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World's 25 Top Markets for Business Learning

July 15, 2010 CARY, NC – As part of its ongoing mission to spotlight and share information on the business of learning, TrainingIndustry.com today is announcing its listing of the World’s 25 Top Markets for Business Learning. The list includes a global collection of great environments for business training, featuring cities on five continents, including London, New York, Beijing, Sao Paolo, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Top 25 markets were chosen by a group of executive advisors to honor those metropolitan regions that have best supported and enhanced the business – and art – of workforce training and development. Some of the factors leading to selection to the World’s Top Markets for Business Learning list include the number of enterprise companies headquartered nearby, the estimated spend for training services in that market, the availability of training programs in the region, the presence of training organizations and academic institutions and the overall access to education, training and consulting talent.

“Selecting just 25 regions from all the dynamic urban centers on Earth made for some very tough decisions, but workforce training in these markets is well-received, widely available and strategically utilized”,  said Doug Harward, CEO of Training Industry, Inc. “This access and support for training is certainly a positive reflection on these geographic regions, showing the local businesses and citizenry are embracing the opportunities to build and advance their communities through education and training. These are not only strong environments for current and future business, they’re shining examples of the promise and potential training builds.”

“Our team and special advisors spent hours reviewing global data, population statistics, case studies and training activity to pull together this list,” said Ken Taylor, Chief Operating Officer for Training Industry, Inc. “As you might imagine, selecting only 25 Top Markets for Business Learning meant culling out a great number of cities with a great deal of workforce development activity. We would hope that this list continues to grow and change from year to year as the training market continues to shift and expand internationally. TrainingIndustry.com is well-positioned to take a global snapshot of the training marketplace and prepare this list of the World’s Top Markets for Business Learning.”

The World’s Top 25 Markets for Business Learning for 2010 are:
(The list is presented alphabetically, with no particular ranking among those markets for learning)

Click on a city below to view more information

 

 

