L&D Investment

Survey 2023
Unlocking the Value of Learning
Table of Contents
Foreword 3

Executive summary 4

Global findings 7
1. Learning works, and organizations are eager to invest 8
2. Organizations are turning to learning to achieve targets 11
3. Acquiring the skills needed for the AI future 13
L&D: A catalyst for change 15
4. Cutting through the content chaos to deliver true value 16

Country findings 18
Asia Pacific
India 19
Singapore 19

Europe
France 20
Germany 20
United Kingdom 21

Latin America
Colombia 22
Mexico 22

North America
United States 23

Methodology 25

Endnotes 26

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Table of contents 2

Foreword
by Trena Minudri

In 2023, a dynamic macroenvironment, the rise of generative AI and its projected

impact on the workforce, and a continued embrace of globalized and remote Organizational agility is
workplaces have all placed pressure on how businesses operate. comprised of technical agility
Historically, when companies encounter turbulent times, one of the first cost-cuts and talent agility:
has been learning and development (L&D) programs. But accelerated change
requires increased organizational agility as workforces today must learn, change,
and grow quickly enough to keep up with new threats and opportunities. There’s a
multiplying and magnifying effect when you don’t prioritize learning—not only do Technical agility is the
your employees stop growing, but the world keeps going on without you. ability to identify and deploy
innovative new solutions to
New research explored in this survey of 650 L&D and HR leaders indicates a
drive business outcomes
greater investment in talent development against the backdrop of a fast-evolving
market. Our research finds that over 95% of learning and HR leaders have seen a
budget increase this year, along with a substantial (51%) year-over-year increase in
executive leadership viewing L&D as a strategic business function.
Talent agility is the capacity
The signal is clear: Around the world, L&D and HR leaders and other learning for teams to retrain, rethink,
leaders are moving from the backroom to the boardroom to help their and reinvent flexibly when
organizations meet mission-critical goals. faced with disruption

According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, 60% of companies
said that bridging skills gaps is a main barrier to transforming their business, with
61% of workers requiring retraining by 2027.1 Business leaders are recognizing that
they must invest in talent development to realize their technology ambitions and
deliver business outcomes. As learning and people leaders, we recognize that an
engaged and motivated workforce is a productive one, and providing professional
development opportunities for employees can help both individuals and the
broader organization achieve its goals.

In an age of relentless disruption, digital transformation and talent development

must go hand in hand. HR and L&D leaders will play a vital role in helping
companies navigate emerging challenges—I’ve personally never felt my mission as
a CLO more immediately. I hope the data and insights offered in this report act as a
catalyst for new ideas that organizations can embrace to build more engaged and
agile workforces.

Trena Minudri
Chief Learning Officer, Coursera

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Foreword 3

Executive summary
To gather insights on the state of corporate learning and development,
Coursera partnered with Rep Data to survey 650 learning leaders across
eight countries and seven industries. The results provide a global snapshot
of the challenges and opportunities facing L&D and HR leaders today, in addition
to industry- and country-specific insights. Our sample sizes enabled us to obtain
results with an industry-standard range of error at a 95% confidence level.

Here’s what you’ll learn about:

→ The rising executive support for L&D programs.

→ Key indicators L&D leaders use to gauge program success.

→ Business priorities fueling the push for L&D.

→ Essential skills at the forefront of learning leaders' agendas.

→ S
 trategies to navigate and streamline the "content chaos"
in L&D programs.

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Executive summary 4

The survey results convey
four key insights:
1. L&D is receiving greater support and budget from executives,
suggesting an increasingly important role for L&D in achieving
core organizational goals in the year ahead.

L&D budgets in comparison to last year:

Question: Thinking about 2023 compared to 2022, what budget changes did your company
see for this year?

L&D budget 5 % 50 % 45 %

n =650, Single select

No change (less than 5% up or down)

Slight increase (up 5% – 10%)

Significant increase (up 10% or more)

2. L&D programs are especially crucial for driving productivity, staying

in step with the competition, and boosting rates of employee
engagement and talent retention.

