Digital Learning Realities 2024 in partnership with Learning Technologies
Ready to unlock the future of L&D? You’ve poured over the pivotal insights from Fosway Group’s 2024 Digital Learning Realities—now it’s time to engage with the analysts behind it all. Watch now as Fosway Group’s Chief Insights Officer, David Perring and Senior Analyst, Myles Runham unpack this year’s Digital Learning Realities research.
Fosway Group, Europe’s #1 HR industry analyst, has revealed the headline digital learning insights for organisations from its annual Digital Learning Realities research, in association with Learning Technologies, the world’s leading workplace learning tech event. Now in its 10th year, the research explores how L&D teams rise to the challenge of a fast-changing business environment and tech landscape.
Crucial to L&D teams has always been the support of the C-Suite. But, the long-standing priorities of compliance, mandatory and regulatory training have now been supplanted in 2024 by the need to upskill and reskill the workforce. This represents a paradigm shift in strategic priorities for learning teams and the C-Suite, as well as a welcome opportunity for every employee, organisation-wide.
The infographics are part of a five-part series published weekly, and results can be found below.
L&D Priorities and Learning Strategy in the Modern Era
Upskilling and reskilling are the top strategic priority for learning
Compliance and regulatory training has long been the top driver of corporate learning, but in 2024 things have changed.
Upskilling and reskilling now leads learning strategic priorities. In much of Europe the continued pressure of an aging population and the challenges behind the availability of skilled talent is making skills a hot topic. This combined with the need to build new people capability in the face of unprecedented global and technological change has pushed upskilling and reskilling up from 3rd place last year to 1st place for L&D professionals’ priorities for the year ahead.
L&D Budgets and Investment Trends
L&D budgets continue to feel the pinch as learning comes under increased scrutiny
With little movement from last year, L&D budgets have experienced sustained belt tightening. In line with 2023 results 61% of L&D teams saw their budget decrease or stay the same. That represented a significant leap from the results of 2022, when the number of L&D teams who expected to have their overall budget decrease rose from 8% to 21%. As we look out to 2025, the prospect of saving from generative AI and the long inability for many L&D teams to clearly demonstrate their value, means the pressure on moderating learning budgets is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future of digital learning.
AI and L&D – AI’s Impact Today and Tomorrow
Expectations for the impact of AI on L&D continue to run high
Whilst the impact of AI on L&D is comparatively low today, with only one in four reporting any significant impact from AI, expectations for 2025 are high. Over half expect ‘a lot’, or ‘a great deal’ of impact from AI on their learning function next year.
What is interesting is that expectations about the impact of AI have moderated since 2024. In 2023 67% were willing to accept the hype around AI. A year on and that number has shrunk by 20%.
Evolving the Modern Learning Experience
A stubborn majority of LMS and LXP buyers continue to be underwhelmed by their learning systems. When asked how good a fit their learning platforms are for the modern workforce and only four in ten agree. And the bad news is that the gap between those who are positive and negative about the experience their solution provides is growing.
The NEW Learning Technology Landscape
Despite an increased focus on learning functionality from HCM vendors, only 12% of organisations are using the learning module in their HR or HCM platform. HR solutions are not winning this segment of the market, with only 9% of L&D teams using the learning module from their talent management suite. Specialist solutions are in the lead. The majority, 76%, use a best of breed, or multiple best of breed learning systems to manage and support the learning experience.
When I look back over the past 10 years of the survey, we have seen some steady shifts. But based on this year’s data – we seem to be on the verge of a true step change. AI is changing the game and it’s difficult not to see that learning will never be the same again. The question is, are you ready?
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