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The State of Skills 2026

The State of Skills 2026

Discover how human capabilities drive your competitive advantage in the AI era.

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Who is this report for:

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CHROs and HR Directors

Gain insights to shape organization-wide skill strategies, align leadership priorities with business goals, and make strategic decisions in a rapidly evolving talent landscape.

L&D Managers and Talent Leaders

Discover which human capabilities drive performance, identify priority skill investments, and design learning programs that maximize the impact of AI-enabled tools.

People Ops Leads

Learn how to empower teams and embed ownership, streamline distributed decision-making, and implement workforce initiatives that support engagement, growth, and transformation.

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AI raises the floor, but human skills raise the ceiling in 2026

In 2026, as AI handles routine work, uniquely human capabilities will become the defining factor for lasting competitive advantage.

How can enterprises build the skills that technology amplifies rather than replaces?

Explore Lepaya’s learning data and discover which capabilities leading businesses are developing to thrive in an AI-augmented workplace.

196

Enterprises

27,746
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Learners

204,111

Hours of skills practice

Learn from our experts

"HR will need to become much more strategic in the next 5-10 years. Rather than just focusing on administrative functions, HR will lead the way in driving organizational culture, talent development, and employee well-being."
Dorothy Dalton

Founder of 3Plus International

"This is part sensing, part aspiration: I see HR evolving into a fluid, adaptive, product-oriented, science-led powerhouse. A function that actively shapes the organization’s structure, systems, culture, and flow—always with a human-centred lens."
Perry Timms

Chief Energy Officer and Founder of People & Transformational HR Ltd

“We’re already seeing the shift, but the HR leaders who will thrive in the next decade won’t just be policy makers. They’ll be changemakers. I believe the future of HR is transformational, not transactional. We need bold, business-minded, human-centered HR leaders who are ready to lead through disruption — not just react to it.”
Jennifer McClure

Founder & Chief Excitement Officer of DisruptHR

“AI has made the value of content plummet, and so will the value of L&D if it ties itself to content. That leaves L&D at a crossroads: keep doing what we’ve always done and get optimised out of the business, or seize the opportunity and reimagine how we support employees in the future of work that has AI in it.”
Egle Vinauskaite

Director and Strategic Advisor - AI in L&D at Nodes

“L&D’s future lies in behaving less like a service function, and more like a strategic growth engine. My bold prediction? The most impactful L&D teams will stop operating in silos and start thinking like marketers, product designers, and business partners – all at once.”
Ashley Hinchcliffe

Founder of MAAS Marketing

“L&D will become one of the most critical functions in an organization. In a world where AI accelerates business change, companies that succeed will be those where employees learn rapidly and effectively. This means L&D will be held to a much higher standard—not just managing training but engineering environments where employees know what they need to learn, are motivated to learn it, and are supported in doing so.”
Sandra Loughlin

Chief Learning Scientist at EPAM Systems

“I see two possible futures for L&D. In the first scenario, L&D establishes itself as a problem-solving function—deeply embedded in business strategy, helping leaders identify and address capability challenges with targeted, high-impact solutions. In the second scenario, L&D is reduced to a content-validation role, simply fact-checking AI-generated learning materials without playing a meaningful role in shaping business outcomes.”
Caner Akova

Senior Learning Specialist at Evotec

“In a world where not only technology, but also society and the way we work are changing rapidly, leadership is more than just knowledge: it is about vision, agility, and the ability to connect and inspire teams to tackle the challenges of our clients.”
Marjolein de Groot - Aertssen

L&D Program Manager at Croonwolter&dros

“At WIKA, we recognized that leadership is pivotal to shaping our future. This prompted us to prioritize leadership development through our Leadership Framework, which defines clear expectations for behaviors and competencies across all levels. Our framework emphasizes empowerment, collaboration, and accountability—qualities essential for thriving in a dynamic environment.”
Clemens Gessner

Global HR Manager at WIKA

“To lead a people-centered AI future, HR and L&D must go beyond teaching tools and focus on building talent—cultivating the uniquely human skills AI can’t replicate and creating cultures where learning is continuous, experimentation is safe, and transformation is something people shape, not endure.”
Marlene De Koning

Director of Workforce Transformation at PwC

“In 2026 and beyond, there is no one fit size for Leadership and the differences between styles are less significant than was assumed. Instead of teaching one specific style, it is recommended to focus on the key behaviours that make each style effective: the affective relationship between leaders and followers.”
Sven Prevoo

Head of Enterprise Learning & Impact at Lepaya

“Many financial service organizations want to move to a diamond-shaped structure where AI automates junior roles. If we reflect on the broader impact, who will hire the next generation entering the workforce?”
Wendy van Tol