The top five factors driving urgency for L&D programs are:
Question: Thinking about your organization going forward, how important will these factors
be in driving urgency for reskilling/upskilling?

Increasing
68 %
productivity

Keeping up with
58 %
the competition

Driving
58 %
engagement

Changing
57%
technologies

Employee
56 %
retention

n =650, Single-select rating

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Executive summary 5

3. L
 &D leaders are prioritizing business and human skills, but have the
opportunity to invest more in AI skills as the technology progresses.

Question: Please rank these skills in of L&D and HR leaders

order of priority for your organization rated AI as a skill
and executive leadership. 19 % development priority
for their organizations’
L&D programs

n=650, Ranking & Single-select rating

Question A: To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements?

Question B: Following up on how you currently feel about your organization, how would you
have answered the same questions 12 months ago?

Executive leadership prioritizes investing in L&D to ensure that our

technology ambitions are successful.

75 %
47% } YoY: 60 %

Now

12 months ago

4. The top challenge facing L&D leaders is being unable to effectively

create meaningful learning experiences from the vast volume of
learning content available.

The main barriers for learning leaders are:

Question: What are your current barriers to effectively measuring the value of
a learning program?

Having too many learning

58 %
initiatives to measure

Not having enough time

28 %
for strategic planning

n =650, Multi-select list

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Executive summary 6

Global findings
The following insights are derived from all responses across company size,
sector, or geography. The L&D and HR leaders represent a broad spectrum of
industries: professional services, financial services, technology and IT, healthcare
and pharma, energy and utilities, telecom and media, and retail. The greatest
representation came from the retail, financial services, healthcare and pharma,
and technology and IT industries.

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 7

1. L
 earning works, and organizations
are eager to invest
Insight: L&D is receiving greater support and budget from executives,
suggesting an increasingly important role for L&D in achieving core
organizational goals in the year ahead.

The majority of learning leaders have more budget to work with, indicating
that L&D initiatives are driving value for companies.

The reasons for increased budget vary, but the majority (52%) of L&D and HR
leaders say that employee engagement is the top reason for budget increases.
Forty-eight percent say that the impact on organizational competitiveness is
the top reason.

Top reasons for increased L&D budget

Question: Which of these are the primary reasons for the increase in L&D budget investment?

64 % 45 %
46 % Executive leadership 34 %
Learning is a key driver advocates for skill
of employee engagement
49 % development as key
36 %
51% to business success 24 %
52% 34 %

42% 35 %
42% Our focus on talent 40 %
Developing critical skills to
development as a retention
remain competitive is an 46 % strategy has increased due to
28 %
organizational priority
54 % a slowdown in external hiring 31%
48 % 31%

31%
41%
My organization Tech / IT Healthcare / Pharma
has an established 41% Retail Total
learning culture
31% Financial services

36 %
n =616

Industry Insight:
“Learning is a key driver of employee engagement” was the number-one reason
cited for L&D budget increases by 64% of respondents in the Tech/IT industry.

“Developing critical skills to remain competitive is an organizational priority”

was cited as the second-largest reason for L&D budget increases, especially
among Healthcare/Pharma (54%).

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 8

To track how upskilling and reskilling initiatives are directly impacting key
company objectives—for instance, increasing employee engagement and
competitiveness in the workforce—more than two-thirds (68%) of L&D and
HR leaders have implemented effective metrics for assessing skills development.

On average, nearly half of learning leaders reported that performance and

productivity (47%) and skills development (43%) are the top indicators of program Coursera research conducted
success. in 2023 reveals that:2

The top indicators of L&D program success

91%
Question A: Please rate your company’s ability to measure these indicators with tangible metrics.

Question B: How important are these indicators when evaluating the success of L&D programs?
of enterprise learners who use
Coursera report career benefits
Learning and Development (L&D) Ranked #1 or #2 Have Effective Metrics

Performance and productivity 47% 69%

Skills development 43% 66% 38 %

Employee engagement 36% 51%

of learners report
improved productivity
Employee retention 33% 47%

Talent mobility 17% 41%

71%
Workforce agility / reaction to change 13% 26%

of learners express interest in

Reduced hiring costs 11% 37%
staying at their current role
in the next five years

In the past 12 months learning programs have become significantly more central
to achieving organizational goals. For instance, there was a 51% increase in
agreement that executive leadership considers L&D to be a strategic business
function in comparison to last year (from 51% to 77%). There has also been a 47%
increase in the number of L&D and HR leaders who attest that employees apply
the skills they’ve learned from L&D programs in their day-to-day jobs.

