Training and development are essential to making sure that teams are skilled, engaged, and future-ready. As work continues to evolve, so too do the expectations around what good training looks like.
Regardless of the size of your organisation, it’s important to stay on top of what’s trending in workplace training. Here are five hot topics currently shaping how employers are upskilling their people.
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Digital Skills and AI Awareness
With technology advancing at breakneck speed, digital literacy is now a must have skill in almost every job. From basic IT competence to more advanced areas like data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI), employees across all sectors are being encouraged to develop their technical skills and confidence.
AI in particular is a major training trend. It’s not about turning your staff into IT programmers, it’s about helping them to understand what AI can (and can’t) do, how to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot responsibly, and what this technology means for their roles.
There are numerous organisations which offer guidance and toolkits to support digital skills development, for example the Institute for the Future of Work.
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Inclusive and Unconscious Bias Training
As businesses aim to create fairer and more inclusive workplaces, training around equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) has moved up the priority list. However, it’s evolving beyond the tick-box approach of the past.
There’s growing interest in interactive workshops that tackle unconscious bias, microaggressions, and inclusive leadership. Modern EDI training often uses scenario-based learning and real-life case studies to encourage reflection and behavioural change. This training should be regularly included in an organisation’s learning offer rather than it being a one off.
The CIPD and ACAS both provide resources and recommended practices around inclusive training strategies.
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Mental Health and Resilience Training
Training isn’t just about technical skills, it’s also about enabling employees to improve their wellbeing. Over the past few years, employers have increasingly recognised the value of supporting mental health and other wellbeing matters in the workplace.
This has led to a rise in training that covers topics like stress management, emotional resilience, financial wellbeing and mental health awareness. Some courses are aimed at all staff, while others train line managers in how to spot signs of burnout and respond appropriately. Investing in wellbeing training can help reduce absenteeism, improve team morale, and build a more supportive workplace culture.
Organisations like Mental Health First Aid England and Mind offer structured training programmes that employers can adopt.
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Soft Skills and Human-Centric Training
In an age where automation is doing more of the routine work, soft skills are becoming increasingly valuable. This includes communication, collaboration, problem-solving, time management, and emotional intelligence.
These skills are essential for leadership and management, customer service, team cohesion, and career progression. They’re also often what sets organisations apart when it comes to client relationships and internal culture. When promoting staff this type of skills training can be invaluable as staff are often promoted based on technical competence but they lack the people skills needed for them to be successful in their new role. In order to develop these skills short workshops, peer coaching, and job-shadowing can be very effective.
5. Hybrid and Remote Working Skills
The shift to hybrid and remote work hasn’t just changed where people work, it’s also changed how they collaborate, manage, and remain productive.
Training is evolving to reflect these changes. Employees need support in areas like virtual communication, managing time across different locations, using collaborative tools effectively, and staying connected without burning out.
For managers, there’s an added focus on leading dispersed teams, maintaining performance oversight, and managing wellbeing at a distance. The ability to effectively work remotely is a skill in itself and delivering training in this area can improve employee performance and satisfaction.
Training isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach and it’s not just about compliance anymore. Today’s most effective training strategies are proactive, people-focused, and aligned with changing workplace needs.
As an employer, staying informed about what’s trending in training helps you to keep staff engaged and motivated, meet current and future business demands and build a culture of continuous learning.
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Why not also check out last weeks blog An employers guide to T Levels.
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