Over the holidays, I subscribed to Paramount+ and started watching Bar Rescue(nearly addictive, mind you).
Basically, an expert named Jon Taffer goes into bars that are failing, as in on their last legs, and “rescues” them.
Some follow through with his plans and methods and see results, short and long-term.
Others not so much.
What I did pick up is that he repeats over and over again (not the ‘you’re a blank blank’ or ‘an idiot’ catchphrases), rather the lack of training.
Constantly training.
I never really thought about training bartenders in a bar setting.
I had assumed, wrongly, that there are seasoned bartenders who do not know how to make common drinks, let alone seasonal/upcoming drinks, or even a whisky sour.
Bartender, the word seems to be passe, whereas there are folks who are mixologists – connoisseurs that can train folks on a variety of drinks, along with interacting with the customer, proper safety techniques too.
When you look at the bars, they lose money by overpouring, not charging (what a surprise), and just by indifference.
The owners, for the most part, lack experience owning and running a business profitably and successfully, even with roadblocks such as competition or maintaining the business.
Leadership is a non-starter. Training? Forget about it.
These folks never thought to themselves, perhaps I should take a course on leadership, basic business skills, or owning a business.
They never considered going to the SBA, which offers on-site seminars, e-learning, exercises, tools and very valuable insights.
Instead, the owners winged it (I won’t discuss their kitchen conditions, but now I always check health reports).
Taking a dive (no pun intended), I found many online courses covering bartending skills, how to make X drinks, certifications, and more.
Not one, though, took into consideration or accounted for the ineffectiveness of applying these learning skills/training techniques in a real-world, real-life experience.
If I can’t make a certain drink and I overpour during a stress test (something the show does), I may take an online bartending course—often video-based, like YouTube.
But how can I retain those skills in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment?
Besides the need to train on a bi-monthly basis, any of these locations, independent or franchise, could leverage immersive learning in a box.
That’s right, everything you need comes in a box. The headsets, the content, take it out, and off you go.
The kit provides constant updates to pre-set content tailored to specific training needs and tasks.
I’ve seen what something like this can do and deliver actionable results.
A company called Kilo, owned by a good friend of mine (transparency here), focuses only on maritime.
The U.S. Navy uses it. Ditto on the British Navy. Ditto on various cruise ships. And the list goes on.
If a company like Kilo can deliver a turnkey, immersive solution for ongoing training and learning—not just safety standards—why can’t another provider create a similar solution targeted to a specific niche?
Too many companies that jump into immersive learning try to cast a wide net across different verticals, which requires higher customization costs and limits the exposure and success of programs at scale.
This, to me, has always been a huge problem.
I’m not referring to immersive learning authoring tools – because it still limits to the area at hand, and I have never seen one that you look at and scream, “OMG”.
Plus, there is this issue with the headsets and who is paying for them, how to get them, and so forth.
Sure, you can purchase an immersive learning platform – but immersive isn’t about having or using it on a mobile device (as an option) – it’s about those headsets – and someday, better and lower cost headsets.
I’ve seen immersive learning for safety subjects, such as how to use a forklift, but does it deliver it in an ongoing experience, or is it static, and again, tailored to the company that wants it, increasing costs for the company seeking it?
The best ones I’ve seen are not cheap.
They are not turnkey, ready to go, or equipped with ongoing updates delivered in various ways—even when, as with Kilo, you are out at sea.
This swings me back to bars, and yes, it can easily be other forms of retail or hospitality—but specifically for that niche, out-of-the-box and ready to go.
We all want to help our people learn.
For ongoing development, immersive learning tools tailored to each niche—such as bartending, retail, or quick-service restaurants—could equip owners and staff with the skills needed for their unique environments.
Leadership in a bar, for example, differs considerably from managing an office, and immersive solutions can address these differences effectively.
Bottom Line
Watching those episodes made it clear: immersive learning solutions, especially those delivered out of the box with all necessary equipment, have the potential to address many persistent problems in the bar and hospitality industry.
Watching someone showing you how to make a Margarita, and then you are practicing it – right at the bar – and the owner watching his beverage being tossed, until the person gets it correct – is fine.
But to achieve synthesis, comprehension, and retention, the combination isn’t going to happen from watching a video in these settings.
Immersive is meant to offer a real-time, real-world learning environment—one that includes everything from rude customers and loud, dirty places to the challenges of being not just a bartender or server, but potentially a mixologist, manager, or even an owner.
And owners can work in a virtual, immersive setting without having to watch a video or read text, and miss out on what is needed in 2026, not in 2025.
The world continues to change.
Businesses are failing.
Costs are rising, and the skills we taught are missing because their combination—video, static text, and AI-based role-plays—only takes someone so far.
Can this be achieved: that role-playing angle and the real-time, real-life immersive learning capability?
I argue yes.
And the best way to kick it off is to follow a Kilo-like approach.
There’s an old saying that one award is just like another. Wait, there isn’t? Okay, well, a lot of folks, for whatever reason, seem to think that if one analyst goes this way and another goes that way, then why is that?
As if we all follow the same methodology and approach?
When you train someone, there are some basics there, but how the person overseeing the training will differ.
Ditto when you provide learning.
It is not as if we are all the same flavor of ice cream, or ice cream with different concoctions, which, at the end of it, is really ice cream.
This is the part where people bounce immediately down to the top 10, and I totally respect that.
Nevertheless, some want more specifics.
Here they are.
You will see multiple ties. I use an approach that, if vendor X ends up with, say, 140 points (out of 150), and two others have the exact point total, it is a tie.
It is not that one is X rank, then the next is a different rank, and so on.
They are not alpha in order with ties, because yeah, I could do that – but that isn’t me, plus it adds some intrigue. Why? Why does he do that?
To antagonize you.
Factors to ensure a level playing field.
It isn’t fair to compare a system that focuses solely on customer training and nothing else, and thus will lack specific capabilities that a combo – customer and L&D would possess.
Nor is it fair to compare a system that zeroes in on compliance to systems that offer compliance (which pretty much everyone does, good or bad).
A compliance solo system is going to lack quite a bit, including a state-of-the-art UI/UX. The same applies to training management systems – the goal is all around scheduling.
Those systems have advanced scheduling capabilities, and nothing more.
Far beyond what the market as a whole – combo and training do.
The variance only occurs if said X vendor has a deep integration with said X training management platform, or has decided to align with it. I’ve seen only one system do this, and even then, it is an ongoing process.
System Rankings in General
I looked at a lot of options, capabilities, and items – that you may consider or not.
Some of this information is not public – for example, customer training and support by X vendor. As I always note, support is the #1 reason people leave or hate a system and stay (it’s complicated), and yet, the buyer will toss 300 questions around security and maybe one or two around support – and they are never the “meat” of what you need to know.
The cost of a system wasn’t considered.
Simply put, the price point they initially pitch is retail. Nobody pays retail.
Vendors will say, “We won’t go lower,” – okay, then I will go elsewhere – you see how easy that is?
Anyway, not relevant to me. Nor is it the number of clients they have.
I have no idea if they are super selective with minimum numbers of buyers, or if you can look over the counter and are breathing, we will take you.
The names – big names? Happy for them, plays great in marketing – but everyone gets a big name or two.
Nobody ever asks if the vendor is exclusive – meaning they are the only learning system with said big name?
Number of users? Not relevant.
If they have high scores on G2, TrustRadius, etc., it’s great for marketing. But that’s it. (Oh, they are seeing an increase in AI bots on these sites – and hey, did you know you can get a gift card by leaving a comment? I was offered one, only because I requested to see one of the systems that happens to be on there.)
I mention all of the above because again, there is this perception that for me, this info is relevant.
It’s not.
The Top 10
I based it on 20 categories, including forward-thinking capabilities.
The latter is crucial in my opinion. Innovation and drive are a must today.
Not an exception.
The systems are from all over the world (United States, UK, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, France, and technically Italy – long story).
They represent the best of the best to me.
From small business to large enterprise.
From all customer training/education, to combo systems.
From deskless specific as the core, to deskless as a component.
From specific verticals to many verticals.
This year alone, for the first time, two of the top three vendors are based in Canada (founded and central HQ).
Keys to those acronyms you will see – (FAL) – If you see this, it means the vendor is on FindAnLMS.
It was, and still is, not a requirement to be included in the tallies.
Combo – they play in L&D and Customer Training/Education – this is the majority of the industry
L&D – Focus heavily on employees (industry privately refers to this as ‘internal’)
Customer – Focus only on customer training/education, partner training, and similar – think B2B – I slide associations under this, but only if the association is trade. Professional can be B2B or B2C.
Partner Enablement – Often slides with Customer Training/Education – Thus, I put it here, and will note it as PE – for example, CT/PE would be the indicator.
Training Consultants slide under B2B/B2C – they sell their content/services to other clients – sure, it can be solo, thus a B2B/B2C role is here.
If the vendor plays heavy or wishes to work with frontline/deskless and does a better job than others, because everyone says this, I will note it in general.
If the client is government, then it’s L&D. If apprenticeships, then it’s L&D. If EdTech (K-12, higher education), then uh, the term is EdTech.
Therefore, you may see the following (FAL), (Combo), (EdTech)
How do I calculate small business versus large enterprise?
