AI may be dominating headlines and boardroom conversations, but is it causing organizations to overlook other critical workforce challenges?

In this episode of TrendWatch, Seth Robinson explores new findings from CompTIA's Workforce and Learning Trends research, revealing how employers are balancing the demand for AI skills with broader technology skill gaps, employee development, and workforce planning.

Discover why AI is not the only priority organizations should be focusing on, how technology leaders are approaching workforce development, and why industry credentials continue to play an important role in hiring, training, and validating skills.

Topics covered:

• AI skills versus foundational technology skills
• Workforce development and talent gaps
• Learning and development trends
• Skills based hiring
• The growing importance of credentials and certifications
• Measuring training outcomes and ROI
• Building a future ready workforce

Read the full research report and explore more industry insights at CompTIA.org.

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The pressure to build a skilled workforce has never been higher — but are organizations actually following through? In this episode of CompTIA TrendWatch, Senior Director of Research Seth Robinson walks through highlights from CompTIA's newly released Workforce and Learning Trends report. This year's research expanded its scope to include IT leaders alongside HR and learning and development professionals, revealing a more complete — and more complicated — picture of how organizations are approaching skill development in 2025.

With 83% of surveyed professionals ranking skill building as a high priority, the intent is clearly there. But intent and execution are two different things. Seth digs into where organizations are putting their money, where communication is breaking down, and why the gap between HR and IT may be one of the biggest obstacles standing between a company and a truly future-proof workforce.

Organizations are concentrating training investments in three areas above all others — AI, cybersecurity, and data. But the report also highlights growing investment in digital fluency across the entire workforce, not just the IT department. As AI literacy becomes a baseline expectation at every level, organizations are being forced to rethink how they assess and develop skills across the board.

One of the more revealing findings is the disconnect between how HR and IT perceive the risks and rewards of training. HR worries about retention. IT worries about ROI. Understanding that divide is the first step toward closing it.

The Workforce and Learning Trends 2026 report is available now: https://www.comptia.org/en/resources/research/workforce-and-learning-trends-2026/

Technology hiring is evolving around the world, but some trends remain surprisingly consistent.

In this episode of CompTIA TrendWatch, Seth Robinson explores new workforce data from the EMEA and APAC regions, uncovering how tech hiring patterns compare to the United States. From software and cybersecurity roles to the growing importance of skills-based hiring, this conversation examines how organizations worldwide are building the future tech workforce.

Topics include:

• Global distribution of tech job roles
• How industries outside of tech are hiring technology talent
• The rise of skills-focused hiring practices
• Why international markets are investing heavily in early-career talent
• Differences between U.S., EMEA, and APAC hiring trends
• What these shifts mean for employers and aspiring tech professionals

As digital transformation accelerates worldwide, understanding where the workforce is heading has never been more important.

Explore CompTIA Research:
https://www.comptia.org/resources/research

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