Partner Sustainability Transformation Services at PwC

“When the world was more stable, influencing and collaborating were key to getting work done. Now, as organizations prepare for AI transformation, leadership capability and individual ownership have become the critical competitive advantages.”
René Janssen

Founder of Lepaya

“AI is everywhere right now, and it should be (and it will be for the foreseeable future). The companies that truly thrive won’t just plug in the latest trends and tools; they’ll double down on the human infrastructure behind the tech. That means building cultures where people feel safe to experiment, ask naive questions, and challenge the status quo because that’s what fuels meaningful innovation.”
Missy Strong

Senior Lead - People Experience at Pigment

“AI works best as a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. Many reps will point it at their entire sales process, automating every touchpoint until the human connection disappears. The real pros will use it to cut out the busywork and protect the parts of selling only humans can do.”
Ashleigh Early

Chief Executive Officer at Other Side of Sales Consulting

“We see a clear correlation between the fear of a recession and the level of investment in commercial sensitivity programs: once, mostly B2B, companies notice that their topline results might be put under pressure, they start considering investing in sales programs.”
Pascal Struijk

Product Lead at Lepaya

“As organizational structures continue to flatten, leaders are increasingly expected to create impact at scale. This requires moving beyond individual performance and fully activating the collective capabilities of their teams. At the same time, workforce expectations are evolving. New generations of employees demand a management approach grounded in trust, psychological safety, and empowerment.”
Annee Spijkervet

Download the State of Skills report

Discover the latest upskilling data and trends that are shaping people and business growth.

Fill in the form to download

Fields marked with (*) are required.
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required

By submitting this form you give consent for us to contact you with information relevant to your inquiry and in accordance with our privacy policy. You may opt-out at any time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the State of Skills 2026 report?

The State of Skills 2026 is Lepaya’s annual research report analyzing global training investment and skill priorities. Based on training data from 196 global organizations, the report identifies the three strategic skill bets companies are making for 2026 and explains what these trends mean for HR, L&D, and business leaders shaping future-ready workforces.

Who is the State of Skills 2026 report for?

This report is designed for:

  • HR leaders and CHROs
  • L&D and Talent Development leaders
  • People & Workforce Transformation teams
  • Business and functional leaders involved in upskilling strategy

If you’re responsible for aligning skills, leadership, and performance with business strategy in an AI-driven world, this report is for you.

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What are the key skill trends identified for 2026?

The report highlights three major skill trends shaping organizational investment:

  1. Empowering leadership as the primary lever for transformation
  2. Commercial sensitivity as protection against market volatility
  3. Ownership skills as decision-making becomes more distributed

Together, these trends show how organizations are doubling down on human capabilities that AI can’t replace.

How should HR leaders prioritize skills development in 2026?

The State of Skills 2026 shows that leading organizations are prioritizing human capabilities that enable scale, adaptability, and decision-making, not just technical skills. The most effective strategies focus on empowering leadership, commercial judgment, and ownership — capabilities that allow AI investments to translate into real performance gains.

How is AI changing skill priorities for HR and L&D?

AI has raised the floor of technical capability, but it hasn’t raised performance on its own. The report shows that organizations are increasingly investing in:

  • Human-centered leadership
  • Commercial judgment and storytelling
  • Ownership and decision-making skills

The most effective L&D strategies in 2026 focus on building human skills on top of AI, not competing with it.

How do I align my L&D strategy with business outcomes in 2026?

High-performing organizations link learning investment directly to:

  • Leadership effectiveness and engagement
  • Speed and quality of decision-making
  • Commercial impact and customer outcomes

The report outlines how companies are shifting from activity-based learning metrics to capability-driven impact models aligned with strategic priorities.

What questions should HR leaders be asking when planning their 2026 skill strategy?

The report encourages HR leaders to ask:

  • Which human capabilities most directly enable our strategy?
  • Where does leadership behavior block AI value today?
  • What decisions should move closer to the work — and are people ready to own them?
  • How do we measure skill impact beyond course completion?

What additional insights are included in the full State of Skills 2026 report?

By downloading the full report, you’ll gain access to:

  • Four strategic shifts reshaping learning priorities in 2026
  • Six human-centered leadership capabilities organizations are building
  • A breakdown of upskilling strategies across manufacturing, finance, tech, and professional services
  • Expert perspectives from 15+ learning leaders at companies including PwC, Pigment, and Croonwolter&dros

How can I use the State of Skills 2026 report in my organization?

HR and L&D teams use the report to:

  • Benchmark skill investment against global peers
  • Shape 2026 learning and leadership strategies
  • Align AI adoption with human capability building
  • Inform executive conversations about workforce transformation

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