Increased investment is validating for CLOs. It shows that executive teams

understand that learning contributes to core company objectives, such as
engaging employees and staying competitive. And when learning works, it
inspires executives to invest in it even more.

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 9

Perception of L&D programs within the organization
Question A: To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements?

Question B: Following up on how you currently feel about your organization, how would you have
answered the same questions 12 months ago?

Executive leadership

}
prioritizes investing in L&D to 75 %
ensure that our technology 47%
YoY: 60 %
We’ve seen excellent
ambitions are successful
upskilling and
knowledge-sharing,
Our employees apply
and are impressed
}
the skills they've learned 84 %
YoY: 47%
from our L&D program in 57%
their day-to-day job by our employees’
commitment to learning
Executive leadership and development.
}
77%
YoY: 51%
considers L&D to be a
strategic business function 51% This directly impacts
our ability to best
n =650, Single-select rating serve clients and meet
Now
revenue goals in the
12 months ago coming years.

Manpreet Singh Ahuja

Chief Digital Officer, PwC India

Learn how PwC increased their

employee engagement by 20% and
increased productivity gains with
their learning program.

Read the story

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 10

2. Organizations are turning to
learning to achieve targets
Insight: L&D programs are especially crucial for driving productivity, staying
in step with the competition, and boosting rates of employee engagement
and talent retention.
Continuous learning is
A major motivator for L&D and HR leaders is to help their organizations increase
productivity, and 68% identified this as one of the top factors driving the urgency
part of Visible Alpha’s
of upskilling and reskilling programs. Keeping up with the competition is a top DNA. It’s how we
factor for 58%, though almost all surveyed recognize its importance. innovate and remain
The factors driving urgency for L&D programs leaders in our space, so
Question: Thinking about your organization going forward, how important will these factors be in it’s crucial that we make
driving urgency for reskilling/upskilling?
learning accessible
Increasing
and attractive to all
32% 68 %
productivity employees.
Keeping up with
41% 58 %
the competition Kirsten Behncke Colyer
2%
Chief Human Resources Officer,
Driving employee Visible Alpha
40 % 58 %
employment
2%
Changing
7% 36 % 57%
technologies

Driving employee Learn how Visible Alpha saw 80% of

42% 46 %
retention
employees enrolled in job-relevant,
2%
on-demand training within a year of
Leadership
44 % 55 % launching a new training program.
development
1%
Changing skills Read the story
42% 54 %
requirements
4%
Compliance
7% 44 % 50 %
and regulation

Attracting talent 45 % 50 %
4%

Skill gaps 9% 42% 49 %

Impact of AI 22% 49 % 29 %

Adapting to remote
29 % 48 % 23 %
or hybrid work

Not important Important Critically important

n =650, Single-select rating

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 11

 Question: Thinking about your organization going forward, how important will these factors
be in driving urgency for reskilling/upskilling?

99% of learning leaders view keeping up with the competition as an important

factor driving the urgency of upskilling and reskilling.

Employee engagement and employee retention are also key factors driving
reskilling and upskilling, prioritized by 58% of L&D and HR leaders. More than What I’ve learned
one-third (35%) consider employee engagement and employee retention to through Coursera has
be top indicators when evaluating the success of L&D initiatives, and 49% have
effective metrics in place to evaluate this.
helped me grow into
new roles, which has
Industry Insight:
Forty-five percent of tech industry respondents and 43% of IT industry
allowed me to increase
respondents rank employee engagement and retention as the top two priorities. my income and has
This aligns with recent research from SoftBank Vision Fund, which finds that
changed my family’s
offering professional development is one of the top three tactics CHROs use life. The ability to
to increase employee engagement and improve culture.3 Similarly, research from
Gartner finds that 53% of prospective hires would forgo 10% more pay for either
learn everything from
a more interesting career path or more opportunities to learn new skills.4 leading with emotional
intelligence to the
Internet of Things,
on my own time, is
a powerful advantage.

