How can we build the critical skills most needed in business today?

Today’s businesses face a critical skills gap, which has increased and worsened over time. xUnlocked exists to close this gap across sustainability, finance, and data and AI. Across our learning platforms, Sustainability Unlocked, Finance Unlocked, and our more recently launched Data Unlocked, we specifically target and break down complexity, equipping individuals and teams across the workforce with the skills to keep pace with changing times.

In this interview recorded at this year’s Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference, our CEO and Co-Founder Henry White, explains xUnlocked’s mission within the context of the broader, shifting landscape. How is AI changing learning? Will L&D get bypassed by accelerations in AI? And what does the volatile macroeconomic climate mean for the future of sustainability? Watch the video to find out more...

How to develop the right critical skills: Developing deep layers of communication is key

According to the World Economic Forum, the jobs growing at the fastest rate are in two areas: AI and machine learning, and sustainability. Yet the skills gap in both of these areas is vast. 

• 92% of firms think their productivity and profitability are being impacted by skills shortages Financial Services Skills Commission, 2022
• Only 3% of businesses possess the skills needed to capture the sustainability opportunity, Economist Impact, 2024
• 70% of professionals lack proficiency in data analytics and machine learning, Financial Services Skills Commission, 2024 

This isn’t simply about upskilling more coding engineers and climate scientists, it’s about addressing the much wider communication and knowledge problem, enabling the understanding and interpretation of complex information, applied across roles and domains. Developing these skills at scale is highly challenging, not least because businesses lack existing experience in these areas.

This is where xUnlocked steps in, partnering with organisations to implement learning programmes that deliver business impact. 

Tips for success

• Empowering an executive sponsor: Crucial for creating credibility, demonstrating alignment with wider goals, and increasing visibility in areas where pre-existing knowledge is scarce. The ideal executive sponsor is the CEO who can convey a clear sense of why learning programmes in these areas are so important, and how they connect to business strategy. 
• Communicating strategic intent: It is vital to ensure everyone across the business understands, and is fully engaged, with the reasons for training — messaging why it is important to individuals, the business and the wider, global community. The ‘why’ should underpin all messaging to learners. 
• A messaging roadmap: These entirely new skills areas can be a source of fear for many. A framework for structured messaging and outreach to learners, which starts before launching the programme and continues throughout the learning journey, will help allay anxieties, reduce resistance, and address any issues before they become roadblocks.
• Tailored learning: It’s easy to get lost in the noise, especially in the accelerating world of AI.  Deciding which learning content is required across different individuals/teams and departments, which considers both depth and breadth of content, is essential to avoid overwhelming people with complex content too soon. 
• Supportive culture: Success in learning across complex topics requires building a culture of continuous learning. A sustainability committee or AI hacking group, or a few key learning champions, can play an important role in nurturing a safe environment, in which people feel inspired to learn and embrace change. 

More about xUnlocked: Closing the critical skills gap

xUnlocked is a trusted learning partner to high-stakes industries, helping to equip business leaders and employees in the missing skills that risk crippling business growth.

xUnlocked excels in precision learning, with learning solutions dedicated to the skills that drive informed decision making, operational agility, innovation, and business impact. On-demand learning videos and pathways, featuring world-leading expert practitioners, break down and demystify complex topics, making learning trusted, credible, and shaped to business needs. 

In this area of complex, critical skills, the partnership approach is vital for success. That is why xUnlocked works alongside clients, taking a tailored approach that personalises the learning experience across individuals and teams.

xUnlocked works with many different organisations across sectors to deliver the end-to-end learning solutions that solve the challenge of today’s critical skills gap. To find out more, contact us for a chat and a demo, and discover the ways in which xUnlocked is shaping the workforce of the future.