Every year brings new advancements in learning and development. It’s important to stay on top of what’s coming to position your organization for ongoing success.
Next year will continue to see a shift away from traditional training methods to a more personalized, adaptive approach. Preparation can mean the difference between becoming an industry leader and falling by the wayside.
Why should you care about L&D trends?
- Staying informed empowers your company to stay competitive
- Discover new and better strategies to achieve training goals
- Find ways to identify and close skill gaps within your team
- Catch the eye of top talent with better career development opportunities
The good news is that if you use an LMS, you likely already have many of the tools needed to get ready for 2026.
What learning and development trends are a good bet for next year?
Focusing on Skill Development
Skill development has come to the foreground and will continue to be emphasized next year. Learning how to build effective employee development plans with your LMS should be a priority.
This process should include broader skills like digital fluency and data literacy, as well as more specialized skills that are job-role specific.
Technology rapidly advances, which leads to more skills with short shelf lives. That also means that your team must constantly adapt, developing the skills needed to keep up. As one skill becomes obsolete, the need for another arises. Using a skills-first approach to training will help you stay ahead of the curve in 2026.
Data Analytics in eLearning
Data is your organization’s best friend. It helps you identify trends, strengths, and weaknesses. Today’s LMS can store data on all activities done within it. This gives you valuable insight into performance.
See how your team is doing as a whole or drill down into individual performance. You can also see how courses within your training program are performing. Improve or remove the ones that are lacking and use the strongest as inspiration for future course content.
Data analytics will continue to be a growing trend in 2026. Most platforms make data available at any time with a few clicks. Check out LMS reviews online to see which LMSs offer the best analytics and reporting tools.
Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a controversial topic. It’s a hot technology that’s being implemented throughout the business world. The problem is that not every organization is scrutinizing how AI works and its limitations.
It’s a clear trend in eLearning, but it’s one that should be used cautiously. Businesses need to understand how it works and ensure that there is human oversight involved in the process. AI should be adopted with transparency.
AI should not replace all human interaction in eLearning. Instead, it can be used to supplement other training tools for a well-rounded approach.
Long-Term Plans for Building Leadership
The leadership of the future will guide your organization. Now is the time to start shaping and building up the leadership team you need to be successful.
Adaptive leadership paths are a must-have. This creates a path that new talent can travel to expand their knowledge before becoming a leader within your organization.
Adaptive leaders tackle difficult situations and figure out complex problems. They know what should be prioritized for survival and success. They also recognize what could be removed or changed to make the organization more resilient.
This type of leader is going to be more likely to adopt cutting-edge technology and develop innovative ideas. They are willing to break away from established methods to be the first to discover new and better solutions.
Developing good adaptive leaders starts with a solid training program. Assess skills, use role-playing scenarios, and provide hands-on opportunities to help your future leaders thrive.
Nurturing Sustainable Learning
Sustainable learning means that training coexists well with daily productivity. It lets employees build their skills without sacrificing mental wellness.
This requires a multi-faceted approach. Managers should encourage their teams to learn and recognize those who have done well in training. Peer learning, like forums and collaborative tools, helps improve sustainability. Getting everyone involved encourages participation and makes learning a part of corporate culture.
When learning is sustainable, your team will continue to strengthen and improve its skill set while keeping up with daily tasks.
Pushing Personalized Learning Experiences
Personalized learning isn’t a new concept, but it is a fast-growing trend in employee training.
Traditional methods won’t cut it today. Employees expect a more customized learning experience. They want courses that match their career goals. They want to engage with content that helps them close skill gaps and strengthen their skill set as an individual.
Using a one-size-fits-all training program won’t do this. Your LMS can help facilitate personalized learning with tailored recommendations, personal goal setting, and adaptive content.
A full catalog of course options will give employees a sense of choice and control. It encourages them to continue learning.
LMS features like learning paths make this process easier. Build a path for specific job roles, career goals, or create one for a specific employee or team. You can learn how to make your online employee training more interactive to get started.
Learning That’s Embedded into Workflow
eLearning is more dynamic and practical than ever before. It’s becoming an integrated part of the everyday workflow.
Many organizations are finding ways to provide more learning opportunities even for those who aren’t actively in a training class. Embedding it into the workflow helps employees become more proficient at their jobs. It also inspires a desire to engage with training material.
A training module can be connected to related tasks, allowing it to appear when the task is completed. This can be something simple, like a troubleshooting tip, or more complex, like a module associated with a compliance reminder. When the employee receives the reminder or reads the tip, they are presented with a training module to go with it.
Daily learning tasks, like a short quiz, can help reinforce knowledge and remind employees to keep improving without overwhelming them.
With 2025 winding down, now is the time to assess your training resources and find ways to utilize these trends in 2026.
