The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: HR professionals eye organsaiton exits, entry-level skills fall short, hybrid work solidifies, agentic AI transforms sales, L&D’s AI adoption deepens, and DevLearn 2025 promises innovation, networking and the world’s biggest learning tech meetup.
LearnUpon 2025 State of Learning and Development Report: AI and employee well-being drive strategic L&D transformation
LearnUpon, a leading Learning Management System (LMS) provider, announced its inaugural “State of Learning and Development Report,” which dives into the goals, priorities, and concerns of Learning and Development (L&D) leaders. The research reveals a profession in transition—balancing AI adoption, strategic alignment, and employee retention—while emerging as a key driver of business performance.
The report draws insights from 600 L&D leaders and practitioners across the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, exploring themes of maturity, metrics, and momentum for change. It highlights a decisive evolution in how L&D is perceived—no longer just as a service function, but as a strategic driver of business performance. Notably, 43% of L&D leaders believe that AI could entirely replace their roles, with another 40% anticipating some changes caused by AI. Only 3% expected AI to cause no changes—signaling a major shift in how learning will be designed, delivered, and measured.
The most in-demand tech skills
Learning a new skill can not only be fun but also rewarding, especially if you’re dipping your toes into a completely new space. Nowadays, plenty of employers are looking for first-hand experience of skills in use vs what your education status is; if you can demonstrate the skills required, you’ll stand a much higher chance of landing your dream job.
- Technical expertise, along with creativity and innovation, are the most in-demand skills for tech roles
- Over 400,000 tech roles require you to have strong mathematical skills
- Data scientists are the highest-paying tech roles, averaging £58,817 a year
Working ourselves sick – how employers can reduce presenteeism
As the seasons change, many UK residents will be experiencing colds, coughs and flu over the next few weeks. Working while sick, otherwise known as presenteeism, costs employers around £24bn annually, according to Deloitte, due to reduced productivity, prolonged illnesses and leaving employees to work at a reduced capacity.
Too many employees still feel pressured to push through illnesses, whether that’s a generic winter cold or something more serious. The problem is that presenteeism isn’t just harming the individual; employers are also paying far more than if the employee were to take a few days off to rest and recover. Changing the culture around sick leave is still one of the simplest tasks an employer can do, yet one of the most effective.
Second jobs surge: side hustles become survival strategy
One in five UK workers surveyed (21%) now hold more than one job, with younger workers particularly impacted as 42% of Gen Z workers surveyed say they are juggling multiple roles. That’s according to Employment Hero, with findings from its inaugural global Annual Jobs Report showing people are increasingly turning to second jobs as a financial survival strategy in the face of ongoing cost-of-living pressures and a slowing labour market.
The new report reveals the latest trends in the UK employment sector. The UK 2025 data is drawn from aggregated insights from more than 350,000 small businesses and 2 million employees in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, alongside a YouGov survey of 3,635 workers.
Two-thirds of HR professionals are considering changing jobs
Retention is a growing challenge for HR, even, it turns out, within their own teams. New research by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr has found that two-thirds (65%) of HR professionals expect to leave their organisation in the coming year. Many will already be actively looking for their next position.
Of the 300 UK HR decision-makers polled, just a third (35%) said they were not currently job hunting, nor have any imminent plans to do so. Notably, those supporting the biggest workforces, of 1,500 employees or more, appear the most likely to be primed to leave, with only a quarter (27%) of HR professionals at large organisations happy to stay in their existing role (for now at least).
Entry-level employees seen as unprepared, lacking soft skills, general assembly report finds
Only 22% of company leaders believe entry-level employees are very or completely prepared to do their jobs, up from 12% in 2024, a new General Assembly report found. Among working adults, perceptions of entry-level employee readiness remained unchanged, with 38% saying they are well-prepared.
While their perception of entry-level employees improved significantly, 47% of leaders still say they are only somewhat prepared and 31% say they are hardly or not at all prepared. Only 15% believe entry-level employees are more prepared to do their jobs than those of five years ago, compared to 53% who say they are less prepared. More than a quarter of leaders (29%) would not hire today’s entry-level employees.
Hybrid work isn’t a trend — it’s a lasting shift
Employees and employers alike are prioritising flexibility, often willing to trade compensation or quietly sacrifice productivity to protect it. Owl Labs’ 9th Annual State of Hybrid Work report breaks down the latest trends, explores how we’re working today, and takes a look at what’s next. Stress levels among workers have risen in the past year, and 68% of working parents are concerned that caregiving responsibilities could impact their job performance. One constant? The value of strong leadership. A supportive manager remains a top workplace factor, with 90% of employees in agreement (second only to compensation).
Corndel publishes new guide, Delivering with Data: The Data-Driven Leadership Playbook
Despite billions in digital investment, UK leaders are still struggling to turn data into action. A new guide by award-winning skills provider Corndel addresses a major blind spot in the UK’s digital transformation: leadership.
Despite significant investment in data infrastructure and AI tools, only one in four UK businesses uses data extensively to generate actionable insights, and fewer than half of CIOs believe their data strategy aligns with business goals. As AI accelerates the pace of change, the guide offers a timely blueprint for leaders who need to make faster, more confident, evidence-based decisions.
Agentic AI to reshape sales enablement
In workplace learning, the challenge is not recognising that development should happen within the workflow, but ensuring it happens consistently and at scale. Traditional solutions often leave a gap between identifying an issue, providing coaching, and sustaining follow-up, a gap that can be particularly costly in fast-paced sales environments. Imparta CEO Richard Barkey speaks to Learning News about the role of agentic AI in sales enablement.
How L&D is using AI today – and what it means for the future
At the Learning Technologies Autumn Forum, online this October, Egle Vinauskaite and Donald H Taylor share global data and case studies on how AI is being used in L&D today and the barriers to adoption. Three years on from the launch of ChatGPT, things have changed. We’ve moved beyond being excited about AI hype to actually using it, but what are we using it for?
Drawing on their latest report Donald and Eglė will draw on survey data from over 50 countries and a series of in-depth case studies. They will demonstrate that AI use today goes beyond merely creating more content faster, and will ask a key question: what does this mean for the future of L&D?
DevLearn returns featuring signature DemoFest and a new, major Learning Tech meetup
The Learning Guild has announced that DevLearn Conference & Expo 2025 will see the return of DemoFest alongside the launch of a brand-new highlight: The Largest Learning Tech Meetup in America – held together under one roof.
Taking place November 12–14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, DevLearn is the premier annual gathering for learning professionals. It’s where industry leaders and innovators come together to explore how technology is driving practical and impactful learning experiences. The three-day program highlights proven strategies and emerging tools designed to help organisations achieve real transformation and measurable impact. The action peaks on Thursday, November 13, from 5:00-6:30 PM, when DemoFest and The Largest Learning Tech Meetup in America run side by side, delivering an unmatched evening of discovery and networking.
