Peer to peer training could help businesses bring their employees together and encourage them to communicate, according to a Business Link advisor.

John Grange said employees who take part in such training are able to share their ideas with their colleagues and learn from one another.

He acknowledged that when employees first come together in a peer to peer training session they can feel somewhat nervous.

However he insisted: "Once they are over that and start interacting, people start communicating in a language they can understand, in a way they want to. It becomes very meaningful."

Research carried out recently by the Learning Skills Council revealed that 49 per cent of employers are put off training by the costs involved and 61 per cent claim lack of time acts as a constraint on workplace training.

Meanwhile, the National Employer Skills survey 2007 found that 35 per cent of businesses have a budget for training expenditure and 48 per cent have a training plan.