In its latest report, Skillsoft finds employees are investing more on corporate online courses as they seek to keep pace with changing work environment and skills requirements.
Skillsoft, which provides corporate digital learning services, said that there is a 37% increase year-on year (YoY) in the total time spent upskilling by tens of millions of its learners, with nearly 16 million badges – or 25% YoY increase) in recognition of their learning achievements.
This is one of the key findings in Skillsoft’s newly released annual Lean Into Learning Report, which examines the state of digital learning, as well as the most in-demand skills and competencies for the future of work.
“Everyone today is craving growth. Employees want more enriching and rewarding careers, while organisations want a sustainable, future-fit workforce. A social compact has emerged, creating a skilling revolution underpinned by learning,” said Skillsoft CEO Jeffrey Tarr.
“The businesses that will thrive tomorrow and in the future are the ones that embrace a culture where employers, their workforce, and their communities are leaning into learning and growth together.”
Jeffrey Tarr, Skillsoft
Leadership skills are highly in demand
Skillsoft’s report shows a 32% YoY increase in time spent by learners upskilling their leadership, business, and power skills.
Generational shifts, technological transformation, and an increasingly complex global economy have put a premium on leadership skills.
Analysing total leadership & business course completions over the past year, the top five skill areas of interest reflect learners’ desire and need to adapt to the evolving, hybrid workplace: written communication, unconscious bias, virtual work in the new normal, working remotely, and communication essentials, respectively.
Additionally, Skillsoft’s First Time Manager and Leadership Development Core Aspire Journeys are seeing the greatest overall number of completions as organisations and learners prioritise leadership capabilities within a work environment that has been fundamentally transformed since the pandemic.
Practical reality: technical upskilling surges
IT-decision makers surveyed in Skillsoft’s 2022 IT Skills & Salary Report said their top four skill areas of investment are cloud computing, cybersecurity, AI and machine learning, and infrastructure and systems, respectively.
This aligns with Skillsoft’s Lean Into Learning Report showing 70% of the top 10 technology & developer skill areas of interest revolving around infrastructure, cloud, and security. As a result, the new report notes a 39% YoY increase in time spent by Skillsoft learners expanding their technical skillsets.
Indeed, the rapid evolution of technology is driving economic growth, innovation, and development, and investing in relevant skills is essential for talent and organisations to stay competitive in this fast-moving digital area.
Meanwhile, looking into the search and course consumption via Skillsoft’s Codecademy platform shows a snapshot into current tech learning trends.
Python stands as the most searched topic over the past year by Codecademy learners, followed by Java, SQL, JavaScript, and HTML, respectively. Based on path enrolments, the top five subjects across Codecademy’s catalogue are web development, data science, machine learning, computer science, and data analytics, respectively.
Compliance is a mindset
As organisations increasingly view compliance as a mindset rather than a mandate, Skillsoft’s report highlights a 27% YoY increase in time spent by learners on compliance training, with 60% of the top 10 trending compliance courses revolving around physical workplace and personal safety.
An eye-opening and sobering finding shows the top overall trending compliance course as active shooter training as these situations become more common in public places and at work premises.
The wake of the pandemic has brought new regulatory requirements, supply chain challenges, cultural conflicts, and emerging risks from a hybrid workforce.
Additionally, organisations are facing CSR and ESG pressures from every direction. Government regulations are evolving rapidly, making a focused approach to ESG a corporate necessity. 60% of working professionals surveyed for Skillsoft’s recent CSR at Work Report cited an uptick in CSR interest and investment from both employers and employees alike.
