Leadership and sales skills take priority as AI redefines workforce training

28 January 2024 – Businesses are prioritising leadership and sales skills training while responding to the growing influence of AI in the workplace, according to Lepaya’s State of Skills 2025 report. The report, based on insights from hundreds of organisations across Europe, reveals how businesses are adapting their workforce strategies to navigate ongoing economic and technological challenges. 

The report shows that leadership surged to become the most in-demand skill across Europe, reflecting its critical role in helping organisations steer through uncertainty. The same report identified a 178% increase in training hours for sales skills, signalling that businesses, including those in the UK, are no longer waiting for market recovery; instead, they are proactively equipping their teams with the tools needed to drive revenue and secure market share.      

As AI continues to transform workplace dynamics, the demand for analytical skills has dropped, falling from third to fifth in training priorities. The latest findings from Lepaya suggest that many organisations are now shifting their focus to human-centric skills such as creativity, collaboration, and relationship-building – skills that complement AI-driven processes and are critical for long-term workforce adaptability. 

Rene Janssen, CEO, Lepaya, comments:

“Leadership’s rise to the top of training priorities makes it clear that business leaders see human-centric skills as vital in efforts to navigate uncertainty and adapt to a fast-changing landscape. As AI redefines workforce priorities, businesses are increasingly moving away from more analytical skills that can be completed by machines, balancing investment in new technologies with a renewed focus on uniquely human skills.”  

‍

The report also underscores the importance of creating continuous learning models that align skill development with business objectives. In 2024, across Europe, more than 85% of learners who set intentional learning goals successfully applied their newly acquired skills to boost productivity and achieve measurable outcomes. 

Businesses are expected to embrace a more data-driven approach to workforce training, using AI to identify skills gaps, personalize learning experiences, and measure impact.  

Janssen adds:

“In 2025, organizations across Europe will integrate learning as a strategic priority, ensuring workforces are equipped to adapt, innovate, and lead in an era of unprecedented change. The businesses that succeed will be those that treat learning as a continuous loop, seamlessly connecting skill development to strategic goals.”  

‍

The State of Skills 2025 report provides in-depth analysis and actionable insights for HR and L&D leaders. Explore the full report here.

---

About Lepaya   

Lepaya is Europe’s leading people’s development company that takes a strategic and scalable approach to workplace learning through its global upskilling academies for every career level. Founded by René Janssen and Peter Kuperus in 2018 with the perspective that the right training, at the right time, focused on the right skill, makes organizations productive and enables overall business growth.   

‍ As a leader in a fragmented corporate upskilling market that represents an USD 800B opportunity according to Morgan Stanley, Lepaya responds to the upskilling needs of global enterprises and fast-growing companies, such as Roche, ING, Microsoft, Dell, Freundenberg, Just-Eat-Take-away. Lepaya supports millions of professionals by combining hard skills with soft skills via an AI-powered capability platform.   

Lepaya is backed by Endeit, Educapital, Target Global, Mediahuis Ventures, and Tablomonto. It has made 4 acquisitions: SmartenUp (2020), vCoach (2022), SpeakFirst (2022) and Krauthammer (2023). The company has raised USD 80 million to date.

‍