The survey included over 3,000 people across more than twenty industries. Participants ranged from entry-level to C-Suite executives in organizations from Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, the US, and the UK.

Valamis conducted its second annual Global Survey on the State of Learning & Development (L&D) in the Workplace Report, collecting insight into the shifting global priorities, challenges, behaviors, attitudes, and technologies in use for corporate learning and development, with additional research into the impact of COVID-19.

Findings from the survey show that roughly 93% of respondents globally believe updating knowledge and skills is important to an organization's success, and more than 50% of executives and the C-Suite value skill development as extremely important to an organization's future success. Although the importance of learning and development has been recognized in every country surveyed, over 74% of respondents believe their organizations are actively encouraging the workforce to develop their skills, and nearly 56% of respondents had a dedicated person or team responsible for Learning and Development at their organization.

Despite the globally acknowledged importance of learning and development, for the second consecutive year conducting the survey, the biggest challenge plaguing learning and development within organizations is a lack of time or perceived time affluence with regards to learning. Some 48% of respondents globally denoted a lack of time as the biggest challenge for learning and development. Interestingly, survey participants at the executive and C-suite level note that they use their digital learning environment the most frequently (nearly 30% using it every day) of all survey participants.

Around 25% of respondents specify not having the right tools in place as one of the top three challenges for learning and development. Approximately 15% of respondents point out that their organization does not have a digital learning environment in place.

The Netherlands has the highest percentage of respondents of all the countries surveyed who mentioned they have a learning management system (LMS) (24%) or learning  experience platform (LXP or LEP) (20%) in place. The United States (28%), the United Kingdom (29%), and Germany (28%) have the highest percentages of respondents relying on online courses or massive open online courses (MOOCs). Finland has the highest number of respondents (18%) who suggest their organization has no digital learning tools in place.

Approximately 70% of executives who participated in the global survey express that they value digital learning and development more as a result of COVID-19, and over 67% believe digital learning and development can help minimize the effects of shocks and stresses of future events.

The year 2020 has been a challenging one for many organizations and individuals worldwide. Our global survey on the state of learning and development highlights an internationally growing acknowledgment from the C-suite that L&D is critical to the success of their organizations, and with the right tools in place, organizations can adapt and reskill in the face of unforeseen events.