I went with what I see as a trend in the industry: “enterprise” returning to its legacy size. Even if the vendor angles towards enterprise, it doesn’t mean they won’t take you. I tried to mention vendors that I know have a minimum number of users, so if you are under that number, they will respectfully decline.
Small Business 50 to 999 (if you are under 50, you are still a small business ( The acronym will be SB)
Mid-Market (MM) 1,000 to 4,999
Enterprise (E) 5,000 to 10,000 (I am aware that in some areas of the EU, Enterprise is 2,500 or higher)
Large Enterprise (LE)10,001 or more
Types of Systems
LMS – The dominant player in the industry, even if a vendor doesn’t call themselves that
Learning Platform – Number two in the size of the industry – A learning ops platform, for example, is a learning platform; skills dev – learning platform.
Talent Development (TD) – If they say employee development, they are TD. Learning has to be the core.
Knowledge Management (KM) – Growing. You will see many systems across the board adding KM – think that the AI assistant component in their system. Nevertheless, there are standalones out there – as an option, or just because it is.
LXP – Doesn’t exist anymore – I couldn’t care if a vendor says they are only that. Even the initial vendor, Degreed, isn’t that. They are a learning platform.
TM – Training Management – Scheduling only. Zero content
LCMS – die already.
Two items
a. There is no perfect system out there – therefore nobody scored 150/150
b. The term traditional is just a marketing term. Ignore it.
What you will see
Award icon, followed by vendor’s name (name includes their URL – click and go)
Acronyms
Highlights
Some vendors’ info will be longer than others. I tried to condense as much as I can, but yeah, I have an issue with that – this year will be different.
There is a long story behind why they include LXP in their name; it involves the domain, and let’s move on.
This is an LMS.
Big Wins
Lots to like here, especially the clever out-of-the-box learning journey design, or a different design you wish to use on the front-end learner page.
They will help you – at no additional cost, which is a plus.
Skills play strongly here, although not as strongly as I would like – this is a balancing act – because so many people are stuck on “skills for job role,” rather than skills across the board, especially those who will need re-skilling.
I love the front-end UI/UX.
Areas of Improvement
The back end is solid, but it still needs improvement.
Analytics and Reporting are refreshing, but still need more IMO.
Unsure if they see themselves in the core of hospitality/retail, or if other verticals are more deskless/frontline-first. This is always a challenge with so many vendors.
I believe they can do better if they pick one and roll with it. It’s better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a large pond – or whatever that saying is.
Knowledge Anywhere (FAL) (SB) (MM) (Combo) – They do business with large enterprises and enterprise clients. I see them more in the SMB range, up to, say, 1,500.
Big Wins
Vast improvement with UI/UX – Recently did a refresh
Streamlined but enough for many folks, especially those in the SB range and the lower end of mid-market
Admin side is easy to use – without compromising
Focus around blue collar, deskless/frontline – Finally, someone can take on and beat those who play solely in that area, primarily blue-collar. I think they can do well in the apprenticeship side, too.
Areas of Improvement
Analytics needs more
Focus is blue-collar per se, and frontline – thus mobile needs to be stronger – and I’d like to see more specifics around the blue-collar, which systems as a whole lack – so not just a call-out to KA, but again, they have, I believe, a strong opportunity here
This is a Learning Platform with a core KM, but not a full KM – it gets a bit complicated once you first see it, but it will start to make sense upon discussion with them.
It’s all about AI, assets, feedback loops – knowledge centers.
Right out of the gate, I like Neovation’s products.
Big Wins
Prompt Library – Finally! Includes a library of pre-built, expert prompts, plus learners can create and share their own prompts.
AI Assistant – Learners can generate custom reports, documents, and even RFPs for higher-ups.
AI Mentor/Coach
Nice UI/UX – Stands a bit out, due to their approach being heavy around AI, more so than many systems in the industry
Feedback center and loop
They refer to themselves, okay, I see this as well – Knowledge Center – whereas they list it as a strong function, I see them really as a KC – with the rest within it.
Areas of Improvement
While they can be a standalone, they are a better fit tied into an existing central database or HCM/HRIS solution, or even another standalone – let’s say another learning platform.
I place this as an area of improvement only because I’m concerned it could be a revamp 2.0 for those folks who still see SharePoint as the crux of their learning. SP was never designed to be utilized as a learning core, but it’s still popular on the large enterprise side, which limits audiences
Metrics – when you tap into someone else’s platform, even if it’s an HCM, you risk the limitation of metrics that make you stand out.
I can’t figure out if they want to be more standalone or centralized database side – there is a mix there – will it work, or will they eventually have to pick a side? Right now, they are edging towards the SP side – which is a concern.
HALIGHT (FAL) (MM) (Enterprise) (Frontline – especially retail) (L&D)
You know, when I mentioned that the majority of vendors who mention big names are not exclusive to say that big name?
Well, one of HALIGHT’s customers is all of Best Buy, the electronics store.
I admit, after seeing the system, it made sense how the electronics side of the retail segment would really work well here.
That said, the platform isn’t solely limited to consumer electronics – hence the retail aspect.
Big Wins
UI/UX – I absolutely love the “snippets” idea, which sits on the learner home screen, where the learner (let’s say a clerk) can watch a 15-second video. Thus, other clerks can see and utilize – maybe highlighting a new product or a “how to use” angle that customers can understand – rather than just them looking at a box.
The learner side as a whole is crisp and refreshing. Nobody will mistake this for a dullard. If I am on the retail side with deskless, I want to use this offering.
Gamified learning with ‘point(s) economy’. Points can go to any piece in the system, the number of times you log in, look at a piece of content, upload a video, comment, etc. – It moves from the typical gamification booresville approach into a ‘point economy (love the wordage) – leveraged with gamified learning.
Learners can onboard others by using a QR code or e-mail. Saves time and can really get this up and running on the floor (location)
Offers SMS capabilities
Areas of Improvement
While it offers integrations with e-mail marketing programs, I think having one built into the platform and usable (without paying 3rd party fees) makes sense.
Look at adding digital signature capability again, without going through a third party. I’d make sure the digital signature is available on the mobile app.
Tap into other options to embrace and expand the common clerk experience – way too many vendors and I mean A LOT ignore who is on that floor, their knowledge out of the gate in terms of what is being sold or offered – Thus a system needs to be one part knowledge, one part learning means fun and shows off as such, one part explain – output on mobile, to show customers – buyers are becoming more savvy on specific offerings, the clerk has to be too. A lot of missed opportunities here.
Analytics can maximize revenue opportunities – again, the points economy can be used in so many ways – knowledge = sales. Happy employees, happy store.
If I were looking at Axonify, for example, I’d take a serious dive at HALIGHT. Personally, I think HALIGHT is better. Gamified learning only works when its output drives knowledge, short- and long-term.
Capacity (KM) (Enterprise, LE, SMB, Mid-Market) (Combo)
Best knowledge management platform in the industry (2025). If you are curious to know what makes a KM a KM, then dive Capacity.
While they seem to target Enterprise and large enterprises, I can easily see them being used across all audience sizes, depending on what and how you want to use the platform.
A KM requires as its foundation AI – Generative multimodal. Otherwise, you just have a chatbot.
They refer to their solution as an Answer Engine, which is applicable, but my thinking has shifted slightly to an AI Assistant.
Based on the question, it responds accordingly. It can go directly to the content and the specific area, and it includes sources.
The challenge with any AI Assistant is the presumption that identifying sources as an essential element, reinforcing that this eliminates hallucinations or, more specifically, eliminates them, though, is a false narrative.
Even with your own content, AI can create fake or false information, even with sources, because those sources are from your content, and the repetitive source validation isn’t ideal to assume accuracy.
That is the one thing that bothers me with Capacity: the continuation of stipulating no hallucinations – and yes, I have called them out repeatedly for saying so.
I do want to make it clear, though, that I see a significant number of vendors who have KM (AI Assistant or AI Engine) in their system who push the same “no hallucinations, because it’s your own content and sources.
And yep, I will and do call them out.
Let’s, though, look at what makes Capacity impressive.
Big Wins
UI/UX – it is simple to use, regardless of skill level
Admin settings include Synopsis as an option (nice) and the source connection using the logo – rather than just words. For example, Workday, Google Drive, etc.
Data tracking – crucial
Ability to create an RFP (yep) and the ability to generate a research brief
Nearly a dozen out-of-the-box canned reports, including “teams questions, responses, and actions taken.”
Love the internal training report, and Lucy (the name of Capacity’s AI Assistant) and its actions
Offers a research mode
Areas of Improvement
Lacks the “review before accepting” – relevant text line – for the record, I rarely see this in systems, even though you can go to any AI tool – LLM, SLM, even the World model, and see that it may create errors under it. Anyway, it is a huge peeve of mine.
Needs stronger metrics and the ability to cross-reference to tap more strongly into training/learning
Tie – Learning Pool Learning Platform, Cypher Learning, and Intellum)
An excellent platform that finally kicks it into overdrive. While they have some very cool AI features coming out in Q1 2026, the rankings cover 25, so let’s hit the wins.
Big Wins
Content Blocks – Can be created using AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) by providing specific instructions and pasting the generated code (JavaScript, HTML, CSS) – this is on the learner side.
