What’s hot and what’s not in the world of learning and development in 2025? We’re so glad you asked! In this article, we’ll explore the 12 L&D trends that every learning practitioner should have on their radar this year.
After all, the world of work is changing quickly and we simply cannot afford to sit still. If we want to keep our learners engaged and thriving, then we need to be in the know. That means understanding the latest and greatest approaches and how to use them.
Before we unleash our trends, let’s break down how this list is structured and provide some additional context. Buckle up, trendsetters!
This Year’s Major Themes
Welcome, dear reader, to our annual attempt to make sense of the wonderful and ever-evolving world of L&D. We’ve rolled up our sleeves and dug deep to uncover the trends that truly matter this year.
Two resources have proved particularly useful in this mission and deserve special mention: Donald H. Taylor’s Global Sentiment Survey (a research-backed ranking of what’s trending in L&D) and LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report.
These resources have been supplemented by a considerable amount of additional research, customer insights, and real-world stories. With all this data to hand, there’s no prizes for guessing which trend came out on top this year (as it has done for the past two years).
But, what’s really interesting is how this trend has infiltrated every corner of the L&D landscape. Artificial intelligence has changed everything and created a growing skills gap. Many of the trends listed below are based on our efforts to navigate this brave new world.
To help you succeed, we’ve given each trend a heat rating, so you can get a sense of what’s really sizzling this year. And because we’re all about balance, we’ve also included a list of what’s not trending. Enjoy the ride!
1. Artificial Intelligence
There’s no getting past it. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the L&D trend of the year, and it’s not even close. It’s way out on top of the 2025 Global Sentiment Survey with a 22.6% increase in votes from last year.
It’s no longer a buzzword, it’s a key focus for L&D professionals. Why? Three words: maturity, accessibility, and necessity. Thanks to AI, organisations no longer have to choose between personalisation and scale. After all, AI doesn’t need coffee breaks.
A remarkable 71% of L&D pros are actively exploring, experimenting with, or integrating AI, and 91% of HR executives report seeing its impact. If you’re not already counted among this growing crowd, then here are some suggestions to get started:
- Personalised Learning Paths: AI can analyse learners’ past behaviour, skills gaps, and even how they learn best, to serve up tailored courses. Wave goodbye to one-size-fits-all snoozefests!
- Virtual Coaches: AI-powered digital coaches leverage machine learning algorithms to provide learners with personalised guidance, feedback, and support across various aspects of their development.
- Content Creation: Generative AI (or GenAI) is an incredibly powerful tool that can whip up learning content, interactive scenarios, quiz questions, and complete assessments in the blink of an eye.
- Predictive Analytics: AI-powered analytics tools can spot skill gaps and learning challenges before they become problems. This empowers you to make better data-driven decisions.
➜ Get Started: How to Use AI-Generated Content in Learning (Responsibly)
2. Reskilling / Upskilling
This topic was destined for a top spot. After all, the skills gap is widening into a skills chasm. Upskilling isn’t a perk anymore, it’s a hard and fast requirement. Here are some of the key numbers, so you can get a sense of what’s at stake:
- The World Economic Forum projects that 44% of core worker skills will change by 2027.
- As a result, 6 out of 10 workers will require training to adapt to this rapidly evolving landscape.
- McKinsey estimates 375 million workers worldwide will require upskilling by 2030.
AI, automation, and digital transformation are flipping industries upside down. As learning professionals, we need to be proactive. So, what can you do to future-proof your workforce and dodge the $8.5 trillion global skills gap penalty?
Well, you’ll need to start by conducting an external and internal analysis of your skill needs, followed by a comprehensive gap analysis, and the development of a strategic plan. A detailed guide outlining the necessary steps is available via the link below.
➜ Get Started: Future Skills for Modern Learners
3. Demonstrating Value
Showing value is another big mover in this year’s Global Sentiment Survey, leaping up by 6.2%. Let’s be honest, this has always been a bit of a headache for L&D pros. But this surge in interest? It’s no coincidence.
The rise of AI and automation means we now need to shout louder about the value we bring. What’s more, with the skills gap growing, we need to start solving real problems, not just ticking compliance boxes. This is the year where we stop saying ‘trust me, this works’ and start producing the receipts.
According to Mind Tools, just 8% of L&D teams calculate the return on investment (ROI) of their learning programmes. Coincidentally, only 8% of CEOs say they see any business impact from their training initiatives. Yikes.
Thankfully, showing value can make all the difference. In doing so, you’ll protect your budget, boost your credibility, and earn the respect of your C-suite. Remember, it’s not just about numbers. It’s about using real data to tell a compelling story.
➜ Get Started: Everything You Need to Know to Measure Your ROI
4. Career Development
Instead of obsessing over artificial intelligence like the rest of us, this year’s LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report zeroed in on career development. In other words, shifting focus from delivering training to building careers.
