by on-demand tools, are better placed to build capability sustainably, even when budgets are small.”
Rita Cincotta, CEO & Founder of The Deliberate Leader
“When budgets are tight, leaders often tell me they feel stuck — they want to develop their people but can’t justify big training spend. The good news? You don’t need it. The 70/20/10 principle has always been a useful reminder: 70% of development comes from real, on-the-job experience, 20% from learning through others, and only 10% from formal training.
In my work with leaders, the biggest growth always comes from the 70%. Thoughtfully designed stretch assignments, secondments, shadowing, or involving someone in a project slightly outside their comfort zone can build capability faster than any course. And it costs nothing but intention.
The 20% — learning through others — is where mentoring, peer learning, and coaching conversations play such a powerful role. These moments create connection, confidence, and a sense of support that training alone can’t replicate.
And the remaining 10%? Short, sharp, affordable options like AI-supported learning, curated online modules, and micro-courses can fill the gaps without overwhelming the budget.
When we use the 70/20/10 model deliberately, we stop relying on big training programs and start creating everyday environments where people grow because we’ve designed the conditions for it.”
Anshu Arora, Customer Success and Growth Director, RMIT Online
“When training budgets are small, the most cost-effective way to upskill staff is to focus on learning that sits at the intersection of immediate role relevance, measurable business impact, and future-ready capability.
Rather than broad or lengthy programs, organisations get far greater ROI from targeted, bite-sized learning that employees can apply straight away. Skills that improve productivity, decision-making, or efficiency in current roles create value quickly and are far more likely to stick.
At RMIT Online, we advocate for a trifecta of real-world skills, flexible delivery, and university-backed credibility. Short, 100% online courses allow employers to close specific capability gaps without the time or financial overhead of traditional training models, while still building stackable credentials over time.
AI skills are a clear example. RMIT Online’s Women in Tech Report 2025 found that a third of businesses in Australia say they lack, or have outdated, AI and digital transformation skills. Targeted AI upskilling can immediately lift productivity and reduce costs. Addressing this doesn’t require a full overhaul, just practical, high-impact learning aligned to real work and real outcomes.”
Matthew Owens, Director, Annexa
“The basics of a healthy business are well understood and most finance leaders already track them closely – consistent cash flow, growing revenue and margins that hold up as the business scales.
Where the picture starts to change is when you look beneath those headline numbers. Instead of simply seeing cash flow tighten, you can trace it back to specific drivers, such as customers paying late, regions behaving differently, inventory sitting longer than expected or inefficiencies in how orders are fulfilled and invoiced. KPIs like operating cash flow, days sales outstanding and inventory turnover show whether growth is funding the business, while margin trends by product, customer or channel reveal how the underlying economics are shifting.
You only get that kind of visibility when finance and operations are looking at the same numbers, with a cloud ERP providing the shared foundation underneath the business.”
Steve Evans, Founder and CEO, ConnectOS
“Most businesses track revenue, margins and customer satisfaction. They matter. But the clearest signal of a healthy, high-performing business is the effectiveness of its people. When employees are engaged, supported and doing work they’re skilled at, performance follows.
Data consistently shows that disengaged employees cost businesses through lower productivity and increased turnover. When skilled employees spend significant time on low-value, repetitive tasks, utilisation drops and burnout risk rises – directly impacting output and retention.
High-performing organisations actively measure leading indicators such as employee engagement and satisfaction scores, utilisation of skilled roles, time-to-hire for critical positions, voluntary attrition, and cost per unit of output. They also track how much payroll is allocated to non-core work versus growth-driving activity.
Healthy businesses redesign workforce structures to improve these metrics, shifting routine work away from high-cost talent and enabling teams to focus on strategy, innovation and customer outcomes.
ConnectOS helps companies optimise workforce performance for its offshore teams, improving productivity, engagement and cost efficiency at the same time.”
Tracy Ford, People Capability Consultant, Concept HR Services
“No training budget? The most effective way to upskill staff is to make better use of what you already have.
Start with internal knowledge sharing. People in every business have expertise others don’t. Short “show and tell” sessions or rotating team updates on lessons learned can build capability quickly at no cost and minimal disruption.
Next, curate free learning resources. TED Talks, podcasts, YouTube explainers, and webinars offer focused learning. Discussing these in team meetings gives everyone the chance to reflect on what was learned and how it applies to their work.
AI tools, used responsibly, can support learning in the flow of work. Employees can ask for step by step guidance, practise conversations through role play, or sense check decisions as issues arise.
Supplier training is another overlooked option. Many providers offer free learning that builds broader skills not just system or product use.
Finally, check out government funded programs like those for mental health, cyber security, AI, and small business.
Unsure where to start?