DAP – Built-in Digital Adoption Platform – In the long run, an AI Assistant could easily replace it. A DAP does offer some plus capabilities for now – they offer it not only for the admin side (common) but the learner side too. Reduces significant time from a cost standpoint for support – how to do something. Over 95% of user issues are user-related, not the system. And the days of an admin doing their own Q/A (Quality Assurance) before submitting the request are gone. Hence, the DAP’s usefulness
Events functionality that can match Training Management systems, such as Training Orchestra. No small feat. Perfect for compliance, BTW, and on-site events.
Continuation of development for better natural language processing when using a search with AI – in other words, the end user types in typical or common usage of lingo they would type into a search on a browser. NLP is crucial with AI, and it is never a one-and-done thing.
Auto translation of comments using AI – I think that’s pretty cool
Areas of Improvement
The system offers the ability to be used as an LCMS – Learning Content Management Systems – which were on life support, to such an extent, that the most significant player has re-branded themselves, in multiple types of systems, including LCMS, not once but twice, and still has no idea what they are. I think folks who love SharePoint as an LMS or their learning repository love LCMS. Well, I love skiing using tennis rackets as skis. Doesn’t mean I should.
I like the building blocks of the system approach, but it can easily lead you down rabbit holes if you are not careful. This system screams advanced metrics based upon what it can do, and will do around compliance, tapped into skills, even ILT. It’s missing that.
Cypher Learning (FAL) (SB, MM, Enterprise, Large Enterprise) (Combo skews more towards L&D)
Big Wins
Outstanding AI system, in the top three for the industry
AI content creator is quite good, albeit sometimes it can get a bit confusing, especially with the mind map (that is what I call it, you can say tree branches – it reminds me more of something I would see in academia, then say corporate – I know they will disagree)
UI/UX is easy to use and is designed effectively on the learner side
Lists the text about potential errors/mistakes and verify it is correct before accepting (except in one area, see below in Areas of Improvement)
Streamlined
Continuous AI enhancements – They know what they are doing with AI, but I’m not sold on the Copilot thing
Areas of Improvement
Their AI Assistant, which scans the system and outputs responses, never mentions the text of potential mistakes and verification – CL will note the “it is your own content,” and sources pitch.
AI Agents offer potential, but I am still trying to figure out how an AI will benefit the learner, from a training standpoint. I mean, do I want my agent to be a co-worker (an agent premise)?
Analytics need to be better. This system offers a lot, therefore lots of capabilities, especially with multimodal AI, which means to me better metrics and reporting.
I’d argue that the most prominent players (elite tier in the customer training/education/partner offerings are Thought Industries, Eurekos, Docebo, Absorb, Pifini, and Intellum.
For whatever reason, a lot of folks are unaware of Intellum, and I’d say it is likely due to a series of factors, including the minimum number of learners they will accept (5,000). That’s a challenge when you are, say, a training consultant, or going from brick to online.
Big Wins
Metrics that align to customer training – the #1 goal for the majority of folks that offer customer training is to generate $$$. You need to know the correct numbers to determine what is working and what isn’t. Data intelligence is crucial. Intellum scores well here.
Agentic Agents – Creator (creates content), Manager, and Learner (Personal Tutor, Identifies gaps and areas to improve, with practice and knowledge checks) (Learner is rolling out in early Q1)
Intellum Labs – Think of an early stage of what is coming out new feature-wise, beta, that an admin can jump into, test out, and see – Reminds me of the Google Labs, or any platform that says “labs” as in beta – My preference would be a word change since it can be mistaken for practice learning.
Natural Language Reports
Areas of Improvement
UI/UX needs a major refresh (Good news – that is on their roadmap for 2026)
Agentic Agent data metrics are crucial – what’s the point of having them if you are not leveraging them for customer intelligence
Tie – Pifini (Formally known as NetExam+), and Digital Chalk
Metrics that align with customer/partner training/education, even folks that are training consultants – Data wise with AI – #1 for 2025
AI metrics include learning impacts on revenue performance, deal progression, product usage, and support (perfect for clients where support impacts revenue, and it does – cost-wise, plus usage on the product side)
Focused solely on the customer training segment (it’s rare these days that the system’s entire customer base is in the CT side – only one other vendor in the rankings aligns as well)
UI/UX is solid
AI Role-playing – real-life scenarios partially, AI Coach
Their AI tools are also available as a standalone – for those that want them, but do not want the system (personally, I see their strength within the system itself, but that’s just my vibe)
Areas of Improvement
Certification programs are huge money makers – I’d like to see Pirfini tap into that, with best practices within the system, and setting up various programs with suggestions from AI (with text included)
Tap stronger into recognition that the majority of people providing customer training/partner enablement lack basics around profit margin, etc – the use of AI can provide that with NLP – and ongoing with that – so I can say, “If I want to make 35% profit to break even, what should I charge for my courses?” Even dive deeper with competitive insight – perhaps with an option to go “external” if the admin clicks it.
Digital Chalk (FAL) (MM) (Enterprise, Large Enterprise) (Customer Training, Partner Enablement)
Big Wins
#1 for Mid-Market 2025
Stronger customer training and partner enablement functionality – WIN!
Robust functionality and capabilities
Compliance Strong – A lot of compliance capabilities and a vendor who I believe can continue to enhance
UI/UX – a solid refresh
Strategic Delivery – This means they hit their roadmap with high accuracy (something that every vendor should strive for)
Areas of Improvement
Skill empowerment – Again, this is something a lot of vendors struggle with, but DC could expand more.
For a mid-market solution, there are potential wins here that can be leveraged as the system develops. There are growth opportunities.
Admin capabilities with metrics need to go to the next level.
They slide into the enterprise base of 5,000 that is seeing a rebirth in the market (it used to be the range in the early days, and vendors moved away; quite a few are seeing “Enterprise” in the 5,000 to 10,000 user base range)
When you purchase NovoEd Learn, you will get Practice+ in the system. P+ is outstanding, with significant potential.
Mentor+ is truly a mentoring platform, available as an add-on in the system or as a standalone.
The #6 is for Learn+ and Practice+, but I included Mentor+ because of the system’s full capabilities.
Big Wins
Practice+ – Legit practice, real-world, real-life scenarios for all types of business skills. Many sim labs focus only on technical skills. Practice+ is business-driven
AI mentor – Outstanding. Could someone use the mentor as a coach? Sure, but every research data point is showing that as AI continues into the workplace, mentoring – mentors, will be more important than a coach
Wonderful UI/UX
Forward-Thinking – you want this with a vendor
Elite support and training
Solid metrics
Areas of Improvement
I’d like to see mentor+ included in the system, rather than an add-on. Keep the standalone as an option, but IMO suites are the future of our industry, primarily due to uncertainty around economics, and the impact it has on L&D and Training
Stronger metrics – Solid is good, but I want more around Practice+ – which to me is the gold here, beyond what other vendors can do when it comes to real-world scenarios that are not just some avatar talking to you with a background that has nothing to do with the scenario
The system needs to tell me my learning story (I will say that when it comes to the systems in general, I find that customer training systems – elite tier do this more than those that are combo or L&D focus)
Tie
LearnUpon (FAL) (Combo, top tier in Association, strong in CT) (Small Business, Mid-Market, Enterprise)
Big Wins
Learning Live (Their term) – I like that folks can use a QR code to sign up/register – this is nice for ILT, and a twist when it comes to webinars
Course recommender (machine learning-based) suggests courses based on individual and group behavior patterns – The behavior patterns are the key here
Brings in Agentic AI, plus the use of Bedrock (Model as a Self Service – the premise is that, depending on the use case, Bedrock will select the best AI model for that use case). I’m a massive proponent of MaSS (there are others out there)
Various options are visible on the home Learner screen, including showing “live sessions” as one such option
Improvement in metrics and admin UI/UX
Area of Improvement
The home page is static, so you can’t say move the calendar down the screen, and something like learning not yet started higher up
White-label (your own brand) is available in only two editions: Premium and Enterprise. This should be included in all versions (I will note that many systems charge you to remove their name, so white-label is an add-on. Yes, this makes no sense.)
While improving in metrics, LearnUpon is a combo, and yet, they slide user-wise on the CT – the metrics, though, do not validate this to the extent that they can. At some point, LU will need to decide which is the better route to go when it comes to data intelligence and UI/UX to match it
A couple of areas, with AI – they refer to their Assistant as “Leah”, have potential, but they lack the text of mistakes/elements; they also have a current partnership with easyGenerator for content creator with AI, and yet, they acquired a content authoring tool, which will be available in their system. I am unsure why they would want to continue the partnership with EG when they will have their own built-in content tool (which can also be purchased as a stand-alone).
360Learning (FAL) (Small Business, Mid-Market, Enterprise, Large Enterprise) (Combo)
Big Wins
They dumped the whole LXP focus angle, which many potential buyers and even competitors mentioned to them. This is an LMS with the usual content capabilities around the LXP thing, which is thankfully starting to go down the drain as a standalone term.
Focus turns to deskless/frontline workers/manufacturing workers, including blue collar – This is a big win – a lot of vendors say they hit and do well here, but very few really do – you need a strong mobile app to achieve – 360 does
Some items in the mobile app – Learners can see their certifications, can use a QR Code, app has on/off synch, high scores in Android and Apple stores – constantly updated (make no mistake, way too many systems’ apps do not score high, and updating and features are underwhelming – heck some vendors still do not have a mobile app, let alone on/off synch)
On the manufacturing side, 360 supports union and non-union environments. The union one is huge. The capabilities tied to unions are crucial; 360 delivers. For example, Different training or acknowledgment/workflows can be set up for union vs. non-union workers, ensuring compliance with negotiated terms. Achieved using grouping plus the custom field rules.