Amista Phillips
Software Testing Coordinator, iMFLUX
(subsidiary of Procter and Gamble)

Learn how more than 1,600 Procter

and Gamble employees created
product-development efficiencies
with their learning program.

Read the story

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 12

3. Acquiring the skills needed
for the AI future
Insight: L&D leaders are prioritizing business and human skills, but have
the opportunity to invest more in AI skills as the technology progresses.

In the past 12 months, there was a 60% increase in the number of L&D and L&D programs
HR leaders who reported that executive leadership prioritizes investing in L&D
to advance their technology ambitions. The focus is timely, as employers estimate
can extend beyond
that 44% of workers will have their skills disrupted in the next five years.5 AI developers to
However, fewer than one-third of L&D and HR leaders (29%) consider the educate non-technical
impact of AI a critically important factor driving the urgency for learning, staff on AI concepts
and only 20% have effective metrics for measuring AI skills.
and capabilities.
A potential reason why AI skills aren’t widely viewed as top priorities is that
learning leaders have traditionally aligned their programs to the needs of the
Vice President of Leadership
business. Despite AI attracting the attention of CEOs, many organizations are
and Learning
still in the process of discovering how they can adopt and deploy AI effectively.6
Financial Services, Mexico
To accomplish this, companies must rethink the variety of skills that support
AI innovation. It’s not just programming and coding—it’s a matter of knowing
how to collaborate with machine intelligence. L&D leaders can help redefine their
organization’s perception of AI tools and skills, and become early adopters
by embedding them into their teams’ workflows.

In doing so, learning leaders will play a defining role in the AI economy. McKinsey
projects that generative AI and other emerging technologies have the potential to
automate activities that currently consume 60-70% of employees’ time, and that
learning leaders have the opportunity to help their organizations capitalize on
$4.4 trillion in productivity gains.7

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 13

In the meantime, more than half of L&D and HR leaders are currently setting
business skills—such as project management and operations—as top priorities for
Exploring newly launched
their learning initiatives, while nearly half are prioritizing human or soft skills—like
generative AI courses on
communication and collaboration. Given the importance of leadership skills in
Coursera
navigating a rapidly changing business environment, it follows that addressing
skill gaps in these areas is a high priority for learning leaders.8 Get started on your generative
AI journey with these recently
The top skills being prioritized by L&D introduced courses from
leading university and
Question A: Please rank these skills in order of priority for your organization and executive leadership.
industry partners:
Question B: Please rate your company’s ability to measure these items with tangible metrics.
→ AI for Good by
DeepLearning.AI
Prioritize business skills 52%
→ Prompt Engineering for
Have effective metrics for
64 % ChatGPT by Vanderbilt
measuring them
University

→ Introduction to Generative
Prioritize human or soft skills 46 %
AI by Google Cloud
Have effective metrics for
57% → Introduction to Large
measuring them
Language Models by
Google Cloud
Prioritize digital skills 44 % → Build AI Apps with ChatGPT,
Have effective metrics for Dall-E, and GPT-4 by
50 %
measuring them Scrimba

→ Mathematics for Machine

Learning and Data Science
Prioritize data skills 38 %
by DeepLearning.AI
Have effective metrics for
58 % → Machine Learning
measuring them
Operations by Duke
University
Prioritize AI skills 19 % → Generative AI with Large
Have effective metrics for
20 %
Language Models by
measuring them
DeepLearning.AI + AWS

n =650, Ranking & Single-select rating

Industry Insight:
Seventy-three percent of respondents at Tech and IT companies ranked
tech/digital skills like web development and digital marketing and as top priorities.

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 14

L&D: A catalyst for change
Predicting the future is never easy, especially with technology developing so fast.
Learning leaders are aware of this, as evidenced by the 17% difference between
the number who are confident identifying current skill gaps in their organizations
today and the number who believe they can anticipate future skill needs.

