The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Gen Z office design woes, widening cyber preparedness gaps, why humanising AI hurts performance, Skills England’s stark talent forecast, and positive evidence that brain health can improve at any age for adults everywhere.
UK tech professionals shift learning towards AI as coding skills evolve, according to new O’Reilly data
New research from O’Reilly, a leading source for insight-driven learning on technology and business, suggests that UK tech professionals are building on existing programming expertise to adopt new AI-powered tools and ways of learning.
Analysis of O’Reilly platform usage between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026 shows Generative AI content usage grew 89% in the UK. AI and Machine Learning as a whole grew 51% in the UK, while Data now accounts for 31% of all UK platform usage, making it the largest topic on the platform.
Always-on work exposes the gap between modern workforce demands and outdated management models
New research from HiBob, the HR platform transforming how organisations operate in the modern world of work and helping businesses adapt in the age of AI, reveals the always-on culture is a symptom of a deeper workforce transformation challenge.
Most workers (58%) say pressure in their role has increased compared to two years ago, while nearly half (49%) feel expected to always be available. More than a third (36%) regularly work late, and 37% say they would accept lower pay in exchange for a less stressful job. The findings come as more than two in five workers (42%) actively consider leaving their job due to workplace pressure, with a further 11% already searching for a new role.
First direct evidence in living humans that a primary function of sleep is to reset overloaded neural pathways
A new study, led by researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich, found that staying awake for 28 hours causes a physical buildup of connections between brain cells. Their results provide the first direct evidence in living humans that a primary function of sleep is to reset overloaded neural pathways.
To explain this, researchers proposed the Synaptic Homeostasis Hypothesis, known as SHY. This theory suggests that when we are awake and learning, our brains constantly strengthen the connections between neurons. However, these connections can crowd the brain’s limited physical capacity and keeping them strong requires energy.
61% of companies say compliance is the biggest barrier to engaging with freelancers – Malt
The Malt Freelance Maturity Report highlighted that freelancers are ready to fill the UK’s skills gaps, but many firms face regulatory hurdles. The report found businesses with a freelance management system take just six days to start projects, while 47% of those without one said they take more than 15 days to source and contract new freelancers.
84% of companies lack the right tools to re-engage proven independent talent. 55% of organisations have little or no visibility on the total freelancers engaged or total spend, and 65% of less mature companies have no formal suppliers at all.
34% say office design prevents focus and 29% have taken stress-related absence
Diamond Interiors asked 503 UK Gen Z office workers whether their workplace design allows them to focus effectively, 34% said no. That is not a niche concern. In a team of 10, three people are working against their environment every single day.
The follow-up finding makes the picture sharper. More than half of respondents (53%) said they feel more productive working from home. Taken in isolation, that statistic is often used to argue for remote work. Read alongside the design question, it tells a different story.
Escalating cyber attacks and implementation rates as low as 34%
Skillcast analysed the largest businesses across eight key UK sectors to reveal a critical disconnect. Healthcare and pharmaceutical businesses excel operationally, but their practice outpaces policy by 5:1. Financial services and retail demonstrate the tightest alignment. Technology, manufacturing, and energy and utilities show the starkest gaps. The public sector and government stand alone as the only sector experiencing a decline in reported cyber attacks year-on-year.
Recent IBM research has found the average data breach now costs UK businesses £3.3 million – but financial damage is only part of the story. Breaches erode customer trust, can risk brand reputation, cause regulatory penalties, and can expose organisations to legal action.
AI agents are not your “coworkers”
Emma Wiles, a Boston University business professor, found treating AI as a “coworker” and not a software tool would lead you to do a worse job. Wiles found that people caught 18% fewer errors when the work was said to have come from an agentic “AI employee” rather than a chatbot.
Skills England has published its first Annual Skills Report
Skills England has published its first Annual Skills Report, providing the most comprehensive picture to date of current and future skills demand across England. It sets out actions to tackle key challenges and build a more responsive, high-quality skills system.
New analysis shows demand in priority sectors will grow by 24% over the next decade. Up to 1.8 million additional workers will be needed to meet this demand.
Brain health can improve at any age
A three-year longitudinal study of ~4,000 adults reveals that there’s no ceiling for brain health improvement through proactive engagement and self-agency. A landmark study recently published in the Nature Portfolio journal Scientific Reports reveals that cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging.
Researchers from Center for BrainHealth® at The University of Texas at Dallas have demonstrated that adults across the entire lifespan, from ages 19 to 94, can measurably improve their brain performance through continual and targeted brain-healthy practices.
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