IP address filtering – Love it. Helps with training data intelligence – and accuracy
Gamified learning – WIN!
Areas of Improvement
Some common Virtual and ILT capabilities are missing. They are projected to roll them out in 2026. Still waitlist, has been around for more than 15 years.
Metrics are underwhelming – this system is all about the frontline, and yet, customer training/partner enablement (see that word again) is a use case. Fine, but next we have L&D. Pick a lane. I think deskless, especially frontline and blue-collar (not a lot of vendors do well in this area, heck, let alone zero-in), is the real play here. The metrics, though, lack that, even when it comes to the mobile app data points that can honestly tell me the learning story.
UI/UX needs improvement on the admin side. It will work for a lot of folks, and they have done a refresh, but another refresh (coming this year – 2026) tells me they are on the right track. The awards, though, are in 2025.
Lack of baseline skill ratings in the system – it is an add-on (fee). Should be included and free.
You get a lot with this system – streamlined but robust – easy to use
The skills capabilities are beyond outstanding -including skills mapping (a pain point for anyone who has to do this – manually. With Biz, it is done for you – using machine learning as a component) and skills development through scenarios
Skill metrics that make sense and will tell your learning story
Good UI/UX
Flexible curated content model
Admin dashboard is very useful and beneficial – Easy to understand – (crucial)
Areas of Improvement
Enhanced AI functionality is coming in 26 – Gen AI; I wish at least something, such as an AI mentor, was available in 2025; nevertheless, when it rolls out, it will include real-life, real-world scenarios for learning and training.
I like the UI/UX, but I believe it needs a refresh
BizSkills is an add-on, I’d like to see it included at no charge, think of a suite here for Biz – This is where it can really shine. I should add that nowadays, many vendors charge for skills development and management. Personally, I’m not a fan of it.)
System screams gamified learning – perfect piece IMO
Eurekos (FAL) (100% Customer/Partner training/education), (Associations, Mid-Market, Enterprise, Large Enterprise)
Big Wins
#2 Customer Training for 2025
Metrics/data intelligence for CT is exceptional (such as meta-level analytics)- it tells me the story
Very rare vendor that truly bills monthly for active users – this means you get an invoice for that month, and pay at that time; the industry in general pitches MAU, but you pre-pay – i.e., pay ahead of time. Trust me, none of those vendors who do that are Nostradamus, and there are no refunds in the market.
Video admin module (Nice)
Can use the system not just B2B, but also B2C
Enhanced personalized storefronts
Refresh of UI/UX with Dashboards
Adding skills capabilities for CT
Subscription bundling
Areas of Improvement
AI is arriving in 2026 – I would have preferred to have seen something in 2025; however, knowing Eurekos, when they roll out their AI, it will deliver actionable results for customer/partner use cases.
Refresh of UI on the learner side – the UX is there – it’s the UI that needs a tweak.
Enhancements for Gamified Learning
The Final Three – Okay, there is a tie for #3 – again based on total points; then a tie at #2, and then the #1 system for 2025.
Tie – Docebo, Thought Industries, D2L (Business)
Docebo (FAL) (Mid-Market, Enterprise, Large Enterprise) (Combo, but user base in CT/Partner Enablement) is higher than L&D; that said, the system skews L&D.
Big Wins
AI Capabilities – Harmony – think AI Assitant (many more features are coming in 2026); however early rollouts that are wins – Vertical Search – you can limit your search by specific content types (additional items such as course types like SCORM rolls out in 2026); option to restrict to system content types only OR ability to include web searches – they offer you a choice) – Oh, they have the text letting you know that Harmony can make mistakes – a big PLUS, and thank you for adding the text, along with verifying before accepting
Harmony Admin Co-Pilot – What it can do is very useful and will continue to be for admins
AI Content Creator and Virtual Coach (more on this further down)
Was lagging with AI, now moving into an AI-first focus system (you will see this in 26, far more than what exists in 25)
Skills development and management capabilities
Solid compliance
Subscription bundling
Solid metrics
Areas of Improvement
UI/UX refresh needed on the learner and admin side
Harmony’s full capabilities have the potential to be a monster win – but since the awards focus on 2025, what is available is limited, and again, they seemed to be late to the party – even though they had a strong AI team in place at a point in 2025.
Icons for SCORM and xAPI aren’t needed, most folks have no idea what it is – nor do they care – I did mention this to them – I hope they dump
Metrics – Data intelligence (they are improving this in 2026)
Needs to go suite here, rather than add-on options
If you want a virtual coach, a content creator, or additional fees using credits – basically, they are pushing the cost onto you. I get it, and while I have no problem with additional fees using credits, the market as a whole is not charging for a content creator (except those that see it as an add-on, which I am not a fan of)
Flow of Work – I always felt the module was a dud, so it’s not really an area of improvement; more of a ‘get rid of this’ – I mean, is it a need for CT? When it comes to product training?
Certification program can be a lot stronger – so many options here
Skills development has vastly improved – I want more – I believe Harmony can deliver this, whether they tap into it is another question
Thought Industries (FAL) (Combo – heavily focused on CT/PE, system skews to CT/PE), (Mid-Market, Enterprise, Large Enterprise)
Big Wins
Metrics for Customer Training/Partner Enablement that continue to push the envelope. Capabilities include using pre-built (canned) or custom reports to track engagement, identify unmet needs, and drive revenue growth.
Ability to integrate learning analytics with business intelligence tools to directly access and query data on everything from onboarding surveys to subscription purchases, with refresh rates close to real-time. (More on this in a second)
100% headless architecture option – no cost. They are one of the very few vendors that truly offer 100% headless, despite others who claim to. The offering is called Helium.
Reporting hub – Executive Summary (HUGE) – as in love with it
Update a course to maintain metadata, page content, and key settings programmatically – ideal for scale
Continued improvement with Panorama multi-tenancy
Create content using Generative AI (more on this in a second)
Areas of Improvement
I have always liked TI’s UI/UX on the learner side – it has a luxury feeling to it; that said, it needs a refresh, ditto on the admin side – lots there, but refreshes are always a must (a vendor should always do a refresh every two years – IMO)
Content Creator is an additional cost – It should be included at no extra fees – I mean, to me, it is like getting a car, and then they say, “Oh, you want tires with that?” – Any learning system needs content, which, while a commodity, drives the platform. Without it, you have an FTP or a paper manual
Panorama is an additional fee, too – I just don’t get it. Include X number of tenants for free – you want a competitive advantage? It’s starting right at you.
Data intelligence – advanced for free – again, CT/PE is a market every vendor wants into (okay, the majority) – lead the pack, not sit in the middle – just my take
D2L (FAL) (Mid-Market, Enterprise, Association, Large Enterprise, CT/PE)
Performance Plus – Which is their advanced analytics tool – This rocks – the name? Yeah, confusing and needs a rebrand. They charge extra for PP – but wow, it should be included. One of the best I’ve ever seen in the space – lead the pack, as I say, lead the pack.
Lumi Assistant – This is their AI component – it packs a whallop and is definitely top 10 for 2025. A couple of notable wins – ability integrate with external knowledge bases, such as an association’s course catalog or internal documentation
Very robust with lots of options
Admin functionality effective
Areas of Improvement
PP should be pushed into the system itself, and the out-of-the-box metrics removed. The system is too good for canned metrics’ appearance
Refresh the front-end UI/UX and make back-end modifications. I’m not talking about a lot here, thankfully, just user-driven. This ties directly to where the industry is heading, and what is being seen already
More Lumi – I personally believe Lumi is an untapped gold mine, and yes, I understand AI is an ongoing process, but is Agentic the be-all and end-all? I think that the world model will overtake artificial general intelligence (AGI) at least for the time being. AGI sounds great, it just isn’t fully here yet.
Suites are going to be “in” – again, a new business enviroment impacting L&D and Training, plus the companies as a whole, one day the person can be there, the next someone else – no one is forcing them to use everything; but what if the new person wants X and can’t get it without paying extra – where are you/they going to be? Budget restructuring is happening across the board. I think D2L is sitting on an opportunity that is ready to be unleashed
Reporting – I’d like to see more canned (out-of-the-box) reports (generally speaking, the industry needs to increase out-of-the-box reports)
Tie – You have the #1 Learning System for Large Enterprise, and the #2 system for Enterprise.
The #1 system for skills management/capabilities, and AI; and the #2 system for AI, which, based on what I know, is rolling out in 26, could become #1.
Both systems have add-ons, and while one makes total sense, I’d still think the larger win is the suite with one, the other, well, we will talk about that.
