Resources for learning and development have increased as the need to invest in skills intensifies, but fewer L&D professionals are able to respond with agility to their organisation’s changing skills needs, research has found.
Only 59% people working in L&D agreed they are able to respond to changing skills requirements when needed, according to the CIPD’s latest learning at work survey, compared with 69% who said the same in the last survey in 2021.
Three in 10 L&D professionals said addressing skills gaps was a key priority, but many faced barriers such as a lack of capacity, insight into what has worked, or buy-in from the rest of the business.
Of the 1,108 people who work in learning functions surveyed by YouGov, 53% said their team’s workload has intensified in the last year, despite many stating that resources for L&D have increased.
Compared with two years ago, L&D strategy is less aligned with organisational and people priorities (63% compared with 77% in 2021).
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Only 51% of L&D professionals believed their organisation’s people managers encourage participation in skills development, and just 39% said employees are given time away from their day-to-day role for L&D.
The CIPD’s Learning at work 2023 report advocates for greater use of technology and data to inform skills development priorities. It finds the L&D practitioners that used a broad range of technologies to support learning were more likely to report strategic learning alignments with organisational outcomes.
Other recommendations include thinking back to the Covid-19 pandemic and scrutinising what worked and what didn’t; experimenting with digital tools; prioritising building skills to retain talent; and creating more opportunities for L&D professionals with less experience.
Andy Lancaster, head of learning at the CIPD, said: “Covid-19 forced learning practitioners to address key organisational needs, particularly new ways of working and digital skills. Post-pandemic, the focus must remain on the key drivers and skills underpinning organisational performance and productivity.
“To achieve this, learning professionals must engage in consultative discussions, leverage data and insights, and foster innovative approaches to provide accessible solutions.”
The CIPD L&D survey also found that:
- just under two-thirds (65%) agreed the L&D profession offered a meaningful career
- only 63% worked collaboratively with others across their organisation to deliver business-critical priorities
- 48% have seen an increase in digital learning
- 55% of L&D leaders say their teams are innovative in their use of learning technologies
- 5% were using AI tools such as ChatGPT to support learning, with a further 6% planning to do so in the next 12 months.
Improving staff retention was the top people priority for L&D professionals (25% of respondents), followed by staff wellbeing (21%), succession planning (18%) and developing leadership capability (16%).
Only 6% said that soft skills were a priority, and the same proportion wanted to increase apprenticeships.
Laura Overton, the report’s author, L&D analyst and founder of Learning Changemakers, said: “Tackling skills gaps is a collective endeavour, one in which learning practitioners have a strategic role to play as they look beyond the traditional confines of producing courses and content.
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“This report highlights progress already being made and the exciting opportunities ahead for L&D practitioners to contribute to the skills agenda and impact wider and organisational people priorities.”
