The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook
The Learning Network challenges L&D to disrupt to succeed and TJ becomes industry partner
The Learning Network invites the L&D community to join the Connect conference, discuss and debate the industry’s biggest challenges and shape the future, along with new Industry Partner Training Journal.
‘Connect’ is a unique community-oriented conference event offering a world of new ideas, fresh thinking and engaging debate to innovate, inspire and empower the learning and development professional. This year the theme is “be the disruption” and it explores how L&D can lead change rather than just respond to it, and to drive and shape the disruption in organisations.
Lack of budget and technical skills holding UK businesses back from improved productivity
As the UK grapples with stagnant productivity growth, a new report from The Open University reveals that one in four businesses (27%) believe productivity has declined over the past five years, reflecting broader concerns ahead of the upcoming Budget.
The report, based on a YouGov survey of over 500 UK businesses, uncovers a disconnect in how organisations address productivity. Alarmingly, nearly a third (29%) of organisations do not measure productivity, despite three-quarters (75%) identifying it as a priority. This gap leaves many companies ill-equipped to identify areas for improvement.
1 in 5 managers are not encouraged to learn new skills
One-fifth of UK managers (19%) reveal they aren’t expected to learn new things regularly, despite the major skills gap facing many organisations. This issue is even more pronounced in industries with a large percentage of deskless workers, where the figure rises to 25%.
Mind Tools’ ‘Building Better Managers’ report, conducted in partnership with YouGov, uncovered significant challenges in management development across 12 key industries. It highlighted that half of managers struggle to grow professionally due to too many competing priorities.
Cut the chaos: Qualtrics announces top employee experience trends for 2025
According to the 2025 Employee Experience Trends Report from Qualtrics, drawing on insights from more than 35,000 employees in 23 countries around the world, years of chaotic changes to the workplace such as hybrid working arrangements and new technologies have employees yearning for a simpler, productive 9-to-5.
Experience trends for 2025 include:
- 2025’s best employers will make work less chaotic: The pace of change is putting pressure on employees, and they need organisational support to stay engaged and maintain their well-being.
- Young employees are (surprisingly) optimistic…for now: Workers under 25 years old are highly engaged and have a positive outlook on the success of their company as well as their own careers.
- Your people are outpacing you on AI: Only about half of employees say they have training and ethical guidelines around using AI at work.
More than 50% of small businesses now plan to hire freelancers over permanent staff
Small business owners are now opting to hire more freelance than permanent staff amid changing workplace policies and economic uncertainty, according to a new study.
This comes as new government data has revealed that 99.8% of businesses in the UK are made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The new survey conducted by 1st Formations, the UK’s leading company formation agent, has uncovered insights from 1,055 small business owners to understand how the changing business landscape is impacting hiring policies.
Metimur Launches The World’s First Inclusion Audit & Diagnostic Software
Metimur Global, part of the EA Holdings Group (a groundbreaking leader in equity, diversity, & inclusion (EDI) and culture change solutions), is proud to announce the official launch of its state-of-the-art Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tool which will establish a new standard in the EDI sector.
This pioneering platform offers the world’s first digitalised EDI and culture audit and diagnostic software, which is set to revolutionise and transform how organisations approach EDI and measure the financial impact of initiatives. This empowers leaders worldwide to foster more inclusive working environments and improve financial outcomes by putting EDI & culture at the forefront of their strategy.
83% of Gen Z frontline employees are burned out at work, over one-third may quit because of It
A new global study by UKG of nearly 13,000 frontline employees and managers in 11 countries spanning all generations and industries shows the frontline workforce feels overworked, underappreciated, and tempted to quit for a better employee experience — with Gen Z (ages 18 to 27) reporting the worst impacts.
- 61% of Gen Z isn’t satisfied with their overall employee experience, vs. 55% across the frontline;
- More than 7 in 10 Gen Zers (72%) say interactions with people at work have worsened their mental health, vs. 62% among all frontline employees;
- 71% of Gen Z — and 59% of frontline employees in all generations — say they may quit because of negative interactions with their managers, co-workers, or customers;
Hybrid work spurs active commuting, boosting productivity and wellbeing
The widespread adoption of hybrid working has led to a boom in active commuting – where workers combine their commute with physical exercise – resulting in improved wellness, productivity, and job satisfaction, according to new research.
The increased use of local flexible workspaces by hybrid workers has been central to this shift. Almost two-thirds (62%) of commutes to local workspaces are now mostly or entirely active, a 38% increase compared to commutes to city centre offices.
Making Skills Work: The Path to Solving the Productivity Crisis; Interview with Patrick Craven, City & Guilds.
A new report from City & Guilds assesses the link between skills and productivity and follows the Government’s announcement over the Summer about the founding of Skills England, a new body that will bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade.
