Learning Trends Report 2027

What if some of the biggest changes are happening outside the spotlight? As organisations set their priorities for 2027, our new report explores what may be missing from the conversation.

The future of work has never attracted more attention. Organisations are investing in AI, rethinking workforce strategies and accelerating transformation. There is no shortage of predictions about what comes next.

But amid the urgency to prepare for the future, what if some of the most consequential changes are happening outside the spotlight?

It's a question worth asking as organisations set their priorities for 2027.

Beyond the Headlines

For months, the Simitri team has been examining global research, gathering perspectives from professionals across our network and challenging our own assumptions about the forces shaping leadership, learning and organisational performance.

We wanted to look beyond the predictions and understand what the evidence was telling us about the challenges organisations may not yet be giving enough attention.

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What caught our attention wasn't simply the pace of change. It was the potential disconnect between where organisations are directing their investments and the capabilities they will need to deliver on them.

Following that thread led us to three closely connected trends, each raising important questions about how organisations prepare for the future.

1. Trend 01

   The Leadership Deficit

2. Trend 02

   AI as a Thinking Partner

3. Trend 03

   Building the Enterprise Capability Ecosystem

While each trend matters individually, their significance becomes clearer when considered together. They point to the same conclusion: in an AI-accelerated world, the human edge is built, not assumed.

When Progress Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Organisations are accustomed to measuring progress.

• Technology deployed.
• Programmes completed.
• Transformation milestones achieved.

These are important indicators. But they don't necessarily tell us whether an organisation is becoming better equipped to respond, adapt and perform.

Because the decisions organisations make today won't just determine what they can deliver next year. They will influence what their people and businesses are capable of achieving in the years that follow.

The Simitri Learning Trends Report 2027 examines this challenge through research, organisational examples and practical implications for business, HR and L&D leaders.

It offers a perspective on what deserves closer attention, where familiar assumptions may need to be reconsidered and what these shifts could mean for the decisions ahead.

A Different Starting Point for 2027

As organisations review their strategies and investment priorities, perhaps the most valuable exercise isn't immediately deciding what more to do.

The findings invite leaders to look beyond visible activity, question what meaningful progress really looks like and consider whether today's priorities are building tomorrow's capabilities.

Because preparing for the future isn't simply about keeping up with change. It's about being capable of responding to what comes next.