Workplace learning is continuing to evolve, and 2027 is likely to bring some noticeable shifts in how employees are trained and supported. AI will play a bigger role, but organizations are also paying closer attention to practical skills, personalized development, managers, well-being, and mentoring.
1. Blended and Flexible Training Becomes the Norm
Hybrid and blended training are now an established part of workplace learning, particularly for organizations with employees working across different locations.
This shift toward hybrid working and learning has led to more training taking place BOTH online and in a classroom at the SAME time.
We are seeing training whereby the trainer is in the training room with some of the participants and with the others visible via video screen, with these online attendees situated anywhere globally and logging in online – while doing the training together with those in the physical classroom.
In the past, it was normally one or the other, i.e., either classroom-based, or it was online. It is getting easier now, though, to combine the two in real-time.
Training activities and icebreakers are still possible, and these training sessions can work well.
One could get the classroom-based participants to simply also log online, and then you do the training all online.
What I like about mixed training is that you can accommodate both together, as some participants prefer to be physically in the same space as others to meet and work alongside colleagues socially.
2. AI-Enabled Learning Moves Into Everyday L&D
AI-enabled learning is becoming a part of learning and development as organizations use AI to support training design, skills development, and employee learning.
For L&D teams, AI can help in many ways, including:
- Identifying skills gaps
- Recommending relevant learning
- Providing employees with just-in-time support
- Making learning pathways more personalized
It can also reduce some of the routine administrative work involved in managing workplace learning, giving trainers and L&D professionals more time to focus on facilitation, discussion, skills practice, and employee development.
Another important trend is the growing need for AI literacy because employees need to know how best to use AI in the workplace. Understanding issues such as ensuring accuracy and maintaining confidentiality is essential.
If you are interested in providing workplace training for basic-level employees, then do take a look at our Working Wisely with AI Training Materials.
As a trainer, this means AI is likely to become a useful support tool rather than a replacement for structured learning. Human-led training remains especially valuable for areas such as leadership, communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and other skills that benefit from discussion, practice, feedback, and interaction with colleagues.
As we move into 2027, organizations are therefore likely to focus on two areas at the same time: using AI to make learning more efficient and personalized, while also training employees to use AI confidently, critically, and responsibly.
3. A Continuing Trend for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Training
One of the top trends in learning and development is the drive toward DEI training.
Many companies are aware these days of the need to integrate DEI Training into the company strategy both for legal and ethical reasons.
Employers also have responsibilities around employee safety, fair treatment, and compliance, while ethically, creating an inclusive workplace is simply the right thing to do.
In the DEI area, we see a continuing upward trend in the need and demand for training in topics such as:
- Inclusion and Inclusive Leadership
- Psychological Safety at Work
- Managing generational diversity at work
DEI training is a long-term trend that we expect to see continue throughout the coming years.
One thing we have seen is that there is a gap in employees’ understanding of DEI. While some employees and managers are very aware and very knowledgeable about what DEI means and what they can do to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, many other employees (including managers) have little or no understanding of DEI at all.
We’ve designed an Introducing EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) to Employees training materials pack to begin to address this.
4. A Move Toward Customized Training for Employees
One of the newer learning and development trends that you can expect to see is a growing demand for personalized online learning.
Online learning provides us with a vast range of options in terms of training and development that we can provide employees with.
Furthermore, online training makes it easier to create microlearning units that can be put together to create customized learning.
So, for example, instead of one specific training program that a manager can study online as e-learning, it is becoming easier to take individual lessons and to create a custom training package for the manager being trained.
Furthermore, where this online training is instructor-led, rather than relying on a trainer who lives locally, it becomes more possible to hire someone with deeper expertise in the training topic area even if the trainer lives thousands of miles away, as they can teach online.
5. Continuing Focus on Employee Well-being in Company Training and Development
Similar to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) training, wellness and employee well-being continue to be important themes in learning and development, and we do not see this slowing down in the coming years.
Healthy employees mean happier and more productive employees.
According to the CDC, well-designed workplace health programs can support employees while also helping organizations with areas such as attendance, productivity, and staff retention.
With this in mind, whether providing wellness training to staff because you care about them or because you see the long-term benefits as a business, it is an area we’d certainly recommend considering.
