The foreword to the 2013 Towards Maturity Benchmark was written by Peter Cheese, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The following is an excerpt.

The nature of work and the working environment is changing rapidly. Job and skills needs are changing faster than ever before and, as a result, skills shortages and talent development have become top concerns for business leaders. Creating more agile and responsive organisations that can adapt to take advantage of a rapidly changing context and marketplace has never been more important. 

Furthermore, there is now a much stronger focus on creating more sustainable and aligned corporate cultures and behaviours in organisations. These changes provide the opportunity for learning functions to play a strategic role at the heart of the business. It is imperative they do, but are they there yet?

Celebrating its tenth year, the Towards Maturity 2013-14 study shows that whilst there are signs of progress, there is still some way to go.