Atlanta, Georgia, USA –Atlanta is a prime example of the collaboration between business and education, with more than 75% of the Fortune 1000 represented in the area. Corporations headquartered around Atlanta include international organizations like The Coca-Cola Company, UPS, Home Depot, CNN, Delta Airlines, Georgia-Pacific, Newell Rubbermaid and Turner Broadcasting. Atlanta is also home to a large concentration of higher-education institutions, including Emory University, Georgia State University, Mercer University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College. Atlanta is one of the world’s most vital transportation hubs, and home to the world’s busiest airport, which perfectly positions the city to make a strong impact on business and workforce development around the globe.
Bangalore, India – Known as the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore is India’s third most-populous city and capital of the Karnataka state. Numerous companies from industries such as software development, aerospace, telecommunications and defence are headquartered in the Bangalore area, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT), United Breweries Group, Infosys, Wipro and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The many institutes of higher learning in the region include Bangalore University, Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management.  It’s fitting that Bangalore is known as the Garden City because the growth here is incredible, as is the respect for and investment in education. As India’s fastest-growing region, Bangalore is exporting a lot more than IT.
Beijing, China – As the political, educational and cultural center of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing  is one of China’s most-developed cities and home to an estimated 22 million people. Beijing is home to 26 of the Fortune 500 companies, the third most in the world, behind Tokyo and Paris. Beijing is also a city devoted to education, with more than 70 institutions of higher learning, including Peking University and Tsinghua University. Beijing is a city of great history, but it’s honored here based on the way it looks toward the future. Of particular note was how Beijing is working with industry to promote environmental and green solutions.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA – Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States, but its modern outlook has roots in those traditions. Home to the first public school in America, Boston is now a center of higher education and medical training, with more than 100 schools and universities based there, including Boston University, Boston College, Tufts University and, of course, two of the country’s leading educational institutions, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Some of the companies headquartered in the region include Liberty Mutual, Gillette, New Balance and major publishers including Houghton Mifflin, Beacon Press and Little, Brown and Company. Boston is the whole package, a city that embraces business, supports education and creates opportunities for collaboration.
Chennai, India – Located on the Bay of Bengal, Chennai is India’s fourth-largest metropolitan region and the country’s second-largest exporter of IT, software and technology services. The city is also an automotive center, home to companies including Ford, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and BMW, helping the city attain its projected economic growth to a $100 billion economy, 2.5 times its current size, by 2025. Other notable companies with presence in the area include Amazon.com, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Nokia, Motorola, Dell, Ericsson, Pfizer and Dow Chemicals. With a diverse economy that includes IT, film, automotive, communications and healthcare, Chennai is the very definition of a diverse marketplace.
Chicago, Illinois, USA – As the largest city in the American Midwest, “The Windy City” of Chicago has a history of building great things, starting with the world’s first skyscraper in 1885. Since then, Chicago has built itself into a world-class city that host a number of corporate headquarters, including McDonald’s, Motorola, Kraft, Sara Lee, Allstate, Morton Salt, Abbott Laboratories, Quaker Oats and Boeing. Chicago is also home to many notable educational institutions include University of Chicago, Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Chicago. The old song had it right: Chicago is one town that won’t let you down. Some can argue that corporate training was invented here at Motorola and the corporate university certainly never had better branding than it does at McDonald’s’ Hamburger University.
Dallas, Texas, USA – The “Big D” may be the third-largest city in Texas, but Dallas definitely stands at the top of training in the Lone Star State. With a region that includes Fort Worth and Arlington, Dallas is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The area first came to prominence leading the oil and cotton industries, but today’s market includes a strong presence in financial services and manufacturing. Some corporate headquarters deep in this heart of Texas include Texas Instruments, Southwest Airlines, Radio Shack, Niemen-Marcus, 7-11, Frito Lay and JC Penney. Schools calling the region home include the University of Texas, the University of Dallas and Southern Methodist University. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that’s definitely true of workforce training. With its large number of major employers, Dallas offers a unique blend of education and opportunity.
Dubai, UAE – One of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai is the most populous and, along with Abu Dhabi, the most powerful. Built, not surprisingly, from the oil economy, Dubai today has become a global city and business hub in the Mideast, with revenues from tourism, construction and financial services. Dubai is also a high-tech hub for businesses like Microsoft, IBM, Oracle and EMC Corporation, and its home to media outlets including the BBC, Associated Press, Reuters and CNN. Dubai is also home to a large number of foreign universities, with branches of schools including Harvard, University of Michigan, American University and Manchester Business School located there. With an estimated 15 million tourists expected to visit over the next five years, Dubai is nothing if not a land of growing opportunity. There is concern about working and living conditions for some foreign laborers, but the opportunity for improvement and training is another opportunity Dubai offers.
Hong Kong, China – You might expect to find opportunity in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated regions in the world, and you’d be right. With a storied history that includes return to Chinese control just over a decade ago, Hong Kong today is one of the world’s leading financial centers and its stock exchange is the sixth largest in the world. From the financial markets to a burgeoning film industry, Hong Kong provides daily work for an estimated 3.5 million people. Education is also important, with nine public universities, including the University of Hong Kong, and many private schools. Hong Kong is an island where East and West definitely meet. That comes through in the exposure to training that characterizes the city, starting with a concentrated effort to teach multiple languages to all secondary students. That early exposure clearly shows an appreciation for the professional advantages of education.

Hyderabad, India – Like many cities in India, Hyderabad is a blend of traditional and modern influences. Known as the City of Pearls, Hyderabad and its twin city of Secunderabad form the sixth-largest region in India, with an estimated 6.38 million people. The region is a major hub for IT work, along with biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, as well as being home to the world’s largest film studio. Some U.S. companies with significant presence in Hyderabad include Microsoft, Oracle, ADP, Bank of America, DuPont, General Electric, Google, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Verizon and Wells Fargo. Some Indian companies located there including Mahindra Satyam, Infosys, Wipro, Tata and Patni Computer Systems. Many schools are located there, including the Indian School of Business, which the Financial Times of London has ranked as the 12th best MBA program in the world. With such a wide-ranging international presence and so much emphasis on education and training, Hyderabad is a natural choice for the list. The mix of new and old strikes the right balances for learning as well, with new technologies blending with traditional development.