Cornerstone Learn (FAL) (MM, Enterprise, Large Enterprise) (Combo – skews heavy towards L&D – Talent Development) (#2 Learning System in 2024)
Big Wins
Leading system for AI – #1 in 2025 – read more here
#1 (two-time winner) for Large Enterprise – especially 50,000 and more end-users
You get a lot when you buy Learn – including a robust LMS, best-in-class and best skills management capabilities (more on that in a sec), Digital Adoption Platform (exists within the LMS), to name just a few
Super strong in compliance – A dominant player in the industry
Learning Suite
Strong UI/UX on the learner side – This is heavily targeted by competitors who claim it is dated, and traditional – I have no idea when they last saw the learner side, but I can tell you, those claims are false – It’s good, easy to use, and massively improvement on navigation and capabilities
Immersive Learning offering
Content studio on the admin side – uses AI, another massive YOWSA and WOWSA
Mentoring strength capabilities
Metrics and Reporting
White-labeling is included
Adoption is quickly based on use case – employee side – yes, this ties into AI – but they are moving at the speed to do it
UI/UX improvement on the admin side – there is a lot there
Areas of Improvement
Advanced skills data-predictive intelligence for learning/training is in another module called “Transform” – this should be in Learn. I understand if this needs to go as an add-on price-wise for Learn, but that word “Suite” places Advanced Insights using AI in Learn – included
Some tweaks with Content Anytime – this is a 3rd party content marketplace – which many vendors offer BTW – not uh the Cornerstone aggregator, but say they use GO1 or Open Sesame, or they do it themselves – you still purchase the content for that provider or a buffet style – anyway, aggregators always face the same issues when it comes to best in class content – I think Cornerstone’s version has the opportunity to really push ahead here
Continues to focus on UX for the admin functionality. They have made major inroads here, but the biggest knock is the cumbersome aspect. It’s always a challenge with a lot of systems – you can do robust without “requiring, in some cases, a learning curve.”
Metrics UI/UX needs a major overhaul. I feel that the design is dated – where is the latest with data visualization? Where is the “pop”?
Learn Amp(FAL) (SMB,MM, Enterprise, Large Enterprise) (TD – Talent Development – they refer to it as employee development), (#1 learning system in 2024) – This is for Core.
Learn Amp offers multiple versions, a starter called Spark (which bills monthly, and is ideal for Small Business, say under 500), Core – the Mid-Market and higher edition – and the one focused here, and then two add-ons – Perform, which has a higher level for skills, along with a stronger tier of performance management. and Advanced, which offers a variety of capabilities, including elite data intelligence for your learning and training, without having to go and add your own BI tool.
Big Wins
Understands the AI landscape technically – tech stack-wise, AI agentic-wise, Natural Language side, and the latest in regards to AI that will enhance a learning system for your learners
Outstanding UI/UX on the Learner and Admin side
Example of robust without being cumbersome on the Admin view and capabilities
Advanced level option (included in the system) for the Learner view – lots of widgets, design in general – no additional cost
AI content creator
Fantastic support team – especially the implementation group and training
Strong, powerful with compliance, CPD – referred sometimes in the states as CEU (Continuing Performance Development – CPD; CEU – continuing education units)
Skills development out of the box
Solid canned metrics and reports
Areas of Improvement
Pay extra for white-label (should be included at no-charge; again a lot of vendors charge for white label – do you really want to see the vendor name along with your Widget U?)
Advanced metrics additional cost – This is all about taking control – yeah, I may not use it – but with effective support/training – I can see the benefits of doing so – in today’s world, it is all about data intelligence for learning/training – to validate budgetary items – and drive success – quickly and more efficently. Here you go.
Slight refresh on the Admin side
Add more capabilities for employee development/workforce, especially around frontline/deskless workers and blue-collar – there is a lot of opps here
Add a mobile app – I mention this every year – I still am baffled as to why they haven’t done so. They have explained why – but it’s now 2026. It’s odd to me that a company that really has impressive AI capabilities and continues to push and know the next tier, still hasn’t added a mobile app.
Absorb LMS (FAL) (Small Business, Mid-Market, Enterprise, Large Enterprise) (#1 for customer training/partner enablement; #2 for AI “Best in Class”, #2 for Enterprise, #2 for frontline/deskless workers, including blue-collar) (#1 for Associations, #1 for Suites)
Absorb has really gone and taken their system to the next level.
I’ve been totally impressed with this system, what it can do, the UI/UX overall, capabilities, AI of course, and being a learning suite – which again, no need to repeat – but I will – suites will be big in 26 (yes, the awards are for 25, but you get my drift).
Big Wins
You get it all – from AI to upskilling to advanced metrics – training and L&D data intelligence; out of the box – user-friendly; top-tier support and training, gamified learning, content creator, and more
Together, which is included and is a major player in the mentoring space, was acquired by Absorb. Easily in the top three for mentoring, and it is included in the LMS at no additional charge; it is and will still be available as a standalone, too. This is mentoring at its finest.
E-commerce – totally rocks
If you want compliance, the system has it, solid job
Gamified learning and social are strong plays here (more on gamified in a second)
They refer to themselves as a strategic learning system – for once, as it relates to marketing – I totally agree – this system says what it can do, and delivers it.
Massive list of integrations/connectors (a lot of vendors offer this as well) – I just like their approach to it
Slick UI/UX on the learner and admin side; the advanced metrics, and okay metrics/reporting in general have a very easy to view and extract by viewing learner/training data intelligence – the visualization is great
Lots of capabilities for frontline workers – including a mobile app with on/off synch
Areas of Improvement
A refresh on the learner side – Look, I’d say the market as a whole needs refreshing on the learner side, simply because vendors follow trends like a “Netflix”- like appearance. I think there are other ways to do this – and offer a variety of options out of the box based on use case, especially when it comes to customer training vs L&D internal – ditto with deskless/frontline workers – heck even target audience – should a retail look be the same as manufacturing?
Gamified Learning – needs to go to the next tier – everyone has leaderboards, badges, point totals – while I do like the ranking of compliance, for example, GL is going to be a big winner in 26, especially with the variance of audiences, internal and external.
More of More – what is next? When you are #1, you have to continue on. I see so much that is out there, untapped in the industry, despite a heavy need for it – and I’m not limited to AI here – clearly a big play, though.
Bottom Line
There you go. The Top 10 Learning Systems for 2025.
To view and download this post, which includes screenshots (all the vendors were given this option, there are those who demurred at present) – anyway, just an fyi there. Oh, “report” includes a Summary generated by AI (verified by me) and takeaways generated by AI (verified as accurate by me).
Download will be available tomorrow – Jan 8th, 2026!
E-Learning 24/7
Estimated reading time: 38 minutes
Home » Top 10 Learning Systems for 2025: Rankings and Insights
Five new Professional Certificates and expanded offerings from industry and university partners reflect how learners are preparing for the future of work.
By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer
As 2026 gets underway, demand for generative AI and human-centered skills continues to rise, with learners moving beyond exploration toward application.
Coursera’s 2026 Fastest Growing Skillshighlights growing demand for skills like AI agents, AI assisted design, and critical thinking — and I’m pleased to share how our partners are bringing these skills to life on Coursera through new content designed for real-world application.
From Learning to Jobs: Professional Certificates for the AI Era
Professional Certificates play a critical role on Coursera by delivering job-relevant, hands-on learning and these newest programs teach the latest AI skills across technology, business, and operations.
Supply Chain Specialist* (Airbus) Launch a supply chain management career with AI-powered learning and real-world projects in logistics, procurement, forecasting, and sustainable strategy.
Canva Essentials (Coursera) Learn in-demand design and content creation skills using AI workflows and tools on the popular creative platform, Canva.
PyTorch for Deep Learning (DeepLearning.AI) Build, train, and deploy deep learning models with PyTorch, gaining practical experience in computer vision and NLP for modern AI systems.
Systems and Solutions Architect* (IBM) Build foundational skills in systems and solutions architecture, focusing on designing, integrating, and scaling tech solutions to meet business goals.
Machine Learning Engineer (SAS) Develop end-to-end machine learning skills, from statistics to ModelOps, deployment, and automation. Hands-on projects prepare learners for SAS certifications.
*denotes entry-level cert; no prior experience is needed.
Universities Anchoring AI with Rigor, Ethics, and Human Skills As AI adoption accelerates, universities play a critical role in grounding AI learning in ethics, communication, leadership, and academic rigor.
New university courses and Specializations includes:
New Partner Content Expanding What — and How — Learners Learn Alongside the growth of AI learning, we continue to welcome new partners, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and expand learning across the disciplines that matter most to the future of work.
New content from partners like AI Certs and the Minnesota State University, Mankato brings fresh perspectives to the platform, spanning leadership, communication, cybersecurity, and public health, combining AI fluency with career-readiness.
Recent courses and Specializations from new partners include:
AI for Healthcare (AI Certs) Apply AI tools ethically to healthcare diagnostics, analytics, and patient care.
AI for Health & Nursing (AI Certs) Leverage AI for clinical decisions, and nursing workflows with ethical, patient-centered care.
AI for Legal Practice (AI Certs) Use AI in legal workflows, decision-making, and data analysis for responsible legal practice.
For Amani Samba, entrepreneurship was never just an idea. It was something he was already living. With a background in IT and years of experience working on technology solutions such as access control systems and CCTV, he built a strong technical foundation early in his career. Alongside his professional work, he spent six to seven years developing entrepreneurial projects with his wife. Over time, those side ventures led him to a clear realization. He wanted to take what they had built and scale it properly.
