Dive Brief:
- The majority of HR professionals (72%) told SHRM in a new report that their learning and development strategy is driven by skills they think employees need within the next two years, while only 4% of HR professionals reported focusing on skills they think employees need long term.
- In turn, most employees who work at organizations offering L&D programs told SHRM that participating in said programs positively affected their employee engagement. For its report, SHRM surveyed 1,891 HR professionals involved in L&D initiatives at their organization, along with 6,650 workers.
- Calling gold standard employers “skills strategists,” SHRM said these employers tend to align L&D to business priorities and create learning experiences that are relevant and accessible. SHRM also found that these organizations tend to have better workforce readiness and employee engagement.
Dive Insight:
“Strong learning and development strategies do more than help employees grow — they strengthen the entire organization,” James Atkinson, vice president of thought leadership at SHRM, said in a Thursday statement. Pointing to findings that suggest higher L&D investment leads to better business outcomes, he added, “That’s a powerful reminder that investing in people remains one of the smartest investments an organization can make.”
Amid an ever-changing labor landscape, workforce development seems to be more important than ever — especially with artificial intelligence changing the face of L&D. On July 7, the U.S. Department of Labor announced $162 million in funding for Registered Apprenticeships, including those that touch the emerging technologies sector.
The next day, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced it would award $1.5 million to five organizations to develop students professionally for the workforce. In the Chamber of Commerce’s statement, the agency explicitly acknowledged that these grants were given out as “AI reshapes industries and redefines the skills employers need.”
Calling the current labor market a “mismatch,” Michael Carney, chamber president, said in a statement, “Employers can’t find the workers they need, and young people can’t find a clear path to the workforce.” He added his belief that the five grant recipients are closing the gap.
So, what skills should HR professionals drive home within their workforce? AI-related skills and strategic thinking were listed as top-coveted skills among business school graduates, a late June report from the Graduate Management Admission Council found. The 600 recruiters GMAC surveyed also noted a dearth of emotional intelligence, worker management capabilities and overall tenacity in these new grads.
Likewise, at SHRM’s annual conference last month, a SHRM leader told HR Dive that human skills will be crucial going forward, right along with AI skills. He predicted an emphasis on the human element, highlighting the skills that can’t be developed from a “prompted environment.”