Johannesburg, South Africa – The superlatives around Johannesburg go on and on: It’s the capital of South Africa’s wealthiest province, it’s the largest metropolitan region in sub-Saharan Africa, it’s one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world and it’s the world’s largest city not situated on a river, lake or coastline. It’s also one of the world’s leading financial centers, and it has a rich tradition in industries like mining, manufacturing, media, sports and healthcare. Johannesburg is home to several world-class universities, including the University of Johannesburg, and also boasts three colleges devoted to training teachers, as well as several private universities. At one time political and social conditions would have made recognizing Johannesburg difficult, but this is one city that’s reinvented itself nicely. In itself that rebirth is reflective of corporate training: The city has overcome an oppressive history, worked collaboratively on a common goal and moved successfully into a brighter future.
London, England – London quite simply belongs on this list. Aside from its position as a world cultural leader, London stands with New York City as one of the world’s leading financial centers and is home to most of England’s top companies and to more than 100 of the top 500 companies in Europe. It also has one of the most extensive public transportation systems and one of the world’s busiest airports, making the large region an interconnected home to leading businesses and educational institutions, including the University of London, the London School of Economics, City University and the Royal College of Art. London has for centuries led the world in the dissemination of knowledge and the applications of education. London has offered the world the varied wisdoms of legions of great thinkers, from Shakespeare and Dickens up to John Lennon and Stephen Hawking. London’s rich history of knowledge sharing, creativity and collaboration powers its workforce development as well.
Los Angeles, California, USA – The largest city in California, and the largest city west of the Mississippi, Los Angeles is a cultural magnet, home to a supremely diverse population that far exceeds the city’s Spanish heritage. This diversity is reflected in the city’s businesses as well: More than a company town for the U.S. film industry, Los Angeles is also home to a wide range of corporations, including the Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Fox, Northrop Grumman, Sunkist, Mattel, DirecTV, Princess Cruises, Activision, Rand, Warner Brothers and Unocal. Colleges in the City of Angels area are equally as diverse, including University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Pepperdine and California State University. For all of its diversity, Los Angeles remains a city driven by innovation and creativity. Since no two principles are more valuable to workforce development than those, Los Angeles is a definite addition to this list.
Milan, Italy – At the center of the largest urban area in Italy, and the fifth-largest in the European Union, Milan is an ancient city that pre-dates the Roman Empire, but still has a very modern approach to business and industry. Arguably the fashion and design capital of the world, and home to designers like Versace, Armani, Gucci and Prada, Milan is also one of the European Union’s most important centers for business and finance. Many corporations call Milan home, particularly the production of textile and garments, automobiles, chemicals, industrial tools, heavy machinery, and book and music publishing. On the education front, Milan’s 39 university centers host 10% of Italy’s entire university population, with institutions including the University of Milan and Luigi Bocconi Commercial University, which was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 20 business schools in the world. Milan is about much more than looking good. With its variety of businesses and its long-standing tradition of cultural leadership, Milan offers unique opportunities for education and training.
Montreal, Canada – Montreal may be the second-largest city in Canada and the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, but beyond that it takes no backseats. As a business leader and center for Canadian culture, Montreal is unsurpassable. Today Montreal is a center for a variety of industries, including aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, tourism and film. The region plays home to several notable companies and organizations, including the Canadian Space Agency, Bank of Montreal, National Film Board of Canada, Canadian National Railway, Air Canada, Cirque de Soleil, Quebecor and Bell Canada. Montreal is also a leader in education, with the highest concentration of post-secondary students in North America attending one of six universities or 12 junior colleges in a five-mile radius, including University of Montreal, McGill University or the John Molson School of Business, affiliated with Concordia University. Montreal may be an island, but it definitely does not stand alone. This is a thriving community where education is not just available, but embraced. You can see that engrained in the society, right down to the system of preparatory schools that help post-secondary students prepare to excel at the university level.

Mumbai, India – As the most populous city in India, and the second most populous in the world, Mumbai is a city of empires. It’s the richest city in India and it boasts the largest Gross Domestic Product of any city in South or Central Asia. Much of that income is generated through the thriving Bollywood film industry, but Mumbai is also headquarters for many Indian companies – including State Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Tata Group – as well as offices of many foreign corporations. The city offers several colleges, many of them affiliated with the University of Mumbai. Education is taken very seriously in Mumbai, which has a 10+2+3/4 plan where students follow 10 years of secondary education with two years of junior college and three or four additional years of professional education. Mumbai’s obvious devotion to education and development mandates its inclusion on this list. Access to education can be an issue in any culture, but when you consider 16 major languages are spoken in Mumbai, the challenges of inclusion and diversity are obvious. But clearly this region is graced by the will to learn.

