Which Industries Should Training Providers Target for New Business?
Identifying the best industries for training providers to target can make a significant difference to lead generation performance. Rather than marketing courses and programmes to every UK business, training providers can focus on sectors where employers have a clear and ongoing requirement to develop their workforce.
The right industries will depend on the training you provide. Factors such as regulation, employee numbers, skills shortages, staff turnover and technical requirements can all influence demand.
Potential target sectors include:
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Logistics and transport
- Healthcare and care
- Professional services
- Technology and software
- Financial services
- Facilities management
- Hospitality
- Retail
- Energy and utilities
- Engineering
The key is matching your particular training offer with the industries where it solves a genuine employer need.
Table of contents:
Manufacturing
Manufacturing can be one of the strongest industries for training providers because businesses frequently employ substantial operational and technical workforces.
Potential requirements include:
- Health and safety
- Engineering skills
- Technical training
- Management development
- Leadership training
- Quality management
- Apprenticeships
- Compliance
Manufacturers can also be segmented by specialism, employee numbers, turnover and location, allowing providers to create highly targeted campaigns.
Construction
Construction businesses have significant requirements for workforce skills, safety and compliance.
Training opportunities can include:
- Health and safety
- Site management
- First aid
- Plant and machinery
- Trade skills
- Supervisory training
- Management development
- Apprenticeships
The sector includes everything from small specialist contractors to major construction groups, so company size can be an important targeting consideration.
Logistics and Transport
Transport, distribution and warehousing businesses can provide recurring opportunities because of their operational workforces.
Relevant programmes may include:
- Driver training
- Warehouse skills
- Health and safety
- Compliance
- Leadership
- Management
- Customer service
- Apprenticeships
Larger logistics businesses operating from multiple locations can be particularly valuable prospects.
Healthcare and Care
Healthcare and care organisations often have continuing training requirements relating to compliance, service quality and employee development.
Potential programmes include:
- Safeguarding
- First aid
- Manual handling
- Health and safety
- Compliance
- Leadership
- Management development
- Specialist care training
Potential employers include:
- Care homes
- Nursing homes
- Domiciliary care providers
- Private hospitals
- Healthcare companies
- Specialist care organisations
Providers offering sector-specific programmes can create campaigns specifically around these requirements.
Professional Services
Professional services firms can be attractive targets for providers specialising in management and employee development.
Potential sectors include:
- Accountancy
- Legal services
- Recruitment
- Consultancy
- Insurance
- Financial services
Training requirements may include:
- Leadership
- Management
- Sales
- Communication
- Digital skills
- Compliance
- Professional development
Company size is particularly useful when targeting this market, as larger firms are more likely to have dedicated HR and Learning and Development functions.
Technology and Software
Technology businesses need to keep employee skills current as products, platforms and working practices evolve.
Potential training areas include:
- Cyber security
- Software development
- Cloud technologies
- Data
- Artificial intelligence
- Project management
- Leadership
- Sales
- Apprenticeships
Growing technology companies can also create opportunities as they recruit new employees and develop their management teams.
Financial Services
Financial services businesses can have substantial training requirements because of regulation and the specialist nature of many roles.
Potential areas include:
- Compliance
- Anti-money laundering
- Data protection
- Management
- Leadership
- Sales
- Customer service
- Professional qualifications
Potential targets include banks, lenders, insurance businesses, brokers, fintech companies and payments providers.
Facilities Management
Facilities management companies often employ operational teams working across multiple customer locations.
Training requirements may include:
- Health and safety
- Technical skills
- Compliance
- Customer service
- Management
- Leadership
- Apprenticeships
One advantage of targeting larger facilities management companies is the potential to deliver training across several teams, contracts or locations.
Hospitality
Hotels, restaurant groups, leisure operators and other hospitality businesses frequently need to train both new and existing employees.
Opportunities may include:
- Food safety
- Customer service
- First aid
- Health and safety
- Management
- Leadership
- Apprenticeships
Larger hotel groups, restaurant operators and multi-site hospitality businesses may be particularly attractive where training can be delivered across several locations.
Retail
Retail businesses can provide opportunities for providers specialising in customer-facing and management skills.
Potential requirements include:
- Customer service
- Sales
- Leadership
- Management
- Supervisory skills
- Health and safety
- Apprenticeships
Larger retailers and multi-site operators can provide access to substantial employee populations.
Energy, Utilities and Engineering
Energy, utilities and engineering businesses frequently employ technical workforces and operate in environments where safety and compliance are important.
Training opportunities may include:
- Technical skills
- Engineering
- Health and safety
- Environmental compliance
- Project management
- Leadership
- Apprenticeships
Specialist training providers may find these sectors particularly attractive because employers can have requirements that generalist providers cannot easily fulfil.
Match the Industry to Your Training
There is no single best industry for every training provider.
A health and safety training company might prioritise:
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Engineering
- Logistics
- Facilities management
A leadership and management provider might focus on:
- Professional services
- Technology
- Financial services
- Manufacturing
- Larger SMEs
An apprenticeship provider might target:
- Technology
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Logistics
- Professional services
A compliance training provider could concentrate on:
- Financial services
- Healthcare
- Care
- Construction
- Professional services
The closer the connection between your programme and the employer’s requirements, the stronger the reason for them to engage.
Consider Employee Numbers
Industry is only one part of effective targeting.
Employee numbers can be particularly important for training providers because larger workforces may create greater training requirements.
Depending on your offering, you could target businesses with:
- 20+ employees
- 50+ employees
- 100+ employees
- 250+ employees
- 500+ employees
A provider delivering management training, for example, may find an organisation with 250 employees significantly more valuable than a business employing five people.
Identify the Right Decision-Makers
Once you’ve selected your industries, you need to identify the people responsible for training decisions.
Relevant job roles may include:
- HR Managers
- HR Directors
- Learning and Development Managers
- Training Managers
- Operations Managers
- Health and Safety Managers
- Managing Directors
- Business Owners
The appropriate contact will depend on your programme and the size and structure of the employer.
Build Separate Campaigns for Different Industries
Rather than sending the same marketing message to every sector, consider creating campaigns around individual industries.
For example:
- Leadership training for manufacturers
- Cyber security training for professional services firms
- Apprenticeships for technology companies
- Health and safety training for construction businesses
- Compliance training for financial services firms
Industry-specific messaging allows you to demonstrate a clearer understanding of the employer and explain why your training is relevant.
You can learn more about our Lead Generation for Training Providers services.
Summary
The best industries for training providers to target are those where the training offered addresses a clear workforce, regulatory, operational or skills requirement.
Manufacturing, construction, logistics, healthcare, professional services, technology, financial services, facilities management, hospitality, retail, energy and engineering can all provide opportunities.
However, industry targeting becomes much more powerful when combined with criteria such as employee numbers, geography, turnover and decision-maker role. This allows training providers to concentrate their sales and marketing activity on the employers most likely to need their programmes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best industries for training providers to target?
Manufacturing, construction, logistics, healthcare, technology, financial services, professional services and facilities management can all provide strong opportunities, depending on the training offered.
Which industries are best for health and safety training?
Construction, manufacturing, engineering, logistics and facilities management can be particularly relevant because of their operational environments.
Which industries should apprenticeship providers target?
Technology, manufacturing, construction, logistics and professional services can all provide opportunities, although the best sectors depend on the apprenticeship programmes available.
What industries are suitable for leadership and management training?
Professional services, technology, financial services, manufacturing and larger employers across most industries can be suitable targets.
Should training providers target businesses by employee size?
Yes. Employee numbers can help identify organisations with larger workforces and potentially greater training requirements.
Who should training providers contact within target companies?
Relevant decision-makers may include HR Managers, Learning and Development Managers, Training Managers, Operations Managers, Managing Directors and business owners.
How can training providers reach companies in their target industries?
Targeted B2B data can be combined with email marketing, telemarketing, LinkedIn outreach and other channels to reach relevant employers and decision-makers.
Data & Lead Generation Services
RD Marketing provides bespoke B2B data lists and fully managed lead generation services to help businesses build pipeline and drive revenue growth. These include:
- Automated Email Campaigns
- LinkedIn Automation
- Industry Databases
- Job Role Databases
- Email Lists
- Telemarketing Data
- Direct Mail Data
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