Leadership says learning is a priority, but workers aren’t feeling it

A gap has opened between what business leaders say about learning and what employees experience day to day, according to new research into the state of technology skills development in 2025.

The 2025 Tech Skills Report, published by technology learning provider Pluralsight, finds that while 95% of executives say building a culture of learning is a priority for their organisation, an identical 95% of IT and business professionals say they still need more support to develop the skills required to keep pace with technology change.

• 95% per cent of leaders prioritise learning, yet 95% per cent of workers say they need more support to develop tech skills.

The findings highlight a persistent disconnect between leadership intent and workforce experience. Despite widespread recognition of the need for continuous learning, most organisations have yet to establish the conditions that make it part of everyday work.

Only 46% of organisations provide employees with dedicated time to learn, and the lack of time to learn has been the most frequently cited barrier for four consecutive years. Low engagement and limited leadership support are additional obstacles, suggesting that the gap is as much cultural as operational.

The shortfall in learning support is linked to measurable business consequences. Half of IT professionals (48%) and more than half of business professionals (58%) said they had been forced to abandon projects in the past year because their teams lacked the right technical skills. The gaps were most pronounced in cloud computing, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and machine learning, which together form the core of today's digital transformation strategies across business.

While most executives agree that building a learning culture is vital to future performance, many organisations have yet to translate that commitment into practical measures such as structured learning time, integrated performance metrics and manager accountability for development.

The report concludes that the gap between aspiration and action continues to limit progress on skills development. Closing the gap requires stronger alignment between business priorities and the realities of how employees learn: time, support and leadership focus are essential components of learning culture, not optional extras.

The time problem that won’t go away

For the fourth year running, the biggest obstacle to skills development is time. Only 46% of organisations give employees time to learn on the job, leaving most to fit learning around delivery pressures.

The issue isn’t calendars but culture. Organisations that treat learning as something to be scheduled rarely succeed in embedding it; It needs ‘building in’ to create the learning culture leaders talk about.

Upskilling outperforms hiring

Developing existing staff is faster and cheaper than recruiting new talent. Most spend less than $5,000 per employee to upskill, compared with more than $14,000 to hire. (In the UK, the average cost to upskill is £6,056 versus £9,769 to hire.)

89% of executives say it costs more to hire IT talent than to train their current workforce, a pattern seen across the US, UK and India, where the report's survey was focused. Upskilling is also viewed as quicker, helping teams fill critical gaps without the delays of external recruitment.

AI in learning becomes mainstream

The report finds that all organisations represented in the study are now using artificial intelligence to support upskilling, mainly to automate administration, identify relevant content and personalise learning paths. AI has become a standard feature of learning delivery rather than an emerging experiment.

This mirrors research published last week by Donald H Taylor and Egle Vinauskaite, which showed that use of AI in learning has passed a turning point, with 54% of learning teams now using it (as opposed to experimenting), up from 40% in 2024.

Pluralsight’s findings also note that while AI helps streamline the learning process, it cannot replace expert instruction or the creativity that drives effective learning design. As AI takes over more routine tasks, the report points to human originality, communication and adaptability as the skills that will matter most in the next phase of workplace learning.

Upskilling linked to promotion and pay

The report shows a clear link between upskilling and career progression. Around half of IT professionals (46%) who gained certifications received a salary increase or promotion as a direct result. Among business professionals, 47% said microcredentials or digital badges were the biggest factor in earning a raise or new role.

Recognised proof of skills, through certifications or shorter, role-specific credentials, is now a key driver of mobility and retention across both technical and non-technical roles.

Soft skills rise alongside AI

As artificial intelligence takes over more routine work, demand for human skills is growing in parallel. The report identifies creativity, communication and adaptability as the top three soft skills now seen as most important for future performance.

Rather than replacing human input AI is amplifying the need for originality and problem-solving. These capabilities, the report notes, will play a larger role in hiring and innovation as automation becomes embedded in everyday operations.

Building learning into the organisation

Across much of today’s workplace learning, the same picture continues to emerge. Organisations talk about the importance of continuous development yet still struggle to build it into everyday work. Few make structured time for learning, and even fewer enable managers to prioritise it alongside delivery.

Learning remains something many employees are expected to fit around their jobs rather than within them. Investment in technology has expanded access to learning, but progress on culture, leadership accountability and protected time continues to lag behind.

Keeping pace with technology change depends less on what employees learn and more on whether they are genuinely supported to do so.

The 2025 Tech Skills Report is published by Pluralsight and is freely available to download.