“I wanted to equip myself with academic knowledge to enhance the business,” Amani explains. While he had hands-on experience, he knew that formal training would help him think more strategically. “Entrepreneurship was clearly my thing, so having a Master’s degree in that field felt essential.”
Finding a program that fit real life
In 2021, Amani began researching graduate programs that could help him turn hands-on experience into structured expertise. He wanted a program that would allow him to continue working while gaining deeper academic grounding.
When he came across the Executive MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at HEC Paris, it immediately felt like a strong fit. The fully online format meant he could study without stepping away from his career, and the flexibility of recorded live sessions made it realistic alongside professional and personal commitments.
Just as important was the reputation behind the degree. “The HEC brand is powerful,” Amani says. “And being part of the alumni network, that’s something that stays with you.”
Projects designed for real entrepreneurs
Completed over 18 months, the program was demanding in ways that felt purposeful. Managing coursework, projects, and professional responsibilities closely mirrored the realities of running a business.
“The project work and coursework were challenging,” Amani says,“but that was also the most beneficial. It gives you insight into what it really means to manage every side of a business.”
Rather than being overwhelming, the structure reinforced discipline and focus. “If you really know how to manage your time, you’ll know how to deal with it,” he adds.
A global network that extends beyond the classroom
Despite being delivered online, the program fostered meaningful collaboration. Working closely on projects led to strong connections with peers from around the world.
“You create this family,” Amani says, noting that his project group still stays in touch today.
That sense of community came full circle at graduation, when he traveled to France with his wife to attend the ceremony in person. “It was a grand ceremony,” he recalls. “Meeting my entire project team in person really felt like a reward.”
Results that speak for themselves
Today, he works in a consultancy role, applying the strategic and entrepreneurial mindset he developed throughout the program. Looking back, the value extends far beyond the credential itself. He describes the degree as “one of the best investments I’ve made in the last ten years.”
“Being part of HEC Paris opens doors,” Amani says. “And when you connect with people on campus and become part of this huge community, you really understand the power of it.”
By Anthony Salcito, General Manager for Enterprise, Coursera
I’m excited to share Coursera’s fifth annual Job Skills Report, which highlights the critical skills that individuals and institutions are prioritizing for 2026. Drawing from insights from nearly six million professionally-motivated enterprise learners and more than 7,000 institutional customers, this report offers a data-driven window into the key trends shaping the future of learning and work.
Last year, we all experienced the unprecedented acceleration driven by Generative AI. In 2026, that rate of change will continue to transform the skills landscape. AI is not only reshaping how we work and how we make decisions, but also how we develop the role-specific skills needed to stay competitive.
This year’s report examines skill trends through a new lens, shaped by these forces. We focus on three in-demand career areas that are driving value and innovation—Data, IT, and Software & Product Development—and the role of AI in augmenting and automating how tasks are performed across these fields. We also capture GenAI learning trends across our platform.
Key findings from the Job Skills Report 2026 include:
Learners recognize the need to layer role-specific AI knowledge on top of technical foundations.
With 14 enrollments per minute, GenAI remains the most in-demand skill in Coursera’s history. However, learners are aware that AI skills are most powerful when developed in combination with, or in ways that supplement, core technical competencies.
This underlies their efforts to prioritize skills in foundational technologies like SQL, JSON, and Web Applications—which remain indispensable for managing existing infrastructure—while actively layering on new AI competencies, in domains like Unsupervised Learning and Multimodal Prompts.
Critical thinking and validation skills are now recognized as core competencies for all learners.
As AI automates technical tasks, human skills are becoming indispensible. For instance, “human-in-the-loop” skills like Debugging are a top ten skill for IT learners; the Data cohort shows over 100% year-over-year growth in Data Quality (+108%) and Data Cleansing (+103%). This demand for validation skills is also evident in the significant year-over-year growth in Critical Thinking enrollments across all cohorts: +168% for Data, +101% for Software & Product, +91% for IT, and +185% for GenAI learners.
As workers increasingly offload entire tasks to AI agents rather than just iterating with them, the human role is shifting from collaborator to expert validator of the final output.
AI proficiency is now essential for non-technical roles.
Among all enterprise learners, enrollments in GenAI have increased by 234% year-over-year. The demand for AI-related skills extends far beyond engineering and IT: the #1 fastest-growing skill among learners who are specifically interested in GenAI skills development is Content Creation. This focus is complemented by skills that enable more sophisticated creative outputs, such as Image Analysis (#4) and Multimodal Prompts (#8).
The gender gap in tech and GenAI training is narrowing.
Across the three technical career areas we analyzed, the percentage of enterprise enrollments from women increased year-over-year, with Data rising from 32% to 35%, IT from 29% to 32%, and Software & Product Development from 30% to 33%. In addition, GenAI-related enrollments among female enterprise learners increased from 36% in 2024 to 41% in 2025.
By prioritizing accessible AI upskilling programs, leaders can tap into a diverse talent pool, accelerate inclusive economic growth, and close the gender gap in technical leadership.
The growth of verified credentials
Employers and job seekers are increasingly turning to verified credentials to make skills visible, credible, and trusted. Enrollments in Professional Certificates have increased by an average of 91% across all career areas analyzed in this report. This growth speaks to rising market demand for agile, industry-recognized micro-credentials that provide verifiable proof of skills mastery.
The Career Areas we analyzed for this report are also aligned with our recently-launched Coursera Skills Tracks, which offer pre-built learning pathways tailored to essential business functions. This enables us to identify growing skills and learning trends for high-impact roles across specialized areas such as Information Technology, Software & Product, and Data.
The Job Skills Report 2026 highlights the essential competencies that your teams, students, and citizens will need most to succeed in the year ahead. I hope this report helps you navigate your path forward with clarity—so you can lead, adapt, and thrive in a world where skills are changing faster than ever.
To help support you as you seek to make informed decisions for your institution, download the Job Skills Report 2026 here.
Today, I’m proud to welcome Cleveland Clinic, one of the world’s largest and top-ranked health systems, to Coursera.
This collaboration comes at a timely moment. As demand for healthcare workers continues to rise, the World Health Organization projects a global shortfall of 11 million healthcare workers by 2030. At the same time, GenAI is transforming the industry, with 85% of healthcare organizations exploring or adopting GenAI.
To help address this, Cleveland Clinic is launching two courses focused on applying in-demand technical skills in healthcare.
This course is taught by Ghaith Habboub, MD, a neurosurgeon and faculty member at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. It combines foundational principles with real-world perspectives from healthcare and AI experts to help clinicians, data scientists, and researchers learn how to apply AI in clinical settings.
The course focuses on three core areas:
Core principles of machine learning in healthcare.
Real-world healthcare processes that can be automated using AI algorithms.
How AI models solutions can support clinical expertise to foster innovation, enhance efficiency, and improve patient outcomes.
Dr. Habboub, an expert in medical technology, explains how to use machine learning techniques to analyze medical images and apply time-series data analysis through hands-on projects. Learners will design models to analyze MRIs to detect tumors and analyze vital signs to predict clinical events.
The course teaches how to:
Build and optimize convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for medical image classification and segmentation.
Apply transfer learning to improve AI model performance even when working with limited datasets.
Utilize sequence analysis to identify critical state transitions and patterns.
Amid a growing need to train healthcare professionals, this new collaboration helps learners gain the latest skills needed to support patients and communities around the world. We’re honored to have Cleveland Clinic join leading healthcare innovators on Coursera, including Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Moderna, and Novartis. Collectively, healthcare content on Coursera has already reached 14 million learners.
The most in-demand jobs in 2026 are being shaped less by job titles and more by skills. As technology evolves, remote work expands, and employers rethink how they hire, many traditional career paths are changing faster than expected. Roles that barely existed a few years ago are now in high demand, while others are being reshaped or replaced entirely.
If you’re wondering what the most in-demand jobs are right now, or which skills are worth learning to stay employable, this guide breaks it down clearly. Rather than focusing only on degrees or long-term study, it looks at practical, skills-first roles that employers are actively hiring for.
This list of the most in-demand jobs for 2026 covers a mix of tech, business, healthcare, sustainability, and remote-friendly careers. For each role, you’ll also find suggested learning areas and free online courses from Alison, so you can start building relevant skills straight away.
Why Traditional Career Paths Are Changing in 2026
Three shifts are pushing the most in-demand jobs to evolve rapidly:
AI and automation are reshaping roles: AI tools are reducing repetitive tasks and changing what “junior” roles look like, especially in office and knowledge work. That pushes the most in-demand jobs toward roles that combine human judgment with AI-supported output.
Remote work and global hiring trends: Remote-first teams are now normal in many companies, expanding access to the most in-demand jobs beyond big cities (and beyond borders).
Skills-first hiring is replacing degree-first hiring: Employers increasingly screen for skills, portfolios, projects, and practical skills, especially in AI and data.
Most In-Demand Jobs in 2026: Top Careers to Watch
Below is a snapshot of the most in-demand jobs expected to shape the workforce in 2026. These roles reflect where hiring demand is growing fastest, driven by technology, changing business needs, and shifting expectations around how and where work gets done. While many of these careers sit within tech, others span business, healthcare, sustainability, and customer-facing functions — showing that opportunity isn’t limited to one industry or background.
1. AI Prompt Engineer / AI Specialist
What they do: Build reliable prompts and workflows for AI tools, test outputs, reduce hallucinations, and help teams use AI safely and efficiently.