Identifying current and future skill gaps

Question: To what extent do you agree or disagree that your organization is able to:

Identify current skill gaps 41% 44 %

Predict future skill needs 27% 41%

n=650, Single-select rating

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Yet as strategic decision-makers, L&D and HR leaders will need to look ahead.
Respondents in the 2022 WTW Reimagining Work and Rewards Survey noted
that multi-skilling and retraining employees will be increasingly important in
the next few years,9 as new technologies could displace 85 million jobs by 2025.10

Data from Boston Consulting Group also shows that 68% of workers are attuned
to the disruptions coming their way, and are willing to reskill to stay competitive.11
And they’ll benefit greatly from it if they do—according to a study conducted
by Gallup and AWS, 72% of workers with advanced digital skills express
high job satisfaction, as opposed to 43% of those with only basic skills.12

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 15

4. Cutting through the content chaos
to deliver true value
Insight: The top challenge facing L&D leaders is being unable to effectively
create meaningful learning experiences from the vast volume of learning
content available.

Providing relevant, effective L&D content and programs is key for driving
workforce transformation.13 Previously, upskilling and reskilling options were
narrowly prescribed by employees’ roles. But as advancements in technology
and data analytics started affecting every function of the organization, and
career paths were no longer linear, access to more open learning was offered
as a way for employees to own their personal development.

Today, there are more content options than ever before—which can
be overwhelming for both employees and learning leaders.

Many training providers embrace an encyclopedic approach, where hundreds or

thousands of courses can be selected from endless menus. This creates “content
chaos” for learners. They don’t know what course to take, which skills they need to
learn, or how they can advance their careers—and so they end up taking no action
at all.

Industry Insight:
Tech and IT companies noted a much greater challenge with employee engagement
(54%) and anticipate greater challenges with prioritization across many content
options (57%).

Therefore, it’s no surprise that the top challenge for L&D and HR leaders is
prioritizing valuable programs across many content options. For 46% of executives
surveyed, it’s the biggest current challenge—and for 42%, it’s forecast to be the
biggest challenge over the coming year.

Top L&D challenges today and the year ahead

Question: Which of these challenges have you faced Question: In the coming year, what do you think will be the
when designing and implementing an L&D program? biggest challenge for making your L&D program successful?

46 % 42%
Prioritizing across many content options Prioritizing across many content options

34 % 16 %
Employee engagement Partnering with a strong learning provider

20 % 13 %
Partnering with a strong learning provider Finding content that addresses our actual skill needs

n=650, Multi-select list n=650, Single-select list

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 16

Furthermore, 58% of L&D and HR leaders say the top barrier to meaningfully
assessing learning programs is that there are too many learning initiatives to
measure. This was the foremost concern by a large margin.

The main barriers for measuring L&D

Question: What are your current barriers to effectively measuring the value of a learning program?

Our consultants’
Too many learning
initiatives to measure
58 % desire for continuous
professional development
Not enough time for
strategic planning
28 % distinguishes us from
our competitors. We’re
My learning provider(s) has
insufficent data or learning analytics
23 %
always searching for
n=650, Multi-select list
resources to meet our
team members’ passion
L&D leaders can cut through the clutter by prioritizing only high-quality content.
for learning.
With more time to focus on program design, they carve out clear, intentional
learning pathways to engage and empower employees. Programs should still
be flexible and personalized to individual needs and goals, but they need Josephine Shobana
to be well-structured and include credentialing opportunities that support Global Learning Technology Lead, ZS
career growth.

Learn how a company-wide culture

of learning helped ZS become an
industry leader in healthcare, biotech,
and pharmaceutical consulting.

Read the story

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Global findings 17

Country findings
The next section provides insights from eight surveyed countries: India, Singapore,
France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States.
They represent a diverse mix of global companies and their L&D priorities.

