#upskilling

#upskilling

When asked about their plans for the rest of 2025, just under half (48%) of SMEs leaders revealed they are looking to upskill their current team, by far the most popular answer. This compares to 29% who plan on expanding their leadership team and a quarter (25%) who plan to hire new staff. This strategic focus on developing internal talent reflects wider concerns about recruitment challenges.

For L&D leaders, the question is not whether employees need to keep learning but how to create an environment where learning never stops. Lifelong learning in the workplace has shifted from a nice-to-have initiative to a competitive advantage that determines the survival and growth of a business. Modern learning tools, such as AI-powered LMSs, are making this easier, enabling employees to learn at their own pace and stay updated.

And yet, between several meetings, projects, and your personal priorities (including, of course, the binge-watching), professional development and career growth often sinks to the bottom of your to-do list. But you cannot afford to let your upskilling endeavors suffer. In 2025, high-income skills are the very currency of your career success. You could afford to switch off the TV for just a couple hours a week.

In boardrooms worldwide, one theme dominates: how can organizations keep pace with relentless technological and market change? At Davos and beyond, CEOs are calling for skills-first, agile learning approaches-programs designed to build workforce resilience while delivering measurable business outcomes. This shift signals a departure from traditional training models. Instead of focusing on roles or credentials, the emphasis is on skills: what employees can actually do today, and what they must learn quickly to thrive tomorrow.

"Nothing feels predictable anymore. I think we've moved from a VUCA world to a TUNA world; it's turbulent, it's uncertain, it's novel - and the biggest is ambiguous," said Rupen Desai, CMO and venture partner at Una Terra.

AI is transforming every aspect of work, but to harness its full potential, we need to upskill every department, especially HR.

Upskilling is becoming more essential for creatives in an uncertain landscape.

Clyde Seepersad emphasized that 70% of AI transformation is determined by the people and the processes supporting it.

While 2024 was the year of investment and optimism, businesses are learning the hard way that replacing people with AI without fully understanding the impact on their workforce can go badly wrong.