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The Capability Investment Trends 2027

The Capability Investment Trends 2027

A report for HR and L&D leaders on where learning investment is moving, which capabilities to prioritize in 2027 and how to secure the budget for them, based on data from 100+ organizations.

What you'll gain

What you'll gain

Three shifts in where capability investment moved

How over 100 organizations split their learning investment across capabilities in 2025 and the first half of 2026, and the changes in work behind each shift.

Seven capabilities to prioritize for 2027

Rising, core and emerging capabilities, each linked to the business problem it addresses and what is changing in the work around it.

How to measure learning impact and secure L&D budget

Three levels for measuring impact, when an ROI figure helps and when it misleads, and a template for the conversation with budget holders.

What learning leaders are betting on for 2027

Hear from HR and L&D leaders at PwC, Prosus, Delivery Hero, Offbeat and more on where they will invest next year.

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With insights from:
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"My big bet for 2027 is the one I'd make every year: leadership and management development. All people, performance and companies depend on strong, competent leaders. That will never change."
Laureen Rwatirera Chivere

VP Talent Management & Learning at Prosus

"In a world characterized by constant disruption, resilience, empathy, coaching, learning agility are no longer soft skills. They are strategic capabilities. The organizations most likely to succeed will be those that continually adapt their workforce, leadership practices, and ways of working."
Mina Canan Kocgil-Koksal

Adjunct Professor at HEC Liège Luxembourg | Ex-Amazon | Ex-P&G

"The question for 2027 is not only, “What skills do our people need?” It is, “Have we created an organization where those skills can actually change how work gets done?”
Renita Käsper

Founder & Fractional Talent + People Leader at Honesta Nordic

"We cannot simply train people for a specific tool or technology and consider the job done. We need to build their capacity to continuously learn, unlearn and relearn."
Simonetta Dsouza

Director Talent & Culture at Delivery Hero

"I see so many organizations stuck in fixed job descriptions and static thinking. Organizations act slowly, with big programs and annual cycles, while moving on short-term actions is far more effective."
Anke Berends

People & Culture Strategist at People masterminds

"Knowing what’s working depends a lot on agreeing, upfront, what needs to change. Every L&D team should sit down with department heads and decide what they’d like to see differently 3 months, 6 months, a year from now."
Lavinia Mehedințu

Co-Founder & Learning Architect at Offbeat

"Organizations should shift from headcount planning to capability planning, building a dynamic view of what skills the organization actually needs, and who, or what, is doing the work."
Marlene De Koning

Director at PwC

"My big bet for 2027 is the one I'd make every year: leadership and management development. All people, performance and companies depend on strong, competent leaders. That will never change."
Raymond Lansheuvel

Head of Benelux at Lepaya

Learn from our experts

"My big bet for 2027 is the one I'd make every year: leadership and management development. All people, performance and companies depend on strong, competent leaders. That will never change."
Laureen Rwatirera Chivere

VP Talent Management & Learning at Prosus

"In a world characterized by constant disruption, resilience, empathy, coaching, learning agility are no longer soft skills. They are strategic capabilities. The organizations most likely to succeed will be those that continually adapt their workforce, leadership practices, and ways of working."
Mina Canan Kocgil-Koksal

Adjunct Professor at HEC Liège Luxembourg | Ex-Amazon | Ex-P&G

"The question for 2027 is not only, “What skills do our people need?” It is, “Have we created an organization where those skills can actually change how work gets done?”
Renita Käsper

Founder & Fractional Talent + People Leader at Honesta Nordic

"We cannot simply train people for a specific tool or technology and consider the job done. We need to build their capacity to continuously learn, unlearn and relearn."
Simonetta Dsouza

Director Talent & Culture at Delivery Hero

"I see so many organizations stuck in fixed job descriptions and static thinking. Organizations act slowly, with big programs and annual cycles, while moving on short-term actions is far more effective."
Anke Berends

People & Culture Strategist at People masterminds

"Knowing what’s working depends a lot on agreeing, upfront, what needs to change. Every L&D team should sit down with department heads and decide what they’d like to see differently 3 months, 6 months, a year from now."
Lavinia Mehedințu

Co-Founder & Learning Architect at Offbeat

"Organizations should shift from headcount planning to capability planning, building a dynamic view of what skills the organization actually needs, and who, or what, is doing the work."
Marlene De Koning

Director at PwC

"My big bet for 2027 is the one I'd make every year: leadership and management development. All people, performance and companies depend on strong, competent leaders. That will never change."
Raymond Lansheuvel

Head of Benelux at Lepaya

Fill in the form to download

Fields marked with (*) are required.
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required. Please use business e-mail.

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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Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

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