Do also consider, though, that we do have a duty of care for our staff, particularly when it comes to wellness and mental well-being.
These topics are particularly useful and continue to gain in popularity:
- Stress management – there are techniques and ways in which we can train.
- Introduction to Mindfulness – whether for teaching employees or other groups.
- Mindfulness for Busy People – can also be useful as workplace training.
Learn more on workplace wellness trends!
6. Trend Towards Solving the First-Time Manager Training Gap
One significant skills gap that still exists in so many companies, from our experience, is the lack of training for first-time managers and new managers.
Many new managers struggle in their first management role when they are promoted without first receiving training in essential people-management skills.
So many new and first-time managers have risen through the ranks of a business and then been promoted to a management role, and for this reason, they have never been trained in essential management skills such as:
- Inclusive Leadership skills – are essential to ensure that the people you manage are treated fairly.
- Managing Difficult People skills – as a manager, there will inevitably be situations when awkward situations need to be dealt with, and there are techniques to manage these situations.
- Topics such as Managing the Return to Work Process can also be invaluable for understanding and learning effective methods for people management.
So many companies fail to provide new and first-time managers with the essential skills and training that they really need.
In terms of learning and development trends, this is changing as greater awareness of the first-time manager skills gap is becoming better understood.
7. Upskilling, Reskilling and Adaptability Gain Urgency
As jobs and technology continue to change, organizations inevitably need to place more emphasis on helping employees update their skills rather than relying only on being able to hire people with these skills.
Upskilling means helping employees improve or further develop the skills they already have and use, while reskilling involves developing new skills so that they can take on different tasks or roles.
This need for new skills is reflected in the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, which estimates that 59% of workers will need training by 2030, while 85% of employers surveyed plan to prioritize upskilling their workforce.
AI is adding further urgency to this because AI tools also involve a learning curve. Employees need to understand how to properly use AI tools while ensuring data protection needs are met, for example. This makes adaptability an increasingly important workplace skill alongside technical knowledge.
For HR and L&D teams, the challenge is not simply to provide more training, but also to identify where skills gaps exist and give employees opportunities to build confidence, practice new skills, and apply what they learn in their day-to-day work.
Adaptability matters more when employees are dealing with new systems, changing priorities, or unfamiliar ways of working. Our guide to the four areas of adaptability in the workplace looks at the main areas employees may need to strengthen.
Organizations that invest in upskilling, reskilling, and adaptability are therefore better placed to develop existing employees as roles evolve rather than waiting until a skills shortage becomes a problem.
8. Human Skills Become More Important Alongside AI
As AI is used to do more routine and information-based tasks, skills that rely on human judgment and interaction are becoming even more important in the workplace.
Communication, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, collaboration, problem-solving, and decision-making are all examples of skills that employees still need to develop and practice.
These are especially important in situations where employees need to handle sensitive conversations, work through uncertainty, build trust, or make decisions.
For managers, this also means understanding when to use AI and when a situation is more suited to the human touch through empathy, experience, or a conversation with another person.
Employees will inevitably have access to more technology, but they still need the confidence and judgment to question information, consider context, and decide what action to take.
For HR and L&D teams, this creates a growing need to balance technical and AI-related learning with training that strengthens these human skills.
Trainer-led workshops are especially useful here because participants can discuss situations, practice techniques, learn from one another, and receive feedback rather than simply reading information on a screen.
As AI becomes a more familiar part of working life, organizations are likely to place greater value on the distinctly human skills that help people work well together, lead effectively, and make sound decisions.
9. Mentoring Skills Becoming Popular Again
You might have read our posts on coaching vs mentoring and tips, reverse mentoring, and on building rapport when mentoring.
From what we have seen in recent months, mentoring is becoming more prominent again as organizations renew their appreciation of sharing skills and knowledge in-house, as companies go full circle and renew their appreciation of the benefits of sharing skills in-house. The benefits include:
- Lower training costs as skills are shared between staff
- Improved teamwork and improved communication between colleagues as they work more together
- More respect is built as colleagues appreciate the skills others have
- Greater confidence as colleagues get the chance to share their skills and knowledge
- Greater networking takes place as a result of these new connections through mentoring
As workplace learning continues to change, the best corporate training strategies are likely to combine new technology with practical skills development, effective management, and opportunities for people to learn from one another.