- As LinkedIn notes, ‘career progress is people’s no. 1 motivation to learn’.
- Zippia reports that 76% of employees are looking for opportunities to expand their careers.
- And 91% of millennials prioritise career progression when job hunting.
Despite this, only 36% of organisations are considered career development champions. However, these ‘champions’ all report positive business outcomes, with 75% achieving profitability (compared to 64% of non-champions).
Reaching this level requires more than slapping together a few leadership courses. You’ll need the works: a learning provision, leadership training, coaching programmes, internal mobility, and so on. But if you get this right your employees will be lining up to stay!
➜ Get Started: Your Guide to Employee Development Goals
5. Personalisation
With AI and machine learning hitting the big time, creating hyper-personalised learning experiences is easier than ever. Maybe that’s why personalisation and adaptive delivery got 8.2% more love in this year’s Global Sentiment Survey!
Think about it: consumer-grade solutions like Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon revolve around personalised recommendations. In fact, 76% of us get frustrated by generic experiences. Why should our learning platforms and programmes be any different?
Seriously, would you rather wade through a generic training module, or a learning path that’s tailored specifically to your skills, needs, and preferences? Even better if the content tackles those gnarly problems that you’re facing right now.
This means ditching cookie-cutter courses and fully embracing personalisation and adaptive learning. As a result, you’ll boost engagement, improve knowledge retention, and create even better learning outcomes.
➜ Get Started: Your Guide to Levels in Learning Technology
6. Continuous Learning
With upskilling and reskilling here to stay, we simply cannot afford to take any learning pitstops. Truth is, learning has always been about the journey, not the destination. Real behaviour change takes time. So, let’s embrace an always-on learning mindset.
This is what your learners want. A whopping 76% of employees are more likely to stay with a company that champions continuous learning. Likewise, 91% of L&D professionals agree that it’s crucial for career success.
As such, a high-performance learning culture should be the goal of learning and development professionals everywhere. Of course, this is easier said than done. While 97% of learning practitioners strive for this culture, only 36% of them achieve it.
So, why bother? Because continuous learning isn’t just good for employees; it’s also good for business. It helps you to build a more agile and adaptable workforce that’s ready to tackle whatever challenges come its way.
➜ Get Started: How to Create a High-Performance Learning Culture
7. Agile Development
In today’s business world, things change at lightning speed. New skills pop up overnight, business needs shift on a dime, and what’s hot today could be stone cold tomorrow. Traditional L&D just can’t keep up.
It’s time to ditch those dinosaur development cycles and get agile. While there’s still a place for ADDIE, today’s learning needs demand rapid prototyping, continuous feedback, and a willingness to pivot as needed. After all:
- A recent study found that 57% of employees expect learning to be more just-in-time than it has been in the past.
- Despite this, only 6 in 10 L&D professionals are agile in their skills response.
- In other words, 40% of us are struggling to keep up with the speed of need.
By embracing an agile mindset, we can create learning solutions that are relevant, timely, and aligned with business requirements. There’s no point delivering an eLearning unit three months after it would have been useful. Deliver now, iterate, and keep on rolling!
➜ Get Started: Just-in-Time Learning: 8 Steps to Success
8. Hybrid Learning
At the time of writing, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Dell, and many others have required staff to return to the office five days a week. The death knell is sounding for workplace flexibility. This shift is causing major waves and it’s also surprising given the evidence:
- Flexible work environments increase the number of high performers by 40%.
- 46% of workers will consider a job change if ordered back to the office.
- 1 in 3 millennials are ignoring return to office demands.
As working practices get more rigid, it’s the perfect time for L&D to embrace flexibility in its learning approach. Thankfully, this is already happening. The ATD claims that 75% of organisations are using more blended learning than they were two years ago.
Hybrid learning, like its close cousin blended learning, combines different modalities to improve learning outcomes. However, it has a slightly different focus: the idea is that your location should never be a barrier. Whether you’re in the office, at home, or the local coffee shop, you should still be able to learn and grow.
So, let’s embrace this trend and chalk up a victory for flexibility.
➜ Get Started: 115 Tips for Blended Learning Success
9. Short-form Content
Our content consumption habits have done a 180. Short-form content reigns supreme. Think the likes of TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube shorts. TikTok alone boasts over 1.9 billion users gobbling up video content that’s typically under 40 seconds long.
When that’s what you’re used to, can you imagine what a 6-hour training course feels like? Microlearning has always been trendy, but this year we want to highlight its even shorter sibling. Call it nanolearning, hypermicrolearning, or simply short-form content, the evidence shows that small can be mighty:
- Microlearning improves knowledge retention by 18% compared to longer courses.
- Microlearning is 50% cheaper to produce than standard courses.
- 94% of L&D professionals agree that learners prefer microlearning experiences.
