What does progress from a skills perspective really look like?

Has the needle been moved at all?

If we are being pragmatic, of course the needle has been moved slightly on the skills picture over the past decade. How could it not with such an intense focus on it? However, if we take a broader look at the bigger picture across the L&D landscape as a whole you’d be forgiven for thinking that nothing has really changed.?

These thoughts were sparked by the ‘Skills gap analysis guide’ Valamis dropped in my inbox a week or so ago. The intent of this guide was to allow people to ‘learn the what, why, and how of skills gap analysis and start building your foundation for strategic workforce development’. I delved into the report and at first glance it had some interesting stuff in it, but as I dug deeper I realised that all the data the guide was offering was drawn from reports that were 4-6 years old.?

It got me thinking. What is the most up-to-date research telling us, and does it now differ from the data from the sources Valamis referenced, given half a decade has passed. The answer, it seems, is: Not really. If you look at the IBM, Deloittte and McKinsey reports that Valamis highlighted - the core skills of data analysis, engineering, cyber security, and project management were all called out as significant gaps for organisations.?

However you jump forward five years, these same skills are being highlighted as crucial today in reports like LinkedIn Learning’s Workplace Learning Report. And those are the same ‘urgent’ ‘future’ skills that were needed in 2018, and they’re still being referenced in 2024, either they’re not quite as crucial as first made out, or we’re really not making any headway.

What is encouraging to see was Coursera’s Global Skills Report which was released yesterday and those same skills, alongside a whole heap of more human centred skills, were referenced amongst the most popular upskilling routes for people.

So, to the point in question: "What does progress from a skills perspective really look like?" And moreover, "Has the needle been moved at all on the skills agenda?" Let's unpack this.

Let’s rewind a little

Taking it a step back, one of the things we know L&D leadership continue to grapple with is how to effectively align with broader business objectives and make an impact against meaningful business metrics. It’s not hard to understand why this is.? Learning is notoriously seen as something that is done ‘to you’ not ‘by you’, partly fueled by outdated educational methods. Ultimately it’s no surprise that ‘learning’ is still measured through bums on seats, completions and interactions as a first point of call. And there’s always part of me that says: this is a great starting point, as long as you’re on a bigger journey. The buck doesn’t stop at pass rates.

The problem, as rightly outlined by LinkedIn Learning, is that few initiatives are advancing beyond measurement stage, and teams are stuck largely in the planning and activation stages:

In a recent conversation with an ex-colleague we debated the usefulness of certain AI tools that are being offered to students to help them circumvent plagiarism and AI detectors by making content seem more ‘human’. Who really wins here? It’s only the company profiting. And that’s where it becomes unethical. Companies like this aren’t driving anything forward, they are simply trying to make fast cash. But on the other hand, perhaps tools like this will force educational institutions to change how they ask students to show up and think critically. If that happens, maybe the perception of what learning is will also begin to change.

Many forward-thinking learning leaders are on this transformative journey, shifting their focus from traditional metrics of learning content consumption to measuring real business outcomes. This paradigm shift not only changes how success in L&D is gauged but also fosters a significant cultural transformation within organisations. These leaders recognise that the ultimate goal of L&D is not merely to deliver training but to drive business performance and growth.

Breaking it down

Although the focus on skills can sometimes seem nebulous, there are clear, black-and-white elements at its core. In its simplest form, the focus on skills addresses a fundamental business need: ensuring that individuals possess the specific skills required to perform their jobs effectively. This clarity is critical for aligning L&D initiatives with organisational goals and ensuring that programs are directly linked to business needs.

The shelf life of skills is rapidly shrinking, and this underscores the urgency for continuous upskilling and reskilling to keep pace with technological advancements and market changes. In my opinion this is the number one reason so many businesses fail to nail skills. They’re thinking far too ‘big picture’ on skills, and are not breaking it down, rolling stuff out, experimenting and seeing where they can start to move the needle.

One way to approach this is through identifying and prioritising skills that drive strategic objectives within specific teams. The shift in focus to real business outcomes also means that any upskilling programs must be designed with measurable impacts in mind. It seems like common sense when it’s written in black and white, but we know from first hand experience that some L&D teams are on a real journey here.

The shift from learning content metrics to real business outcomes represents a profound change in how L&D is perceived and implemented. It highlights the importance of aligning training initiatives with strategic business needs, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and ultimately driving measurable improvements in business performance.

The cultural shift within business involves fostering environments where continuous improvement and lifelong learning are embedded into the organisational fabric. This transformation is essential to creating a workforce that feels empowered to develop new skills and take ownership of their career development. Thrive have often spoken about an agile approach to skills which is both pushed from an? organisational level and via the individual too. And according to the World Economic Forum , the future of work requires a focus on lifelong learning and the ability to adapt to new roles and responsibilities as they emerge.?

The last 18 months have been a transformative period for L&D as we all adopt and adapt to the implications of AI. For me, one of the most significant benefits that will happen at a much faster rate is the creation of much more nuanced and personalised learning experiences. This is not only driven by the knowledge of how people learn effectively, but also by individual career aspirations. The implications of the larger landscape on modern businesses ultimately boils down to how individuals are able to adapt and respond to changing climates. One of the most positive impacts of new generations entering the workforce us the broadstroke interest in continuous learning and the need for meaningful work, fuelled in part by their digital upbringing.

So what’s next?

To quote McKinsey’s recent research :

“To gain the full productivity benefits of generative AI and other technologies, Europe and the United States will need to focus both on improving human capital and accelerating technology adoption.”

It’s this balance, between the development opportunities of the workforce and how individuals adapt to technological change that is so crucial to the success of most businesses now.

Ultimately there is a conundrum between wanting (and needing) to be agile and responsive to the skills gaps evident in organisations, and the traditional practical approaches to creating skills and competency frameworks. On the one hand you have a rapidly changing landscape, and on the other you have L&D teams carrying out painfully slow skills mapping that’s outdated before it’s even complete.?

If you’re interested in this topic, then sign up to? join myself, Koreen Pagano our Chief Product Officer and Niloufar Zarinour Head of AI on Thursday 20th June 3-4pm BST to unpick what the future of L&D holds, particularly from an skills and AI perspective.?