L&D and Training Industry Trends
The trends reshaping learning and development and the training industry — what's hype, what's real, and what to act on now.
- DMDave Murphy· Co-Founder & CRO
The biggest L&D and training trends right now are AI in training, a renewed focus on instructor-led delivery, and pressure to scale without adding headcount. Training budgets are growing, demand for skills is rising, and the teams that win are the ones turning that demand into leverage rather than more hiring.
How much do companies spend on training?
U.S. training spending reached $102.8 billion in 2025, up 4.9% year over year, with training-staff payroll up 7% (per Research.com, drawing on Training Magazine, LinkedIn Learning, the World Economic Forum, and Pew). The headline: investment in training is growing, not shrinking.
The biggest L&D trends for 2026
- AI in training is mainstreaming. 37% of companies now use AI in training, up from 25% in 2024, and four in five professionals want to build AI skills — more in AI in L&D.
- Retention is the driver. 90% of companies list employee retention as a top concern and see learning as a key strategy.
- Outsourced delivery is the norm. 62% of training facilitation is outsourced, raising the importance of instructor coordination.
- Resourcing is the top pain. 41% of organizations say lack of resources and staffing is their biggest training challenge.
Is instructor-led training declining?
No — the opposite. Delivery is still mostly live: about 28% of hours are live classroom ILT and 24% are virtual live (VILT), so instructor-led formats account for roughly 52% of all training, with self-paced around a third. The story isn't ILT fading; it's ILT that needs to scale.
What skills are most in demand?
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report points to AI and big data, cybersecurity, and technology skills rising fastest through 2030 — alongside analytical thinking, leadership, and resilience. The technical and the human are both climbing.
The bottom line
The through-line across every 2026 trend is the shift from headcount to leverage: more demand, still-live delivery, rising costs, stretched teams. That's why training management software has become core infrastructure — it's how teams deliver more instructor-led training without expanding the back office.
Written by Dave Murphy. TryTami is training management software for instructor-led and blended programs.
Frequently asked questions
What are the biggest L&D trends right now?
AI in training (used by 37% of companies, up from 25% in 2024), a renewed focus on instructor-led and virtual instructor-led training, measuring training ROI, and scaling delivery without adding headcount.
How much do companies spend on training?
U.S. training spending reached $102.8 billion in 2025, up 4.9% year over year, with training-staff payroll up about 7%.
Is instructor-led training declining?
No. Instructor-led and virtual instructor-led training together still account for roughly 52% of all training delivered — over half — with self-paced making up about a third.
What skills are most in demand through 2030?
The World Economic Forum points to AI and big data, cybersecurity, and technology skills rising fastest, alongside analytical thinking, leadership, and resilience.
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