Companies ramp up mid and senior-level training as AI reshapes workplaces

Companies are prioritizing mid and senior-level training as AI and generative AI reshape workplaces. Demand for leadership and specialized skill development is rising, with IT, BFSI, and manufacturing sectors leading initiatives to enhance employee retention and career progression

New Delhi: Companies have doubled down on their focus on training mid and senior-level employees as artificial intelligence and generative AI reshape workplaces, a report said on Monday.

In FY25, training demand for mid-level employees rose to 35 per cent from 15 per cent in FY24, said the report from global ed-tech company Great Learning. Further, the demand for senior-level training more than doubled year-on-year, signalling a deliberate shift toward strengthening leadership pipelines and succession planning, the report said.

---

The report was prepared from the surveys of Learning and Development (L&D) leaders and Business Unit (BU) heads at large firms with more than 10,000 employees. Early-career training, which accounted for over 80 per cent of the edtech company’s training programs in FY24, declined in FY25 due to macroeconomic caution that hindered large-scale entry-level onboarding, especially within the technology sector.

However, a strong rebound was shown in FY26, with thousands of early-career professionals trained in the first half of the year. The training is focusing heavily on high-demand capabilities like AI and Generative AI in step with fast-evolving market demands, the report said.

Approximately 48 per cent of organisations prioritising this domain are from the IT and IT-Enabled Services (IT/ITeS) sector, followed by 14 per cent from Manufacturing and Supply Chain, and 10 per cent each from Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals.

As AI and emerging technologies reshape the landscape of work, enterprises are prioritising internal talent development over traditional hiring, said Ritesh Malhotra, Enterprise Head at Great Learning.

Among organisations focusing on Data Science and Analytics, IT/ITeS leads with 47 per cent and BFSI at 21 per cent. To boost employee retention and career progression, 26 per cent of companies customise programmes for specific roles, 25 per cent update training content to align with industry trends, the report said.

As much as 19 per cent of companies prioritise certifications, and 13 per cent allocate resources to external expert collaboration and regular skills-gap analyses, the edtech company said.