Wolverhampton Council training cost £2.5m in three years
More than £2.5 million has been spent by a cash-strapped council on staff training over the last three years, it has emerged.
Wolverhampton City Council, which is having to axe 2,000 jobs as it looks to save £123 million by 2019, spent more than £1 million on training, health and safety classes and other staff courses in both 2012/13 and 2013/14.
Up to March, £514,000 had been spent on training during 2014/15.
The council said the figures did not include money spent by schools.
The total was more than 10 times that spent by Walsall Council on staff training during the same period.
Its training sessions cost a total of £243,000.
Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Tim Clark said: "The modern workplace is constantly evolving and employee training and development is an important element in delivering the best services to the public.
"Many council employees carry out statutory functions – such as lawyers, trading standards, environmental health, building control, planners, and social workers and it is essential that they are up to speed with current policies and legislation.
"Training is no different to any other area of council spend in the current climate. We are continually looking to find value for money solutions and reducing costs wherever possible."
Walsall Council also revealed where the cash was spent, with its sessions covering management development, e-learning training modules and health and safety and IT training.
Bosses said most of its training was delivered 'in house' by its 'corporate learning and organisational development team.
Spokesman Laurie Andrews said: "Suppliers are selected taking into account their specialism in the topic to be delivered. Financial guidelines are followed with regards to procuring external training providers."
It also spent £48,000 on health and safety training in its schools.
Ms Andrews added the council was confident it was getting 'value for money' from the providers it does use.
The information was released following a Freedom of Information request by the Express & Star.
Both Sandwell and Dudley Councils said it would cost them too much to reveal how much staff training had cost them.