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Country findings 18

Asia Pacific Like the global average, employee engagement and business skills are important

India to L&D and HR leaders in India. But learning leaders in India surpass their peers
when it comes to ranking employee retention as a key metric when evaluating
L&D success—57% see it as one of their top two indicators. Meanwhile, L&D
budget increases are comparable to the global average.

of L&D and HR leaders agree that executive leadership

80 %
views L&D as a strategic driver for technology ambitions
An organization’s
strategic investment in
its employees’ growth 90 %
of L&D and HR leaders agree that L&D skills

via L&D programs result are applied to day-to-day jobs

in enhanced skills,
increased engagement, of L&D and HR leaders say that prioritizing across too

and leadership 65 % many content options is their biggest challenge in the

year ahead

development among
the employees. n=100

CHRO
Energy / Utilities, India

Asia Pacific Similar to other countries, performance, productivity, and business and

Singapore human skills are driving upskilling and reskilling programs at Singaporean
companies. However, only 34% of learning leaders agree that they can predict
future skill needs with confidence, and only 52% of learning leaders report
that executives prioritize L&D for the purpose of furthering their technology
ambitions—both of which are notably below average.

L&D initiatives increase 70 %

of L&D and HR leaders rank human
and soft skills among their top two priorities

employee satisfaction
and retention rates in
the organization.
10 %
+ budget increases were most commonly reported
by L&D and HR leaders in Singapore in comparison
to those from most other countries

CHRO
Financial Services, Singapore n=50

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Country findings 19

Europe In France, 54% of L&D and HR leaders ranked human and soft skills as their top

France two priorities. Meanwhile, employee engagement and reduced hiring costs are
the top factors driving urgency for reskilling and upskilling. Like the global
average, French companies saw L&D budget increases, with the primary reason
being that learning is a key driver of employee engagement.

of L&D and HR leaders say that executive leadership

prioritizes learning initiatives to ensure technology
90 %
ambitions are successful—the highest level of C-suite
The implementation of buy-in across all markets surveyed

such programs nurtures

a sense of trust among of L&D and HR leaders have the ability to redeploy
94 % talent into new roles, which is the highest of
employees, strengthens any country

their commitment to the

company, and ultimately n=100

results in a noticeable
decrease in turnover
rate and an increase
in productivity.

L&D Director
Retail, France

Europe Overall, learning leaders in Germany report the second highest level of executive

Germany investment (83%) when it comes to the role of L&D in driving technological
ambitions. German L&D and HR leaders show the greatest prioritization of data
skills in comparison to their global peers, and a greater prioritization of business
skills by a slight margin. They are also more likely to evaluate the success of their
learning programs with indicators like talent mobility and reduced hiring costs.

of L&D and HR leaders agree that senior executives

Employee retention in 83 %
view L&D as a strategic driver for technology ambitions

a company is one of the

most effective ways to
demonstrate the value 95 %
of L&D and HR leaders agree that L&D skills
are applied to day-to-day jobs, which is among

of programs. the highest of any country

n=100
Director, Learning and Development
Financial Services, Germany

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Country findings 20

Europe For L&D and HR leaders based out of the U.K., performance, productivity, and

United Kingdom skills development are the key factors driving urgency for reskilling and upskilling.
The top challenges facing U.K. learning leaders are prioritizing across too many
content options, tangibly measuring learning outcomes, and building a culture
of learning. Budget increases for L&D programs have been more modest in this
market in comparison to other markets.

of L&D and HR leaders ranking tech/digital skills as a

We actively seek 53 %
top priority, above the global average

to gain a greater
understanding of
our staff’s unique 67%
of L&D and HR leaders agree that executives view
L&D as a strategic business function
experiences and
viewpoints on our n=100

learning and development

programmes by
conducting interviews
with them. This method
allows us to collect useful
feedback for continued
improvement.

Director of Human Resources

Technology / IT, UK

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Country findings 21

Latin America Workforce agility and talent mobility are the primary factors driving urgency

Colombia drivers for reskilling and upskilling for L&D and HR leaders in Colombia. In terms
of priority skill areas, learning leaders in Colombia have the greatest prioritization
of AI skills, which is more than double the global average. However, L&D and HR
leaders cite building a learning culture, finding content that addresses skills needs,
and partnering with a learning provider to be among their key challenges.

of L&D and HR leaders place AI skills among

This program makes 46 %
their top two priorities

it possible to enhance
the execution and
planning of projects,
which increases
10%+ budget increases were most commonly reported
by L&D and HR leaders in Colombia in comparison
to those from most other countries

customer satisfaction by n=50

connecting employees
with business goals.