- Identify one or two priority skills
- Find internal “trainers” or free learning resources
- Make time for people to learn
- Build learning around real work problems
- Encourage staff to apply new skills on the job.”
Cia Kouparitsas, CEO of Greenbeam
“When budgets are tight, training is often first to go, not because leaders don’t value capability, but because training rarely has the same measurement discipline as other financial decisions. You can track revenue growth, margins and payback periods to manage money, but rarely have the equivalent measurement for skills.
As a result, organisations pour money into skills through formal training and still struggle to answer basic, numbers driven questions like:
- What deployable capability do we actually have?
- Where are our growth plans most exposed?
- Where would targeted skills investment unlock the greatest operational capacity over the next 12 months?
Without metrics, upskilling becomes guesswork, and therefore an easy target for cuts.
The most cost-effective way to upskill is to build a measurement system for capability. When you can quantify the specific skills gaps constraining delivery, you invest in lifting productivity, protecting revenue and strengthening succession. In a constrained financial environment, skills clarity pays for itself. It prevents waste, supports internal mobility and ensures every dollar for development directly builds the capability your organisation needs for success.”
Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia and New Zealand
“When training budgets are tight, the most effective upskilling starts with how work is structured, supported and made visible.
Across small businesses in Australia, the teams that build capability fastest are those working inside clear and connected systems. When bookings, customer communication, follow-ups and tasks are easy to see and manage, learning happens naturally through daily work.
Platforms such as Thryv help bring bookings, customer communication and follow-ups into one connected view, giving teams the structure they need to learn faster through everyday work.
Upskilling becomes practical when it is tied to real outcomes. Staff learn faster when they can see the full customer journey, understand priorities and recognise how their actions influence response times, customer satisfaction and repeat business. That context builds confidence and competence at the same time.
Consistency also plays a powerful role. Systems that guide workflows and prompt next steps help teams develop strong habits, reduce errors and improve performance without needing constant direction. Over time, those habits become skill.
Peer learning also thrives in this environment. Teams share templates, insights and improvements that lift everyone’s capability and create momentum across the business.
Cost-effective upskilling is about designing work that teaches. When everyday systems support clarity, accountability and flow, staff grow through doing meaningful work well, every day.”
Matthew Willmott, VP Commercial at Kahoot!
“Despite what most business leaders believe, upskilling doesn’t require a substantial training budget. All it requires is a shift from passive and boring broadcasting to active engagement. And for SMBs, the most cost-effective approach is to use social and gamified learning to turn existing knowledge into a shared asset.
The ‘one-and-done’ seminar is usually a sunk cost as we’ve seen traditional methods gradually becoming counterproductive to knowledge retention. Research consistently shows that interactive, gamified approaches can boost retention rates to 87.3%, significantly increasing the ROI of every minute spent training. Instead of expensive external courses, focus on micro-learning moments — short, high-impact sessions where staff solve challenges together.
Practicality is key for small teams, too. Using tools like Kahoot! allows businesses to deliver fun and engaging training, and also take pulse checks on progress and skill gaps — turning dry content into competitive, social experiences. This is proven to reduce the stress and anxiety often associated with testing, while building the cohort belonging essential for staff retention. By replacing dense manuals with interactive pulses and anonymous Q&As, you lower the barrier to participation.
For a resource-constrained business, the goal isn’t just to upskill, but to create a culture where learning is continuous, measurable, and most importantly, retained.”
Melissa Foord, Account Manager, Scotts
“When training budgets are limited, some of the most costs-effective ways to upskill staff is to focus on practical learning, shared expertise, and targeted development rather than expensive courses.
Make the most of internal knowledge. In the print industry in particular, experienced designers, press operators, and finishers can run short toolbox talks or lunch-and-learn sessions to share best practice, troubleshoot common errors, or demonstrate techniques. Teaming more experienced staff up to shadow less experienced staff members in a ‘buddy system’ can be especially effective for transferring hands-on production skills at no additional cost.
There are several free and low-cost learning resources available, and these should beutilised wherever possible. Software providers such as Adobe and equipment manufacturers often offer free tutorials, webinars, and user guides. Curate specific modules or videos relevant to your workflows rather than assigning full courses.
Encourage learning by doing. Stretch tasks, small process-improvement projects, and cross-training between design, pre-press, and production help staff build skills while improving day-to-day operations.
Finally, support learning through manager coaching and regular feedback. Focus on how new skills are applied on the job—fewer errors, faster turnaround, improved print quality—rather than course completion. This approach delivers measurable improvements without straining the budget.”
Deb Rowling, Business Owner, Bookkeeper & Teacher, Aussie Bookkeeping Basics
“When training budgets are tight, the most cost-effective way to upskill staff is to shift the focus from formal courses to everyday learning. Some of the most valuable development doesn’t come from expensive programs, but from how work is structured day-to-day.
