Employee training should be an ongoing, evolving process. Companies that nurture a culture of learning tend to do better than those that don’t. Providing your team with ongoing learning opportunities will:
- Attract top talent
- Reduce employee turnover
- Improve employee satisfaction
- Remove skill gaps
- Increase productivity
- Reduce costly errors
That means you need to stay on top of eLearning trends and industry changes. This will guide you to new courses and content that will keep your training program relevant.
Even organizations with a lengthy course catalog can find ways to extend their reach. Technological advancements drive a need for additional training to keep your workers up to date.
A reliable LMS makes training easier. You can quickly import, create, or edit new courses with a few clicks. If you don’t have one already, now is the time to read LMS reviews online and find the ideal system for your business.
The following list provides a solid starting point for businesses that want to refine their training programs in 2026. These topics will help expand your reach and prepare your employees for whatever the new year brings.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Love it or hate it, there is no denying that artificial intelligence is making waves in business. It’s being adopted across most industries. Some organizations embrace it while others are slower to dip their toes into the technology.
Even if your organization isn’t diving in right now, chances are your employees will encounter artificial intelligence. It’s a common find on the internet. Even the most popular search engines like Google have built it into their search results pages.
Companies that plan to lean heavily into AI will likely introduce a variety of related courses to teach employees how to develop and use it.
Those who don’t plan on using AI in their daily operation would still benefit from an AI literacy course in 2026. This topic educates professionals on how to understand and critically evaluate AI-related content and interactions when they come across them.
They can learn the strengths and limitations of the technology. They can also learn how to identify it and when to be cautious about trusting what it says. AI is not perfect. It will produce incorrect answers or even hallucinate or make things up to fill the blanks.
Having a basic understanding of how to use and interpret AI is essential now. Prepare your employees so they know when they are working with AI and how to fact-check what it tells them before they use it to make decisions.
AI is also one of the top learning and development trends you should prioritize in 2026.
Emotional Intelligence
Every person we encounter during the workday is an individual with thoughts, feelings, and fears. Emotional intelligence is all about recognizing, understanding, and managing how we and others feel.
This is a valuable skill because it helps employees understand those around them. It leads to stronger teams and better leaders. It fosters positivity. When conflicts occur, high emotional intelligence leads to a quicker, easier resolution.
Emotions drive our actions. Sometimes, acting on how we initially feel can have a bad outcome. A worker with emotional intelligence will be more likely to stop and think before allowing a negative reaction to take over.
Emotions play a role in a professional setting. How will someone handle feedback when they make a mistake? Will they be ok if they don’t get a promotion? What about when another worker makes a frustrating mistake? Will they be able to address the situation calmly and respectfully?
A team of people with high emotional intelligence will handle these situations with minimal issues and better outcomes.
Cyber Security and Safety
Cyber security and safety are a must for every business. Whether you operate online, in an office, or in a brick-and-mortar shop, your team needs to know how to stay safe on the internet.
The number of scammers operating online has increased significantly in recent years. Phishing emails, tech support scams, social media insecurities, and fake websites are everywhere. They can often appear where you least expect them.
All it takes is one employee clicking the wrong link to compromise sensitive data.
Make sure your team knows how to identify and avoid online scams. Your employees are the first line of defense against these growing threats.
The cost of a data breach can rise into the millions. IBM reported that the global average ranges between $4.4 and $4.8 million, with the U.S. reaching over $10 million this year.
Small business breaches can range from $120,000 to over $1 million.
For some operations, losing that much money would be devastating. It often cannot be recovered. The best solution is prevention, and that starts with well-educated employees who are trained to identify internet and phone scams before they engage with them.
Conflict Management
Conflict is going to happen at some point at work. It could occur due to a disagreement over vacation time or project planning. It can happen internally or externally, with business partners, customers, or the general public.
Your team needs to be able to effectively handle conflict wherever it happens. A good conflict management course will teach your team how to actively listen during a disagreement. They can learn de-escalation skills and techniques that lead to peaceful resolutions.
A conflict management course paired with emotional intelligence training is a great combination to nurture a positive corporate culture.
Leadership Development
Leadership holds a strong influence over an organization. Businesses with good leadership tend to be more profitable. Your top people influence just about everything, from hiring to performance and innovation.
As time goes on, your current leaders may move on or retire. You need to have new leaders ready to take up the mantle. They need to be knowledgeable, adaptable, and confident. Those traits begin with in-depth training.
Creative Thinking
If you want to be a leader in your industry, you need a team that can blaze its own trail. Creative thinking is a necessary skill that leads to improvement and innovation.
Creative thinking training hones problem-solving skills and adaptability. It helps you tap into the strengths and experiences of employees. Creative thinkers will view obstacles from new angles to find a better way through. They tend to be proactive and capable of managing complex tasks.
Innovation leads to enthusiasm and increased productivity. It is also a good way to encourage collaboration and discover untapped opportunities.
Organizations that promote creative thinking also tend to have better corporate culture and happier employees.
Team Communication
What is one thing that teams of all sizes have in common? They must be able to communicate.
Team communication is necessary for smooth day-to-day operations. When employees can convey ideas, needs, and concerns clearly, they will be more likely to avoid conflict.
Communication goes two ways. Each employee must be able to actively listen, process what is said, and provide clear feedback. This is especially true among your leaders, who will likely have more interactions and responsibilities.
Good team communication improves employee retention and fosters innovation. When each person feels comfortable, you’ll hear more voices and have more opportunities for growth and development with less conflict.
A team communication course should cover active listening, giving feedback, conflict resolution, and communication styles.
Stress Management
Stress is unavoidable. Even the best teams with the most streamlined processes will encounter stressful situations. Something unexpected can happen, conflict may occur, or industry advancements can force a sudden change in direction.
Make sure your team is prepared to manage stress when they face it. Doing so is essential for physical and mental health.
Workers who have coping skills tend to have fewer absences and better focus. That means fewer errors, higher productivity, and less turnover.
Stress can lead to insomnia, anxiety, depression, burnout, and physical symptoms like headaches. Long-term stress can even cause serious health issues like cardiovascular conditions.
Stress management helps employees stay healthier, happier, and more productive. This training topic is a good starting point when discovering how to use eLearning to establish a safe workplace.
Project Management
Planning can mean the difference between failure and success. Project management training will teach your team the skills they need to achieve goals and complete tasks.
Employees with project management skills will account for all aspects of a project. They understand scope and how to estimate cost and stay within budget. They can also assess and minimize risk.
Project management training covers everything from scheduling and budgeting to resource allocation, communication, and strategies.
Adding training courses like these to your curriculum will empower employees and develop your organization’s future leaders.
