Mastering AI in Learning & Development: How Adaptive Learning is Closing the Skills Gap
In a recent webinar, Rise Up’s Camilia Miccolis, Country Director for UKI & NL, sat down with Frédéric Hebert, Chief Product Officer at Rise Up, and Fiona Leteney, Senior Analyst at Fosway Group, to discuss the role of adaptive learning in upskilling, and why mastering AI is the key to unlocking it
As industries continue to evolve, the skills gap has become a major concern for businesses worldwide. The rapid pace of change from technological advancements has left many organisations struggling to equip their workforce with the necessary expertise. Traditional training methods alone, often too broad or unscalable, are failing to address the unique learning needs of individuals. This misalignment leads to employees feeling overwhelmed, and businesses unable to fill critical roles that require more advanced skills.
The Need for Proactive, Adaptive Learning
The rise of AI in L&D isn’t just a technological upgrade – it’s a critical shift in how businesses can respond to a fast-changing world. Fiona Leteney opened the discussion by sharing her perspectives as an analyst. Research from Fosway Group revealed that for 73% of businesses, “availability of skills” is regarded as the number one challenge. “This year, for the first time in our Digital Learning Reality survey, upskilling and reskilling has overtaken compliance as the top priority for learning strategies,” Fiona commented. “Skills are the top priority for the future success of organisations, but only 17% of businesses feel that their current learning strategies are very effective at delivering upskilling and reskilling.”
In part, this is due to the sheer pace of technological growth across multiple sectors. As demand for tech-based skills and AI-literacy increases, skills gaps widen, and businesses are discovering that traditional approaches to learning and development simply can’t keep up. As Rise Up’s Frédéric Hebert puts it, “Upskilling and reskilling is becoming more crucial because of the pace of change. We see that the technology curve is accelerating, with tools like ChatGPT and other generative AI capabilities becoming more present in the workplace, and if businesses don’t adapt quickly, they’ll fall behind.”
Then there’s the issue of resource and working cultures. We’re transitioning to a skills-based work environment, where employers and their staff are more focused on what they can achieve within their organisations rather than “staying in lane” and sticking solely to their job titles. Traditionally, a salesperson might not need to be AI-literate or technically savvy, but having these skills today will dramatically improve their efficiency and agility within their role. Adaptive learning is responsive to the learner’s skills gap, learning styles, and capabilities allowing employees to pick up critical skills as they work. The result is a workforce that is constantly evolving, both for the organisation, but also for themselves as individuals.
Why Mastering AI is Key to Adaptive L&D
The idea behind adaptive learning isn’t new, but AI is quietly revolutionising how organisations approach adaptive upskilling, making it possible to provide a uniquely tailored experience for each employee. Through real-time data, AI tracks progress and analyses knowledge gaps, adjusting content to match individual strengths and areas for improvement. This constant recalibration is key, as it allows learners to engage with material that’s both challenging and relevant. In contrast to rigid training structures, such as workshops and on-the-rails courses, adaptive learning emphasises skill retention by delivering precisely what each learner needs, when they need it.
The webinar highlighted the importance of this AI-driven customisation, with both Fiona and Frédéric noting that adaptive learning provides clear benefits for productivity and engagement. Unlike traditional models, which can lead to wasted time on redundant topics, adaptive learning encourages efficiency by minimising unnecessary steps and focusing only on core learning areas. By making learning more personalised, companies can achieve faster upskilling, equipping employees with the capabilities that drive both development and business success.
In her own words, Fiona said: “We have been talking about personalisation forever and failed to deliver on that promise so far because it’s been too expensive. From my perspective, adaptive learning is the ultimate in personalisation.”
“AI is not just a tool for speeding up learning,” commented Frédéric. “It’s about making learning smarter. With adaptive learning, we can adjust the content and methods to fit the learner’s specific needs, which drastically improves efficiency.”
He continued, “Adaptive learning is really creating a unique experience, end to end. It’s about building a learning pathway based on cognitive science and using active intelligence to adjust the content to the learner’s needs in real-time.”
These benefits are being reflected by shifting business priorities. Fiona shared more research from Fosway Group’s 2024 survey, highlighting the fact that upskilling and reskilling has now overtaken compliance and career development as the number one consideration for HR teams. When asked how significant skills gaps are in their organisations today, 65% of operations leaders said “quite significant”, and 12% said “very significant”. Only 4% had no problem at all with skills gaps.
As businesses race to close the skills gap, adaptive learning stands out as a powerful tool that makes meaningful, individualised learning achievable. By leveraging AI to create responsive, data-driven training, companies can empower employees to build relevant skills faster and more effectively. The benefits go beyond productivity, fostering a culture where learning is a continuous, evolving process. In a world where adaptability is key, investing in adaptive learning might just be the edge organisations need to thrive in an unpredictable future.
Readers can register and watch the webinar in full here.
The post AI in Learning & Development first appeared on HR News.