Start by encouraging peer learning. Pair team members with complementary strengths and create space for short knowledge-sharing sessions — even 15 minutes a fortnight can make a difference. This builds skills while also strengthening collaboration and confidence.
On-the-job learning is another powerful (and free) tool. Rotating responsibilities, shadowing tasks, or involving staff in small improvement projects allows people to develop new skills in real situations, where learning tends to stick far better than theory alone.
Low-cost, targeted learning can also be highly effective. For example, resources like the Aussie Bookkeeping Basics course allows staff to build practical financial and bookkeeping knowledge at their own pace, without the cost or disruption of traditional training programs.
Most importantly, create a culture where learning is encouraged, mistakes are safe, and curiosity is valued. When people feel supported to grow, even small training budgets can deliver meaningful, long-term results.”
Morgan Wilson, Founder & Director, creditte accountants & advisors
“When training budgets are tight, the answer isn’t cutting development, it’s getting smarter about how learning happens.
Businesses default to expensive courses or external programs, when the biggest opportunity is already inside the business.
The most cost-effective upskilling starts with on-the-job learning. Pair less experienced staff with strong performers. Give them real responsibility, not shadowing. Learning sticks when it’s applied immediately, not parked in a slide deck.
Next, use short, focused learning bursts. Ten minutes a week on one skill beats a full-day course no one remembers. This might be a quick walkthrough of a system, a recorded Loom video, or a team discussion around a real problem the business is facing.
Finally, tie learning directly to outcomes. Upskilling should solve a bottleneck — saving time, reducing errors, or improving client experience. If it doesn’t move the business forward, it’s just activity.
Small budgets force clarity. And clarity is what turns learning into performance.”
Greg Wilkes, CEO of Develop Coaching
“When training budgets are tight, the worst move is doing nothing. Skills gaps don’t stay still. They quietly turn into mistakes, inefficiencies and lost opportunities.
The most cost-effective way to upskill staff is to focus on learning that happens inside the business, not outside it.
Start with peer-to-peer learning. Every company has people who are already good at something, whether that’s sales calls, project planning, customer service or using systems properly. Get them to run short, informal sessions for the rest of the team. One hour a month can outperform an expensive external course that never gets applied.
Next, use real work as the training. Shadowing, job rotation and structured handovers cost nothing but attention. Pair less experienced staff with stronger performers and give them clear outcomes to learn, not just tasks to copy.
Micro-learning matters too. Short videos, checklists and templates beat day-long courses when budgets are small. Break skills down into bite-size chunks people can use the same week, not “one day”.
Finally, be selective with paid training. Spend small amounts on targeted skills that directly improve performance or revenue, then make sure that learning is shared across the team. Upskilling doesn’t need big budgets. It needs intent, structure and follow-through.”
Caitlin Stephens, Chief of Staff, APAC, Eagle Eye
“Based on Eagle Eye’s experience, peer-led learning through internal champions offers a cost-effective approach to upskilling staff.
Identify employees with curiosity about AI tools and empower them to lead the way for less technical colleagues. These champions can focus on continuous learning, knowledge-sharing and relatable use cases that demonstrate possibilities. Staff can then adapt examples from peers to their own roles.
Encourage safe experimentation through activities like internal hackathons, where teams tackle real challenges and share discoveries. This collaborative learning spreads across departments, with early adopters educating the business through shared successes and learnings.
Many AI tools now support skill development through simple, well-framed questions, acting as an on-demand L&D partner. Combined with AI functionality already embedded in daily enterprise systems like Slack and Google Workspace, teams have accessible resources at their fingertips.
Leadership should set clear mandates, provide structure around risks, and actively share wins to build engagement across the organisation.”
Maria Kathopoulis, CEO & Chief Marketing Officer at UNTMD Media
“Most businesses waste money on training because they confuse learning with leverage. The most cost-effective upskilling doesn’t happen in courses, it happens inside live work, tied to real outcomes.
McKinsey research shows that companies embedding learning into day-to-day workflows are 30–40% more productive than those relying on formal training programs. Why? Because people learn faster when the feedback loop is immediate.
The smartest approach is to turn execution into education. Document what works once, turn it into a playbook, then reuse it. Pair junior staff with templates, SOPs, checklists, and AI copilots so they’re producing while learning. One senior operator supported by systems will outperform three juniors left to “figure it out.”
A useful rule: if training doesn’t improve output within 30 days, it’s too theoretical.
AI has made this even cheaper. Tools like ChatGPT, Notion, and internal wikis now function as on-demand mentors. The goal isn’t mastery, it’s competence at speed.
Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things. Upskilling should always serve the second.”
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