93% of employees say they would value access to accredited AI qualifications or development programmes. Yet structured AI training is reaching a significant proportion of the workforce in just 35% of organisations.
The contrast, revealed in Kaplan's ‘From AI to ROI: Who owns the problem?’ report, highlights a clear disconnect between employees' appetite to develop their AI skills and the opportunities available to them.
For businesses, this raises a question that goes beyond whether AI training is available at all: are employees being given enough opportunity to develop their skills in a structured and meaningful way?
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in the workplace, understanding what employees want from their development is an important part of making that transition work for both people and organisations.
A workforce ready to learn
There is an important distinction between employees being willing to use AI and employees having the opportunity to develop their skills.
The research suggests the willingness is there, with more than nine in ten employees saying they would value access to accredited AI development.
At the same time, some employees are being expected to work with AI without sufficient support. A third (33%) say they've been asked to use AI without receiving enough training, while 26% remain uncertain about how AI should be used.
This suggests that adoption and capability are not necessarily developing at the same pace. Employees may be willing to engage with AI, but without the right support, they are left to work out for themselves how best to use it.
Employers should prioritise to create a clear route for them to build the skills and confidence to use it effectively.
Structured development could meet that demand
The strong preference for accredited development is particularly significant because it suggests employees aren't necessarily looking for isolated advice or informal experimentation.
They want a way to build their skills that has some structure and recognition behind it, which aligns with the views of business leaders. 77% of C-suite leaders believe formal accreditation is important when developing AI capability.
There is therefore a degree of alignment between employees and senior leaders: both see value in structured, recognised development.
For businesses, this creates an opportunity to turn that shared interest into defined learning pathways that support employees as their use of AI develops.
Learning needs to connect with real work
While structure matters, employees also want AI development to be practical. 50% of those surveyed identified on-the-job learning as the most effective way to build AI skills.
This is an important consideration for organisations designing AI development.
Employees need to understand how AI relates to the tasks, decisions and challenges they encounter in their own roles. Learning is more likely to have an impact when employees can apply new knowledge directly to the work they do.
This means structured development does not have to sit separately from everyday work. Organisations can provide a framework for learning while giving employees opportunities to practise and apply those skills in context.
Apprenticeships can provide a structured route for developing AI capabilities while allowing employees to apply their learning directly in the workplace.
As part of Kaplan’s AI apprenticeship programmes, immersive Learning Labs give learners opportunities to put their knowledge into practice, test their skills and apply them to real business challenges. This can help employees move from understanding AI to using it effectively in the context of their roles.
There is already evidence that training is valued
Among employees who received AI training during the past 12 months, 81% describe it as effective.
This provides an encouraging indication that employees can see value in AI training when they have access to it.
The challenge for businesses is therefore how to make effective development part of a broader approach to AI capability, rather than treating training as an isolated intervention.
What can businesses take from the findings?
For employers, the findings point towards a more considered approach to AI development. Rather than treating training as a one-off response to AI adoption, businesses can build development into how employees learn and use the technology.
This could include:
- making structured development available across the organisation
- connecting learning to employees' day-to-day responsibilities
- giving employees opportunities to apply new skills in practice
- reviewing development needs as the use of AI continues to evolve
The support employees receive throughout their development also matters. Expert guidance from Kaplan tutors can help learners stay on track, build confidence and apply what they are learning as their use of AI develops.
The right approach will depend on how AI is being used within each organisation. Different roles will require different levels and types of support, so development should reflect those needs.
The key is to establish an approach that can develop alongside the organisation's use of AI, rather than providing training only when a new tool or technology is introduced.
Giving employees the opportunity to keep up
The findings point to a clear opportunity for businesses: employees are ready to develop their AI skills, but organisations need to provide the right conditions for that development.
AI adoption is changing the skills employees need and how they carry out their work. Providing structured, practical opportunities to learn can help employees build the capability they need as AI becomes a more established part of their roles.
Kaplan can help organisations turn this appetite for development into practical AI capability, combining structured learning with expert tutor guidance and support throughout the learner journey.
This gives businesses a way to develop skills alongside their use of AI, rather than treating training as a one-off response to new technology.
Discover these insights and more in Kaplan's AI to ROI report.
FAQs
What type of AI training do employees want?
Employees show a strong preference for development that is structured and recognised. In Kaplan's research, 93% say they would value access to accredited AI qualifications or development programmes.
Why does accreditation matter for AI training?
Accreditation can give employees a recognised outcome from their learning and provide a clearer development pathway. The research also found that 77% of C-suite leaders believe formal accreditation is important when developing AI capability.
How can AI training be made relevant to employees' roles?
Training can be connected to the tasks, responsibilities and challenges employees encounter in their day-to-day work. For some employees, an apprenticeship can provide a structured route to developing AI skills alongside their existing responsibilities, with learning tailored to the needs of their role and organisation.
Is on-the-job learning enough for AI skills development?
On-the-job learning is highly valued by employees, with 50% identifying it as the most effective approach to building AI skills. It can complement structured development by giving employees opportunities to apply what they learn in real working situations.
What does employee demand for AI training mean for businesses?
The findings from Kaplan’s report suggest businesses have an opportunity to respond to a clear appetite for AI development by making structured, relevant and recognised learning available to employees as AI becomes increasingly embedded in their work.
Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide, among three samples of:
- ● 1000 UK employees within transformation-heavy sectors and functions in companies with 50+ employees where AI deployment is active (excludes Business owners and C-Level Execs) between 10.07.2026 - 21.07.2026
- ● 600 UK HR and L&D decision makers (HR directors, L&D managers, People and Talent leads) with 50+ employees, whose organisation is using AI between 10.07.2026 – 22.07.2026
- ● 600 (Aged 25+) C-Suite and Director level; in specific sectors; whose organisations use AI; and at companies of 50+ employees between 10.07.2026 – 22.07.2026
Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles