In-house marketers are the worst hit with almost nine out of ten missing out on professional training opportunities compared with 18 per cent of agency-based practitioners. Overall, only 15 per cent had access to any kind of training budget with the vast majority expected to fund their professional development themselves.

The skills most in demand amongst the marketing community varied widely between in-house or agency-based staff although strategic planning was a priority for both (48%). New digital skills such as SEO and social media were top of the list for agency staff whilst those employed in-house were more likely to look at web programming or desktop publishing. The top three areas in-house and agency marketers will be looking to brush up on this year are:

Client
1. Web programming (HTML, CSS etc) - 94%
2. Video / Audio editing - 83%
3. Desktop publishing - 65%

Agency
1. SEO - 96%
2. Analytics - 76%
3. Social media - 71%

Nick Gold, regional manager, Northern Europe at Emailvision said: "despite the economy's fragile state, things are beginning to improve and the business community is quietly optimistic. Most anticipate that growth in the next twelve months will remain flat. Wise companies should be investing now to improve infrastructure and arm staff with essential new skills. Those who don't do this now, and it is clear from our research there are many, will find themselves at a distinct disadvantage and risk losing out to competitors."

Paul Anderson, strategic marketing consultant at Emailvision added: "In recent years the industry has seen an increase in the uptake of marketing training at both a business and grass roots level. That said, based on our own experience at the Emailvision Academy, these findings simply reinforce the fact that companies need to do more to support ongoing professional development, ensuring staff have the neccesary skills to achieve the best results."