2026 AI Workforce Readiness Report
The Skillsoft 2026 Workforce Readiness Report surveyed 2,000 workers and found a wide gap between AI adoption and AI readiness. Nearly 9 in 10 workers now use AI at work, yet most companies still lack governance, skills visibility, and timely training.
Key findings
- 77% of managers say their company has set them up for success in learning new AI skills, compared with just 24% of individual contributors who feel fully equipped to get the most out of AI tools (Skillsoft 2026 Workforce Readiness Report).
- Only 23% of managers and 16% of individual contributors receive training before a new AI tool is rolled out, meaning learning structurally trails adoption (Skillsoft 2026 Workforce Readiness Report).
- Just 12% of managers and 9% of individual contributors say their organization has comprehensive AI governance in place — roughly 1 in 10 workers overall (Skillsoft 2026 Workforce Readiness Report).
- Only 11% of organizations use formal skills assessments; for the rest, manager judgment remains the default way skills are evaluated (Skillsoft 2026 Workforce Readiness Report).
- 67% of managers and 58% of individual contributors are confident their skills will still be relevant in one to two years (Skillsoft 2026 Workforce Readiness Report).
Methodology
Findings are based on a survey of 2,000 full-time individual contributors, managers, and executives across North America, the United Kingdom, and Germany, conducted by an independent market research firm in March–April 2026.