Key skills: Prompting patterns, evaluation, documentation, basic coding, domain knowledge, and AI ethics.
Recommended courses:
2. Data Analyst / Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst
What they do: Turn messy data into dashboards, insights, and recommendations leaders can use.
Sustainability and “green” skills continue to gain prominence in future-of-work research and are increasingly identified as among the fastest-growing skills and job roles.
How to Choose the Right Career Path for You
If you’re still asking yourself which of the most in-demand jobs you could realistically move into, it helps to take a step back and think about fit, not just demand.
Start by reflecting on the type of work you enjoy and feel confident doing. Some roles are more hands-on and creative, such as development or UX. Others are more analytical, like data or cybersecurity, while some focus on communication, influence, or operational support. There’s no “better” path. The goal is to choose one that matches how you prefer to work.
From there, focus on building one core skill at a time. Trying to learn everything at once often leads to frustration and burnout. A short, focused learning period, even 30 days, can be enough to build momentum and clarity.
Finally, aim to apply what you learn in practice. A small project, portfolio piece, or short case study will usually say more to employers than passive learning alone, especially when applying for the most in-demand jobs.
Start applying for roles that match your current level, including internships, junior roles, or apprenticeships
Start Building Your Future Skills Now
The most in-demand jobs in 2026 reward people who move early, build practical skills, and demonstrate their work. If you’ve been wondering what the most in-demand jobs (or what are the most in-demand tech jobs) are, pick one direction from this list and start learning for free today.
The job market in 2026 looks very different from what it was a decade ago. For years, a university degree acted as the default passport to opportunity. No degree often meant no interview, regardless of experience or ability. Today, that logic is breaking down. Skills-first hiring is reshaping how organisations recruit and who gets a fair shot.
This shift reflects a simple reality: employers care less about where someone studied and far more about what they can actually do. As industries evolve faster than formal education cycles, skills-first hiring has become a practical response to change. For job seekers and career changers, it opens doors that once felt firmly closed. For HR professionals, it offers a smarter, more inclusive way to build capable teams.
Defining The Shift: Skills-First vs. Degree-First
Skills-first hiring prioritises demonstrable abilities over academic pedigree. Instead of filtering candidates by degrees, employers assess job-readiness through practical tests, portfolios, and verified credentials. Degree-first hiring, by contrast, uses formal education as the primary screening tool, often before skills are evaluated at all. In a ZipRecruiter survey of 2,000 employers, 45% said they’d removed degree requirements for some roles in the past year. That said, degrees and licenses remain non-negotiable for many regulated professions, such as doctors, nurses, architects, lawyers and similar fields.
In the debate over skills-first vs. degree-first hiring, the difference lies in impact. Skills-first models widen access to talent, improve role fit, and reflect how people actually learn and work in 2026.
Why Employers Are Prioritising Skills Over Pedigree
The rise of skills-first hiring is not driven by ideology; it is driven by necessity.
Closing The Skills Gap
Technology, tools, and workflows change quickly. By the time a four-year degree is completed, parts of the curriculum may already be outdated. Employers increasingly need people who can contribute immediately, using current systems and methods.
Widening The Talent Pool
Degree filters are already fading from job ads: by January 2024, 52% of US Indeed postings listed no formal education requirement. Skills-first approaches allow organisations to tap into skilled candidates through alternative routes, such as short courses, workplace experience, micro-credentials, or self-directed learning. This creates access to motivated, capable talent that traditional filters often miss.
Reducing Costly Hiring Mistakes
Some roles will always require a degree, but for many jobs, what matters most is whether someone can actually do the work. When employers ask people to show what they can do through practical tasks and simple assessments, they get a much clearer picture than they do from credentials alone. For HR teams, skills-first hiring makes it easier to match the right person to the right role and can lead to stronger performance over time. But while skills-first is getting a lot of attention, not every company is fully acting on it yet: one major study found that in 2023, only about 97,000 additional hires without degrees were made out of 77 million total hires. That points to the real gap: employers need better ways to validate skills, not just policy changes.
Many organisations now focus on upskilling existing teams rather than relying solely on external hires. This is where learning management systems such as Alison’s Free LMS support skills-based workforce development. It is a skills-focused learning solution designed to help organisations build capable, job-ready teams at scale. It provides unlimited access to thousands of free courses across a range of categories, including Leadership, Digital Marketing, Compliance, and industry-specific competencies, enabling employees to build in-demand skills. Alison’s Free LMS supports workforce development through structured learning paths, skills tracking, and performance insights.
How A Skills-First Approach Benefits You As A Jobseeker
For individuals, skills-first hiring can be career-changing.
Levelling The Playing Field
High-growth sectors such as Technology, Project Management, Business Management, and Customer Service increasingly value proven skills over formal qualifications. This reduces the financial and time barriers traditionally associated with career progression, as Learners no longer need to commit to expensive, multi-year qualifications to demonstrate their capabilities. Instead, they can gain targeted, job-relevant skills through shorter, more affordable learning pathways that fit around work and personal commitments. They can upskill faster and progress based on demonstrated competence rather than prolonged formal education.
Supporting Career Transitions
Skills transfer across roles more easily than job titles. Teaching develops communication and facilitation skills useful in corporate training. Retail Management builds leadership and operational strengths applicable in logistics or operations roles. Skills-first hiring allows career changers to present this experience with confidence.
Alison’s Workplace Personality Assessment, combined with the Career Ready Plan, empowers Learners to make confident, informed career decisions. The assessment helps Learners identify their strengths, work preferences and natural abilities, while the Career Ready Plan turns these insights into clear, practical next steps. Together, they guide Learners toward suitable career paths, recommend targeted skills development, and provide structured learning journeys that build job-ready confidence.
How To Prove Your Skills In A Degree-Free Market
In a skills-first hiring environment, evidence matters.
Practical Assessments Are Replacing CV Filters
As employers increasingly rely on work-sample tests, simulations, and task-based interviews, you should focus on developing and practising real-world skills rather than relying solely on a resumé. Preparing for these assessments means gaining hands-on experience, working through realistic scenarios, and learning how to clearly explain your thinking, problem-solving approach, and outcomes, demonstrating how you apply knowledge in real situations.
Building A Digital Portfolio
A portfolio turns your skills into proof by showcasing real examples of what you can do. Depending on the role, this could include process improvements you designed, project plans you created, dashboards you built, training materials you developed, or short case studies that explain the problem, your approach, and the outcome.
The Value Of Verified Micro-Credentials
Short, targeted certifications provide structured proof of competence. When aligned with industry needs, they serve as credible alternatives to traditional modules.
Alison’s free Diploma courses offer in-depth, skills-focused credentials designed to support employability across industries.
Your Action Plan: Transitioning To A Skills-First Career
Succeeding with skills-first hiring requires focus rather than reinvention.
Audit Your Skills
Review job descriptions in your target role and list the most common requirements. Compare them with your current capabilities to identify strengths and gaps.
Bridge Gaps With Targeted Learning
Instead of long academic programmes, short learning paths can efficiently close gaps.
Pair each course with a small practical project to reinforce learning and strengthen your portfolio.
Optimise Your CV For Skills-Based Screening
Modern Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) rank candidates by keyword relevance. A skills-focused CV should clearly highlight your competencies, supported by measurable outcomes. Use Alison’s free Resumé Builder to create a CV designed for skills-first screening.
Future-Proof Your Career With Skills-First Hiring
The shift towards skills-first hiring reflects a broader move towards merit, adaptability, and lifelong learning. For employers, it creates stronger, more agile teams. For job seekers and career changers, it restores control over progression and potential. As the distinction between skills-first vs. degree-first hiring continues to shape recruitment, those who invest in learning and skill development will be best positioned to succeed. The future of work belongs to people who keep building, refining, and proving what they can do.
Start developing your transferable skill set today with Alison’s 6,000+ free online courses and take advantage of a job market that values ability over background.
AI is no longer a “nice to have” skill. In 2026, it’s shaping how people write, analyse, research, and make decisions at work. For professionals trying to stay relevant, the real challenge isn’t whether to use AI – it’s knowing which tool to use, and when.
For years, ChatGPT has dominated the conversation. By late 2025, it had reached 800 million weekly active users, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and recorded roughly 5.7 billion monthly visits, according to Similarweb. But popularity alone no longer tells the full story.
Google’s Gemini has closed the gap fast, growing to 350 million monthly active users by June 2025 and further expanding to 450 million monthly active users a month later, as Google pushed the tool deeper into its ecosystem. As AI assistants become embedded in everyday work, choosing the wrong one, or relying on only one, can quietly slow you down.
This is why AI literacy is becoming a core career skill. Understanding how tools like Gemini and ChatGPT work and where each fits best helps professionals work faster, think more clearly, and make better decisions. Many learners start by building this foundation through free AI courses, which focus on practical, work-ready skills rather than theory
This article breaks down the Gemini vs ChatGPT debate, not in terms of hype, but in terms of career impact: productivity, output quality, and the skills employers increasingly expect.
Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: Is It a Battle for Dominance?
