of Deloitte Workplace Skills Survey highlights the age-old tension between humans and machines. While the skills conversation has recently been dominated by generative artificial intelligence and how it will change the learning and workplace landscape, it comes with the risk of devaluing the things AI can’t replicate: originality, resilience , creativity, empathy and other uniquely human abilities. . At the same time, these are the skills that people demand to learn. Deloitte Chief Learning Officer Anthony Stephan details some of the key findings from the report and shares his advice for both individual students and companies looking to change their learning strategies.

The truth is that most learning and development teams need to change things. According to the report, there is a large disconnect between the training provided and the training workers actually want. 87% of respondents believe that people skills are necessary for career advancement, with 95% agreeing that people skills are timeless.

But what responsibility does the employee have to initiate their own learning and growth journey, versus relying on the employer to lead it? “Individual drive and the individual choice to invest in oneself is important in life and work,” says Stephan. But he acknowledges that businesses need to do more. “For 10% of respondents, learning doesn’t happen at all unless they initiate it. And three out of five respondents believe the company is focusing on more immediate business needs than providing the training they need for long-term success.”

Does the focus on short-term needs explain the gap between learning provided and learning desired? “What we’re seeing in the market is that technology skills are taking precedence, largely due to alignment with the company’s strategic growth and the hot skills needed to acquire that growth,” says Stephan. Nearly half of respondents noted their company’s preference for technology skills, but Stephan warns companies about the dangers of overlooking the value that only people can provide. “Our position is that companies that value technology skills over human skills risk their ability to continue to innovate and capitalize on the market.”

So how can companies do better? “Learning for us means listening,” says Stephan. “Yes, we will make investments that are related to the skills needed to deliver jobs and serve customers, but listening to our people allows us to get to the heart of what our people need.” Something Deloitte heard within themselves. Listening efforts were a desire for more people-centered skills training. To that end, Deloitte has just launched another training experience – the Human Potential Digital Experience – which is an AI digital learning platform focused primarily on human skills 10 say human skills will help them advance, yet only a third say that training on these skills is provided on the job,” says Stephan.

The evolution of learning preferences

It’s not just about the content of the training provided; it is the delivery of that content that companies need to update. “The youngest generation of our colleagues prefer omnichannel digital learning in their workflow. That means we have to think about access and opportunity in entirely new ways,” says Stephan. One way to do this is through job shadowing. “When I think of shadowing, it makes me think of things like mentoring and apprenticeships. Apprenticeship is at the heart of our culture.” Stephan says Deloitte recognized a change in the way we work, which meant they had to distill the key principles of apprenticeships to continue to deliver value adequately. “It really came down to two things. One, developing relationships and two, learning from others. That is the value that shading provides.”

Stephan leaves leaders with this important message: “Everyone must be open to learning from others. Be open to breaking down barriers, be curious and willing to grow.”