The tech skills crunch isn’t going away—if anything, it’s getting sharper. According to the newly released 2025 Tech Skills Report from Pluralsight, 95% of executives say building a culture of learning is a top priority. The problem? The same 95% of IT and business professionals say they aren’t getting the time or support they need to actually learn.
It’s a paradox that sums up much of enterprise digital transformation: everyone agrees skills matter, but few can make room to build them.
The report, based on a survey of 1,500 tech and business leaders across the U.S., U.K., and India, captures a familiar tension between technological acceleration—especially with cloud and AI—and the organizational systems that lag behind it.
“Organizations understand that a culture of continuous learning is essential to staying competitive,” said Chris Herbert, Chief Content Officer at Pluralsight. “But translating that into action with the right strategies, resources, and the time needed to upskill effectively remains a significant challenge.”
Progress on Closing Skill Gaps Is Slipping
Pluralsight’s data shows that 67% of organizations report progress on closing IT skill gaps, but that number is down 11% from last year—a warning sign that the pace of development is slowing just as AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity grow more complex.
That shortfall has real business impact. Nearly half of IT professionals (48%) and 58% of business professionals said they’ve had to abandon projects due to lack of technical skills. The most common casualties? Cloud migrations, AI initiatives, cybersecurity programs, and DevOps rollouts.
And yet, executives across functions now agree on one thing: cloud fluency will be the single most important skill set for 2026. It’s the backbone for everything from data-driven AI models to modernizing legacy infrastructure.
Upskilling Beats Hiring—In Speed, Cost, and ROI
If there’s one area where organizations seem aligned, it’s that training existing employees is cheaper and faster than hiring new ones.
According to the report:
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89% of organizations say it costs more to hire than to upskill.
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The average cost to upskill in the U.S. is $5,770, compared to $14,170 to hire—a 145% cost advantage.
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43% of organizations say upskilling is also faster, allowing teams to fill gaps without stalling projects.
The numbers reinforce a broader market trend: in an era of AI-driven disruption, learning velocity is becoming just as important as product velocity.
AI Is Powering the Learning Engine
There’s a twist this year—AI is now playing an active role in workforce upskilling itself. Every single executive surveyed (100%) said their organization is using AI to support learning initiatives.
AI’s most common uses include:
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Automating training administration
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Curating role-specific content
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Personalizing learning paths to accelerate skill acquisition
It’s an ironic but fitting evolution: AI is now teaching humans how to use AI.
Upskilling Pays—Literally
The link between learning and earning is clear. Certifications remain the most powerful career accelerator for IT professionals, while micro-credentials and digital badges are gaining traction among non-technical employees.
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46% of IT employees with certifications received a raise or promotion.
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47% of non-technical staff said microcredentials played the biggest role in advancing their careers.
The takeaway? In 2025, skills are currency, and structured learning programs are the new payroll pipeline.
The Bottom Line: Learning Time Is the New Productivity Metric
For all the enthusiasm around AI and cloud transformation, the elephant in the server room remains: time. Despite executives prioritizing learning culture, only 46% of organizations give employees dedicated time to learn on the job.
As AI and automation compress innovation cycles, companies that fail to create learning time risk watching their talent—and competitiveness—erode. Pluralsight’s report makes it plain: upskilling isn’t a perk anymore—it’s infrastructure.
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