Ninety-one percent of organizations are heavily focused on skills development initiatives as technological change creates new workforce challenges, according to research released Tuesday by CompTIA.
The sixth annual “Workforce and Learning Trends” report found that 81% of HR professionals believe their organizations lack the necessary skills and talent to thrive in today’s business environment, with artificial intelligence emerging as the primary area where companies plan to increase training investments.
“A confluence of factors makes for an especially challenging time for HR leaders,” said Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA. “The research points to renewed efforts to harness the right mix of training technologies and approaches to meet talent development needs.”
Five key trends
The study identified five key trends affecting HR leaders this year:
- Accelerating technological change creating new skill shortages
- Growing importance of validating knowledge, skill and task competencies
- Staff empowerment in training decisions
- Human-AI interactions challenging traditional learning approaches
- Essential digital fluency skills shaping future work requirements
Most organizations plan to continue investing in training, with 57% of HR leaders expecting to increase spending this year and 26% maintaining current levels. Medium and small companies reported slightly higher likelihood of budget increases compared to their larger counterparts.
“Identifying skills gaps and aligning talent with evolving needs is a critical priority for employers,” said Amy Carrado, senior director of workforce research at CompTIA. “Increasingly, companies see industry-recognized certification assessments as their preferred method to validate knowledge, skill and task competencies.”
Certification
The research showed nearly universal agreement on certification value, with 97% of HR professionals citing the importance of validating technical learning through industry-recognized certification assessments. Additionally, 93% reported that industry certifications factor into hiring decisions for technology roles.
While 66% of companies expect to add workers in 2025, matching last year’s growth projections, the study also revealed an increase in potential layoffs, with 27% of companies anticipating staff reductions compared to 24% last year.
The study surveyed 1,109 HR and learning development professionals across multiple countries, with U.S. respondents comprising about half the sample.