New York, New York, USA – The United States’ most populous city, and one of the world leaders in finance, New York City is definitely an important center for education and business. From the financial centers of Wall Street through the museum, theater and tourism industries, New York is a hodgepodge of culture, business and education unlike any other region. It’s almost easier to list what industries aren’t headquartered in New York, which in particular is home to finance, media, sports, biotechnology, IT, healthcare and manufacturing organizations, including 42 Fortune 500 companies. The collection of companies is certainly matched by the impressive list of education institutions in the Big Apple, including Columbia, Fordham, New York, St. John’s and Yeshiva universities, Barnard College and The Julliard School. There is only one New York and it’s everything it’s reported to be: Large, bustling and full of promise. If you were looking for a single American city with better access to whatever you may need or want, good luck finding it.

Paris, France – Hemingway had this one right: If you were lucky enough to have lived in Paris, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. The City of Lights is definitely a unique experience, and part of that individuality is its devotion to education, which dates back to the Ninth Century, when Charlemagne mandated all churches and cathedrals must deliver higher education. As one of the world’s most-visited cities, Paris is home to a thriving tourism industry, as well as a leader in finance, IT, aerospace, healthcare, communications and education, a field in which an estimated 6.6% of Parisians work. The city is also home to 38 Fortune 500 corporations. Education is also of extreme importance to Parisians, with its 17 public universities hosting the largest concentration of college students in Europe, studying at schools including the University of Paris and the University of Notre Dame. With more than a thousand years of supporting and encouraging education, Paris stands apart from all others in its love of learning. If you’re looking for an environment that embraces training and believes in the promise of education, here it is.
San Francisco Bay Area/San Jose, USA – Located at the northern tip of a peninsula, perched on a beautiful bay overlooking California’s Golden Gate to the Pacific, San Francisco is a treat for the senses, certainly one of the prettier cities in North America. It’s also a treat for trainers, an environment with booming business and a history of supporting education, change and development, from the time of the Gold Rush through the creation of the United Nations right up to today. The City by the Bay is a leading financial center (its Montgomery Street is sometimes called the Wall Street of the West) and home to two of the country’s banking giants, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. It’s also built a legend for itself in the IT world, with nearby Silicon Valley businesses including Apple Computers, Google, Oracle, Twitter, Salesforce.com, CraigsList and Wikipedia. Education is also widely available in the Bay Area, from schools including The University of California (with branches both in San Francisco and across the Bay in  Berkeley), San Francisco State University, Stanford University, Santa Clara University, San Jose State and the University of San Francisco. Forget the old commercial: Openness, diversity and a love of learning are the real San Francisco treats. This city has seen some ups and downs over the years, most recently the bursting of the IT bubble, but it always comes back stronger than ever. There’s a lesson to be learned everywhere in San Francisco, and workforce development thrives in that atmosphere.
Sao Paolo, Brazil – Sao Paulo takes itself very seriously, which is a good thing. With an official motto that translates to “I am not led, I lead,” Sao Paulo is clearly a city that knows its place, home to proud residents with similar philosophies. As the most populous city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and the richest city in Latin America, Sao Paulo is also a city of opportunity. In addition to being a world-leading financial center, Sao Paulo is also known for its tourism industry, which has spawned a large number of related businesses, night clubs, shopping centers and restaurants. That creates a culture that consumes training, but Sao Paulo has many centers for higher learning to meet those needs, led by the University of Sao Paulo and School of Business Administration of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. Sao Paulo is a sprawling city with an incredibly diverse population and a rich history. The city has a strong spirit of independence, which is an important driver in its love for learning. The atmosphere here is charged, and the opportunities for workforce development are equally powered.
Shanghai, China – Sitting on the East China Sea at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai is the world’s largest cargo port and the largest center of commerce and finance in China. That means, of course, it’s the perfect environment for training, with a wide-ranging workforce in positions governed by safety and professional skills. Also known as “the Paris of the East,” Shanghai today is home to the world’s fastest-growing stock exchange, several company headquarters and many reputable universities, including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tongji University. The growth of Shanghai is nothing less than amazing, moving from a fishing port to world-class city in just over a century. That continual development is no doubt part of what attracts so many corporations to this part of the world, and it’s certainly part of what drives Shanghai businesses to invest in their workers.
Singapore – Singapore is the only city on this list that isn’t associated with a country, because Singapore is the only city-state recognized here. Despite this classification, Singapore is the world’s fourth-leading financial center and a key player in international trade. A sovereign nation for only 45 years, since its 1965 independence from Britain, Singapore operates one of the five busiest ports in the world and was ranked as having the best quality of life in Asia. Some of the leading business sectors include manufacturing, petroleum refining, engineering and biomedical, along with a thriving tourism industry. Singapore’s education system is heavily structured, featuring three years of kindergarten, six years of primary schooling, four to five years of secondary schooling and access to post-secondary education based on academic achievement. In addition to schools like the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University, there is also the National Institute of Education (NIE), a teaching college designed to train educators. Singapore is a new city in many ways, but its respect for education is very traditional. If nothing else, Singapore belongs on this list because of SIM University, a private school catering to working professionals and adult learners.