Yes, but dominance in 2026 isn’t about who has the most advanced tech or the loudest hype. It’s about which tool becomes your everyday advantage at work. In the Gemini vs ChatGPT battle, Gemini emphasises context (handling vast amounts of information) and seamless integration into the Google ecosystem, while ChatGPT continues to win hearts with its creativity, tone control, and rapid content iteration. If your goal is career growth, the “winner” is the tool that matches your work day to day, and knowing when to use both is the real power move. Want to future-proof your skills?
At a practical level, the key differences between Gemini and ChatGPT come down to information handling, integration, data analysis, and customisation. Gemini supports one million tokens (a small unit of text AI reads, roughly 3-4 characters), which means it can process very large files in one go. It also integrates with Google Workspace and allows users to create custom “Gems” for repeat tasks. ChatGPT also handles large-file analysis, works with Google content (though not as Google’s primary assistant), uses Python for data analysis, and lets users build custom GPTs tailored to specific needs.
Google Workspace Integration
Gemini: Of course, this tool was designed to work seamlessly within Google Workspace.
ChatGPT: Although it can work with documents and Gmail content, it isn’t a first-party assistant for Google Workspace.
Data Analysis
Gemini: It can analyse data; however, Google’s positioning leans toward long-context understanding.
ChatGPT: Data analysis uses Python with pandas and Matplotlib for charts and analysis.
Custom Assistants
Gemini: Allows users to create “Gems”, customisable assistants designed for repeat tasks.
ChatGPT: Allows users to create custom GPTs with tailored information, questions and files.
These differences make one thing clear: Gemini vs ChatGPT isn’t about which is universally better; it’s about which fits your unique needs at work. Gemini excels at absorbing and synthesising information within Google-focused environments, while ChatGPT delivers rapid, creative, and polished output.
A valuable resource is Alison’s Diploma in Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence course, a practical, skills-first foundation for using AI effectively at work. If you’re looking to build confidence with prompting, productivity workflows, and responsible AI use (especially inside Google tools), it can sharpen how you use Gemini day-to-day, and it also translates well to getting better results from ChatGPT.
Gemini vs ChatGPT: The Gap Is Closing
The debate around this topic is quickly coming to a close, and the numbers speak for themselves. Similarweb reports show that ChatGPT usage has dipped to 68%, whilst Gemini’s has climbed to 18%.
Google says around 2 billion Android devices are in use every month, and with the AI tool installed as the default assistant on many of them, Gemini has a significant distribution channel. However, Gemini isn’t necessarily installed on all 2 billion devices.
The Skill Gap: AI Literacy Now Means “Bilingual”
While the gap between Gemini and ChatGPT might be closing, another is growing – the AI literacy gap. Being AI-literate means being able to switch between tools with ease, whether it’s Gemini for deep research and long-form context or ChatGPT for writing and content production. Building that flexibility often starts with an Introduction to AI in Business, because understanding how AI creates value (and where its limits are) makes it much easier to choose the right tool for the right task. If you only know one side of the ChatGPT vs Gemini debate, you’re limiting your output and your employability.
Which AI Is Better for Your Career?
For most marketing roles, choosing the right tool comes down to output. ChatGPT tends to be faster for:
SEO outlines, intros, FAQs, and a clean structure
Brand voice rewrites (“make this sound more confident/warmer/funnier”)
Content repurposing (blogs, newsletters, social captions)
Iterative editing
To get the best results from ChatGPT, the quality of your prompt matters. Clear, specific instructions consistently produce sharper, more useful responses, which is exactly what ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Beginner to Expert teaches: how to structure prompts, refine them, and get reliably high-quality output.
If your work is research-heavy and requires trusted sources, Gemini’s ability to handle huge inputs is a major advantage. Gemini works especially well for:
Summarising long reports and extracting key claims
Comparing multiple sources and spotting contradictions
Building research briefs and decision memos from piles of material
That said, pairing Gemini’s long-context strengths with the skills you learn from a course like Machine Learning with Artificial Intelligence can improve your research process because you’re not just summarising information, you’re learning how the underlying models find patterns, weigh signals, and generate predictions. Knowing all of this makes it easier to ask better questions, validate insights, and turn source-heavy inputs into decisions you can actually defend.
Conclusion: Don’t Just Choose, Master Both
Both tools are evolving fast, and the real advantage isn’t picking a side; it’s knowing when to switch. In the Gemini vs ChatGPT comparison:
Gemini tends to win for Google-centric workflows and research-heavy tasks at scale
ChatGPT tends to win for creative writing, tone control, and SEO production speed
Ready to upskill? Start Alison’s free AI courses and build practical skills now.
Online learning has moved from a niche option to a mainstream pathway between 2020 and 2026, according to The Business Research Company, with the global e-learning market estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars and still growing strongly. For professionals focused on promotions, new roles, and better pay, the big question isn’t whether to learn online but where.
And the options are plenty. Two popular learning platforms are Alison and Udemy, but not all e-learning platforms are the same. Some focus on microcredentials, others on longer learning pathways, and a few fall somewhere in between. So, how do Alison and Udemy stack up against each other?
Both platforms offer Learners flexible, self-paced study, but they take different approaches to pricing, certification, and career development support. In this guide, you’ll see how Alison vs Udemy stack up for real career advancement, so you can choose the platform that fits your budget best and supports your career goals.
In short, Udemy offers a variety of instructor-led videos, while Alison’s model leans more deliberately toward structured, accredited learning with career support tools that are easier to use directly for career progression.
Alison Overview: Strengths for Career Advancement
Alison is a free online learning platform designed around practical, employment-ready skills. Learners can access thousands of Certificate and Diploma courses at no cost, paying only if they wish to receive a printed or digital Certificate.
Crucial for career advancement, Alison’s publishing process is accredited by the CPD UK, confirming that their courses meet globally recognised standards for Continuing Professional Development. Alison offers a complete set of free career tools, including Aptitude Tests, Workplace Personality Assessment, and Mental Health Assessment, to help you understand your strengths and work style. The platform also provides an online Career Guide (with information on hundreds of careers and recommended skills and courses to pursue them), plus practical tools such as a Resumé Builder and a Career Ready Plan to help you start a new job or change careers.
Key Benefits for Career Progression
Free access to all courses: You can study as many programmes as you like without paying, and only invest in a Certificate when you’re ready to showcase your skills.
Globally recognised Certificates: Alison’s course publishing process meets CPD accreditation standards, giving them added credibility with employers and professional bodies.
Strong focus on workplace readiness: Courses available on Alison emphasise applied skills, assessments, and practical knowledge that transfer easily into real job tasks, alongside career-development tools that support learners with CV building, interview preparation, and job readiness.
Alison is built for everyone, regardless of where you are in your career or what your next step looks like. It’s especially useful for:
Career starters who want to build foundational skills and confidence as they enter the workforce.
Jobseekers who need recognised Certificates to strengthen their CV or professional profile.
Career changers who want to explore new paths and gain relevant skills before making a move.
Upskillers and professionals who want to sharpen their knowledge and stay current in their roles.
People returning to the workforce after a break, who want to refresh their skills, rebuild confidence, and ease back into working life.
SME owners and team leaders who want to develop their staff without a large training budget.
Udemy Overview: Strengths for Career Building
Udemy at a Glance
Udemy is a vast online learning marketplace that connects learners with independent instructors. Anyone who meets Udemy’s guidelines can create and sell courses, resulting in a variety of teaching styles, course formats, and production quality.
Key Benefits for Skill Growth
Wide variety of topics: From coding and marketing to personal hobbies, Udemy often has a course for almost any subject you can think of.
Great for niche or hobby learning: Because instructors create their own content, there are numerous highly specific or experimental topics available.
Instructor-led video focus: Many learners prefer to follow a particular instructor’s teaching style and personality.
Udemy is not an accredited institution, and its certificates are certificates of completion rather than formally recognised credentials. While they can demonstrate motivation and a willingness to learn, they generally carry less weight than accredited certificates when it comes to formal career progression or recognised qualifications.
Who Thrives With Udemy
Udemy often works best for:
Learners who want a single-topic course on a specific tool or framework.
People who want to explore hobbies or niche interests.
Professionals who enjoy instructor-led videos and picking teachers based on ratings and reviews.
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Here’s how the choice between Alison and Udemy typically plays out for most learners.
If Your Goal is Career Advancement or Promotion
If your primary focus is securing a promotion, changing careers, returning to the workforce, or improving your overall employability, Alison is a strong fit. Alongside its CPD-accredited courses and free access model, Alison offers built-in career-development tools such as CV building, interview preparation, and skills assessments, making it easier to demonstrate a clear and credible upskilling journey to employers.
In this case, Alison is the more strategic option.
If You Want Instructor-Led Videos or Very Niche Topics
For learners who prefer personality-driven teaching or highly specialised subjects, Udemy’s marketplace is a strong fit. Just keep in mind that, for formal career progression, certificates typically serve as supporting evidence alongside more formal or accredited credentials.
Final Verdict: Alison vs Udemy for Career Progression
Both platforms have a place in a modern learner’s toolkit, but they serve different purposes. In the Alison vs Udemy comparison, Udemy offers a wide variety of instructor-led video-based courses covering niche topics. This makes Udemy ideal for quick skill boosts and exploratory learning.
For sustained career advancement, though, the essentials are recognised courses backed by an accredited publishing process, structured learning, and affordability. Alison brings these together through free, skills-based programmes and a suite of valuable career tools.
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