Of course, you can’t cram every learning objective into 40 seconds (or even the standard 10-minute microlearning format). Matching your content format to your overall goal is still key. But, the more you can chunk up your content and embrace the short-form revolution, the better!
➜ Get Started: Your Complete Guide to Microlearning
10. Purpose-driven Learning
We all crave purpose. Indeed, when employees can see how their skills contribute to something bigger — think groundbreaking innovation or saving the planet — they don’t just clock in, they care.
McKinsey reports that 70% of employees find purpose in their work. That’s a heavy burden for us to carry. This rings even truer for younger generations, with 74% of Gen Z workers prioritising purpose over pay.
By 2034, 80% of the workforce will be made up of millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha, so we can’t afford to rest on our laurels. This search for purpose is becoming increasingly important. Thankfully, 84% of employees agree that learning adds purpose to their work.
This is because learning satisfies our self-actualisation goals. While compliance training will always be necessary, a well-rounded approach is crucial. It’s up to you to showcase how individual roles and skills contribute to the bigger picture.
If your training lacks a real heartbeat, you risk your talent leaving you for the B Corp next door.
➜ Get Started: Creating a Sense of Purpose in the Workplace
11. Gamification
Why is gamification hot in 2025? Because learner engagement will always be trendy. And spicing up your learning programmes with game mechanics has been shown to boost engagement by as much as 60%.
Indeed, applying game mechanics to non-gaming scenarios can have a remarkable impact on both engagement and productivity. The proof’s in the pudding: 89% of employees say they’d be more productive if their work had a bit more game-like fun.
Ready to get your head in the game? Here are some options to consider:
- Experience Points: Learners earn points for completing tasks and demonstrating their mastery.
- Badges: Learners collect shiny badges to visualise their progress and achievements.
- Leaderboards: Learners climb the ranks of your leaderboard and show everyone who’s the learning champion.
- Streaks: Learners earn ‘streak’ rewards for completing uninterrupted consecutive actions (for instance, logging into their LMS every day).
- Knowledge Contests: Learners go head-to-head in epic quiz showdowns to reinforce their knowledge.
Better yet, combine all these mechanics and unleash them in a social learning environment (more on this shortly).
➜ Get Started: 19 Key Gamification Trends
12. Social Learning
Learning alone is so 2020. With more employees working remotely or in hybrid setups, social learning is our golden ticket to connection, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. Let’s face it, learning’s better when we do it together.
What’s more, by encouraging social learning, we can ditch the content scramble and keep up with the speed of need. The best way to fill a skills gap is through knowledge sharing, peer-to-peer learning, and mentoring.
Still need convincing? Well, did you know that social learning has been shown to increase course completion rates by up to 85%? It also contributes a mind-blowing 75:1 ROI over traditional web-based training.
This means that solo missions and lone wolf learning is out in 2025. This year, it’s all about teaming up and learning together, even if ‘together’ means 10 time zones apart.
➜ Get Started: Your Complete Guide to Peer-to-Peer Learning
The ‘Maybe Next Year’ Club:
We couldn’t include every trendy topic without turning this list into a novel. So, we intentionally left out a few ‘buzzworthy’ ideas, that despite the hype, aren’t quite ready for primetime. Here’s the logic behind a few of our exclusions:
- Immersive Learning: VR and AR are exciting solutions, but let’s be real: those headsets aren’t cheap. Plus, not everyone has the stomach for it. While we haven’t seen widespread adoption yet, this is one that could change in the coming years. Watch this space!
- The Metaverse: While the metaverse offers exciting potential for immersive learning experiences, widespread adoption is hindered by cost, accessibility, and the need for specialised equipment. In fact, Meta’s Reality Labs division has lost the company more than $70 billion since 2020.
- Blockchain: Blockchain has potential for secure credentialing and tracking learner achievements, but the technology is still overly complex. What’s more, the use cases in L&D are not yet widely understood or adopted. And that’s before we mention the energy costs.
- NFT Badges: Remember the hype around non-fungible tokens (NFTs)? At one stage, unique, verifiable, and therefore more valuable digital badges sounded awesome. However, research shows that 96% of NFTs are now dead (based on trading volume). This doesn’t bode well for the future.
Final Words
So, there you have it, the 12 hottest L&D trends burning up the charts this year. As we’ve seen, artificial intelligence is the undisputed champion, changing the way we work and leaving a massive skills gap in its wake.
This AI explosion has fueled a lot of the other trends, such as the need for upskilling, continuous learning, social learning, and so on. Learning practitioners, get ready to have your hands full!
But remember, just because something’s trendy doesn’t mean it’s right for your audience. Keep your learners front and center, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to experiment. This year is going to be a wild ride for L&D, and the future is bursting with possibilities.
Let’s do this!
Thanks for reading. Enjoyed this dive into L&D trends? Download ‘The L&D Professional’s Handbook’ now for 165 more juicy tips!