Tokyo, Japan – As the largest of Japan’s 47 prefectures, Tokyo is a natural fit for this list based on size if nothing else. With an estimated 35 to 39 million people calling it home, Tokyo is the world’s most populous metropolitan region, as well as being the world’s largest metropolitan economy. Joining New York and London as one of the world’s leading economic centers, Tokyo boasts a thriving international business community in industries including finance, banking, insurance, publishing, forestry and fishing. Companies headquartered in Tokyo include Fujitsu, Hitachi, Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Nikon, Pilot, Sony and Toshiba. Tokyo also has a large number of universities, including the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Waseda University and Tokyo Metropolitan University. Tokyo’s size, history and outlook make it a perfect fit for this list. It would be easy for a city of this size to be seen as impersonal, but Tokyo’s embrace of education definitely differentiates it. With its leadership position in the Pacific Rim and internationally, Tokyo is a treat for trainers.
Toronto, Canada – The largest city in Canada, Toronto sits at the heart of Canada’s “Golden Horseshoe,” which together houses about 25% of Canada’s population. One of the world’s top business centers, Toronto boasts many thriving industries, including finance, business services, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, media, software production, medical research, education, tourism and sports. Companies calling the Toronto area home include the Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Thomson Corporation, Four Seasons Hotels, CBC Television and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Education is clearly a source of pride for Toronto, with universities including the University of Toronto, which has North America’s fourth-largest university library system. Similarly, the Toronto Public Library is Canada’s leading library system, with more than 11 million items and 99 branches in its collection. Toronto is definitely true north when it comes to guiding its students and professional learners. The city is justifiably proud of its learning institutions and is continuing that education, including offering new media training through the Canadian Film Centre. If you want to learn and you want to do business, here’s a good place to bring it all together.

Washington, D.C./Alexandria, Virginia, USA – It was 220 years ago this month – July 16, 1790 – when Washington, D.C. officially became the capital of the United States. In the years since then, the D.C. region has continued to spread its influence, and its boundaries. Bordered by the Potomac River and the states of Virginia and Maryland, the Washington, D.C. region is headquarters to government agencies, affiliated businesses, institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Pan American Health Organization and 174 foreign embassies. It’s a company town of the highest order, with a strong base of finance, non-profit organizations, law firms, lobbying firms, trade unions and professional associations. Some of the non-governmental companies located in the area include Marriott Hotels, the Gallup Organization, Capital One, Freddie Mac and Computer Sciences Corporation. Some of the top U.S. colleges are based in the D.C. area as well, including Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University and Gallaudet University. If there was ever a region more devoted to, more aware of, education, we haven’t seen it. Whether you’re a lobbyist, a legislator or any professional in between, if you’re in Washington, you’re there to learn. Training isn’t part of the culture here, it is the culture.