New research reveals serious skills gap within lifelong learning

Blockchain expertise (40 per cent) is the most difficult skill to find for employers, followed by change management (39 per cent), crisis management (30 per cent) and managing across cultures (39 per cent). Conversely, blockchain (20 per cent) is only the 12th skill individuals want to acquire. Similarly, crisis management (12 per cent) is 26th and change management (11 per cent) 29th, while managing across cultures (eight per cent) comes in 34th. 

The top five skills sought by individuals in the next five years are AI (45 per cent), cybersecurity (33 per cent), digital marketing (31 per cent), e-commerce (29 per cent) and leadership (26 per cent), according to the new study carried out among 1,100 employers from 32 countries and 9,927 individuals across more than 40 countries.

Commenting on the findings, study author Andrew Crisp said: “AI is the topic of the moment, but there are several skills, not all of them technology-based, that employers need but struggle to find. With such current uncertainty in the global business and political landscape, it is not surprising that organisations are seeking people who can adapt to different situations, deal with difficult issues and manage business transformation.”

He continued: “Acquiring leadership skills is important for individuals but is something that more than half of employers (51 per cent) consider to be widely available. It’s not that there won’t be demand for leaderships skills, but presently other subjects are more important for employers and are harder to find. For individuals, it is an opportunity to understand what employers are struggling with and to fill the gap.”

The study examined employers’ views on how learning and development will be delivered in the future. The vast majority (80 per cent) of employers expect online learning will become the standard approach to developing people in their organisation. The nature of the learning is likely to be focused on shorter rather than longer periods, with 77 per cent believing that short bursts of learning, delivered flexibly and providing micro-credentials, are valuable in meeting development needs in their organisations.

Among the individuals surveyed, the most popular format is online blended learning (50 per cent), providing students with a mix of live virtual sessions and self-paced online learning. Online on-demand (purely self-paced study with no live classes or tutor interaction) would be considered by nearly half of respondents (47 per cent).

Some 78 per cent of employers agree that AI-generated content is increasingly likely to be used in learning and development for their staff. However, more than half (57 per cent) of employers also agree that their organisation lacks the data on employee skills and corporate needs to benefit from AI in their learning and development.

“AI is part of most conversations today and learning and development is no different – it will be part of its future. However, there’s more to technology than AI, with learners interested in a host of different tech topics and keen to use a variety of technologies to support their learning”, Crisp concluded.