The year ahead for learning, skills and work

As organisations head into 2026, Josh Bersin returns to The Learning Hack to make sense of what is really changing in work, skills and learning. Drawing on his latest research and global advisory work, Josh explains why AI has crossed a threshold, how jobs are being reshaped rather than eliminated, why skills velocity is fundamentally cultural, and why L&D is facing a once-in-a-generation structural reinvention.

Timestamps

• 01:28 – Intro

• 03:12 – What happened in 2025?

• 05:08 – 'Superworkers' & 'supermanagers'

• 09:39 – What's happening in the job market?

• 16:40 – Skills velocity

• 25:30 – What are the biggest shifts in L&D?

• 31:08 – Where are the real, durable changes in learntech, a year ahead?

• 36:44 – Obsequious LLMs

• 38:03 – Differences across global regions?

• 42:39 – What signals should people look out for in the coming year?

• 46:25 – Should we expect consolidation in the learntech market?

• 50:01 – End

Connect

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer

• X: @johnhelmer

• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social

• Website: learninghackpodcast.com