The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Workloads are blocking learning, people leaders are burning out, L&D reports, and AI still needs a human hand. This round-up explores what’s holding L&D back, and where the most hopeful shifts are happening.
Now and the future of learning, at the TJ60 conference
Learning News joined TJ at the Royal Society of Chemistry to capture TJ’s 60th anniversary conference on video. We explored how L&D has evolved from classroom courses to AI prompts. In the video, TJ Editors past and present, along with speakers including keynote speaker Carolyn Shepherd, Kirsty Lewis and Sukh Pabial, reflect on what’s changed, what still matters and where workplace learning goes next.
Watch the video from Learning News.
Workers are serious about L&D, but heavy workloads hold them back
Workers take learning and development seriously, a recent report found. 73% of employees surveyed by TalentLMS said that training would make them stay at their job longer. In the firm’s 2026 Annual L&D Benchmark Report, 35% explicitly said that a lack of training opportunities would make them look for another job.
Despite how workers view L&D as important, many believe work itself is holding progress back. Of the 101 US HR managers and 1,000 employees surveyed, roughly half of learning leaders and employees alike said that there’s little room for training specifically due to high workloads — even when the training is much needed.
The case for ‘a deliberate redesign of the people leader role’
The people leader role is in need of “a deliberate redesign,” according to research released Friday by global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Co. In its current iteration, the demands of the people leader role, coupled with increasing complexity, evolving employee expectations and continuous change, are “pushing the role to an unsustainable point,” research found.
Nearly 3 in 4 of leaders said that leadership skill sets will need to change completely or almost completely to adapt to the future of work in 2030, and 74% of organizations find it challenging to develop effective people leaders, according to previous surveys by McLean & Co.
AI is reshaping what people need to know, do, and deliver, faster than organisational structures can adapt
The result is a workplace caught between acceleration and inertia. Companies are racing to reskill for an AI-driven future while relying on structures built for yesterday’s world. The TalentLMS 2026 L&D Benchmark Report captures that inflection point. Based on data collected through 2025, and compared with earlier findings from 2022 to 2024, it explores how learning is evolving and what’s holding it back.
The research integrates two vantage points: HR leaders overseeing learning initiatives and employees receiving formal training. Together, they offer a dual perspective on how learning is managed and how it’s experienced. The analysis also draws on insights from external research and leading L&D practitioners, anchoring the report in both evidence and practice.
Workplace support for learning disabilities falls short, Hilton study finds
New research from Hilton shows that two thirds (66%) of those with a learning disability say their employers have not asked them what they need to succeed in their roles. As a result, nearly six in 10 (57%) feel like the company they work for isn’t equipped to support them.
The research of more than 2,000 people in the UK, including 500 people with learning disabilities such as Down’s Syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and their carers, gives a clear indication as to how employers can improve experiences and prospects of those questioned.
Upwork study shows AI agents excel with human partners but fail independently
Artificial intelligence agents powered by the world’s most advanced language models routinely fail to complete even straightforward professional tasks on their own, according to groundbreaking research released Thursday by Upwork, the largest online work marketplace.
But the same study reveals a more promising path forward: When AI agents collaborate with human experts, project completion rates surge by up to 70%, suggesting the future of work may not pit humans against machines but rather pair them together in powerful new ways.
Employment uncovered: Inside the story of UK work in 2025
After a turbulent year for small businesses, UK workers are heading into 2026 feeling considerably depleted – yet remarkably positive. It’s a contrast that sums up what 2025 felt like for many workers – a year of sporadic breaks, stretched employees and a deepening sense of pride in the work itself.
Research from Employment Hero’s newly launched Employment Uncovered offers a clear look at how those patterns played out. Drawing on aggregated insights from more than 100,000 employee records across small businesses and a national survey of 1,000 UK workers, the findings reveal a workforce juggling patchy downtime, burnout and a growing desire for meaningful work.
Most companies are stuck in gen AI experimentation, not transformation
Quarter after quarter, our survey of enterprises tells the same story: Fewer than 20% have scaled their generative AI efforts in any meaningful way. We know many of the reasons for this gridlock: technology deployed without a clear tie to business outcomes, pilots lacking focus or specificity, and an overwhelming sprawl of use cases with no prioritization across the vast AI landscape.
But at the heart of the matter lies a problem that’s easy to diagnose and hard to fix: Most organizations are treating generative AI as a technology deployment rather than a business transformation.
Dayforce research finds employees are out-of-office but not offline this holiday season
Dayforce, Inc., a global human capital management (HCM) leader that makes work life better, released a new survey revealing that full-time employees are heading into the holidays with a mix of enthusiasm, pressure, and productivity.
Conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Dayforce, the survey of 2,567 employees in the U.S., Canada, and UK shows how holiday optimism is colliding with work, financial, and emotional strain. Nearly all employees (95%) get or plan to take time off over the holidays, but true disconnection remains elusive, with less than half of employees (42%) saying they will unplug completely.
HR Technologies UK 2026 launches at Excel London
HR Technologies UK is gearing up for its most ambitious edition yet as it returns to Excel London from 29–30 April 2026. Now entering its fourth year, the event is expected to surpass previous records. Bringing together thousands of HR, talent, people and culture leaders for two days of conversations and innovations.
With over 50 exhibitors already confirmed, including global brands such as HiBob, Oracle and Zellis, HR Technologies UK 2026 is set to deliver its largest show to date. Last year saw a record number of visitors and featured almost 100 exhibitors. The 2026 exhibition floor will feature leading solutions covering the full employee lifecycle, from AI-powered recruitment tools to advanced analytics platforms and emerging workplace tech.
