The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Skills Symphony launches with big-name backing; UK hiring sentiment dips to lowest since 2021; White House sets ambitious apprenticeship target—read for how these shifts could impact your workforce strategy.
Skills-first learning, hiring transforms talent pipelines, report shows
Skills-first learning is driving a wave of skills-based organizations and influencing talent pipelines from recruitment to advancement, according to Coursera’s 2025 Global Skills Report.
In North America, 99% of surveyed employers said they’ve adopted or are exploring skills-based hiring by focusing on verified skills alongside traditional degrees. This aligns with 94% of U.S. firms that said they anticipate significant AI-driven transformation by 2030, the report found.
Malt 2025 Tech Trends Report: demand for AI skills keeps exploding in Europe, with a 230% rise in AI projects within a year
Malt publishes its new “Malt Tech Trends” study, which analyses millions of searches from companies across Europe and the evolution of skills among 200,000 tech and data freelancers. AI is a driving force behind many tech shifts observed in coding languages, cybersecurity, and low-code/no-code. It is met with demand for more control by European companies, accelerating the growth of open source and sovereign solutions across domains.
– European demand from companies for AI projects grew by 230%, while the number of AI expert freelancers only rose by 31%, between 2023 and 2024. Demand is still growing much faster than the supply provided by freelancers.
– Boost of European technological actors to face tech control stakes (especially in cloud and cybersecurity). Companies increasingly prioritise sovereign solutions, with demand for European cloud providers like Scaleway more than doubling (+100%).
Brits back bigger DEI push despite US government policy to pull back
New research from Tribepad, a leading British job applicant tracking software innovator, reveals a clear generational divide in how candidates view diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in hiring. Based on a representative survey of over 1,000 UK adults, Tribepad’s latest survey in its Stop The Bias series highlights that younger people are significantly more likely to value inclusive policies and leadership, while also exposing a nuanced tension between supporting inclusion and prioritising fairness.
LearnUpon research reveals organisations are betting big on customer education
LearnUpon, a leading Learning Management System (LMS) provider, has released new research exploring the current state of customer education. The survey identifies the key trends, challenges, and strategies that customer experience leaders are using to drive impact. Based on global insights from customer experience leadership and practitioners across the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia, the survey report reveals that while customer education is growing, there is still room for organisations to improve their programs from just being “good enough” to great.
Established learning businesses and newer industry disruptors come together for contemporary workplace learning
Skills Symphony; a new learning, education and skills collaboration, has been launched. Founded by 14 world-class learning providers, our ambition is to be a sophisticated orchestrator of learning excellence. Skills Symphony was formed in response to the complex learning and skills challenges that all organisations face and which demand a constant focus on their workforce capabilities.
Read more.
The only way is up – UK labour market hits rock bottom
Employment confidence has plummeted across all sectors in the UK, with the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey showing a sharp decline in hiring intentions for the third business quarter of 2025.
The Net Employment Outlook, calculated by surveying 2,000+ UK businesses about their recruitment plans for the months ahead, is +19% for Q3, a positive albeit significantly reduced Outlook (-12%) from the previous quarter as market volatility dampens confidence. For the first time since 2021, employers across several sectors are showing a negative intent to hire (i.e. more planning to reduce headcount than increase) in Communications Services (-7%), Energy & Utilities (-3%), Public Sector (-8%).
White House declares goal to reach 1M new apprentices per year
President Donald Trump directed the secretaries of Labor, Education and Commerce to submit a plan within 120 days to “reach and surpass 1 million new active apprentices.”
The fact sheet suggests that the intention of the administration is to reach this 1 million goal each year. The requested plan must identify: Avenues to expand registered apprenticeships to new industries, ways to scale apprenticeships across the country, and ways to improve connections between the education system and apprenticeship programs.