Director of Human Resources

Retail, Colombia

Latin America Productivity, performance, and skills development are top priorities for L&D

Mexico and HR leaders in Mexico. However, building a learning culture and tangibly
measuring outcomes are both cited as top challenges by learning leaders,
and budget increases were slightly below the global average.

of L&D and HR leaders place tech/digital skills among

54 % their top two priorities—the highest in comparison to
those from other countries

Development programs

2x
can lead to greater job
L&D and HR leaders in Mexico are twice as likely to
satisfaction among prioritize AI skills compared to their global peers

individuals, which helps

them grow as well n=50

as organizations.

Director of Human Resources

Retail, Mexico

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Country findings 22

North America L&D and HR leaders in the U.S. report the highest support from executives

United States when it comes to perceiving L&D as a strategic business function. Their primary
challenges include prioritizing content options, employee engagement, and
selecting a learning provider to partner with. Learning leaders in the country
show relatively greater interest in data and AI skills in comparison to their peers.

of L&D and HR leaders say developing critical skills to

54 % remain competitive is the organizational priority driving
L&D budget increases
We have seen
a considerable
improvement in overall 70 %
of L&D and HR leaders agree that senior executives view
L&D as a strategic business function
employee productivity,
which has effectively
demonstrated the value of L&D and HR leaders agree that senior executives view
74 %
of our L&D programs. L&D as a strategic driver for technology ambitions

Head of Learning n=100

and Talent Development
Healthcare / Pharma, US

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Country findings 23

Opening doors
and unlocking
companies’ potential
With greater buy-in from executives, L&D is well-positioned to play a significant
role in future organizational objectives. Learning initiatives can be used to address
immediate priorities such as productivity, employee engagement and retention,
and keeping pace with the competition. At the same time, they provide employees
with the business, human, and technological skills required to evolve alongside
future corporate needs.

By narrowing the vast landscape of content options and identifying programs

that suit their unique requirements, L&D and HR leaders curate meaningful
learning experiences that drive value for companies and inspire teams.

The scope and flexibility of Coursera helps us

deepen a culture of learning that encourages
all employees to take the next step forward in
their careers.

Gail Wetzel
VP of Data and Analytics, Equifax

Learn how Coursera delivers talent development that helps you

advance through every turning point.

Request a consultation

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Opening doors and unlocking companies’ potential 24
Methodology
In August 2023, Coursera conducted a global survey of HR and L&D executives
(director-level or higher) to study the current state of corporate learning and
development programs.

In partnership with market research firm Rep Data, Coursera surveyed 650 leaders
from seven industries (professional services, financial services, technology and
IT, healthcare and pharma, energy and utilities, telecom and media, and retail)
and eight countries (India, Singapore, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the
United States, Mexico, and Colombia) to learn the potential benefits and existing
challenges of demonstrating the value of learning, with a 95% confidence level.

Company size: Employees

1000 to 2499 (18%)

2500 to 4999 (22%)

5000 to 9999 (17%)

10,000+ (42%)

Industry

Technology/IT (15%) Energy/Utilities (10%)

Retail (23%) Telecom/Media (8%)

Financial services (21%) Professional services (3%)

Healthcare/Pharma (20%)

Title/Role

Learning and Development (L&D) Human Resources (HR)

L&D Director Director Human Resources

Director, Learning and Development HR Director / Human Resources Director

VP of Leadership and Learning Regional HR Director

SVP, Learning and Development Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)

Chief Learning Officer (CLO) VP Human Resources / SVP Human Resources

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Methodology 25

Endnotes
1. Future of Jobs Report 2023. World Economic Forum. 2023.

2. Enterprise Learner Outcomes Research. Coursera. 2023.

3. Despite layoffs, talent is still king. SoftBank Vision Fund. 2023.

4. Gartner HR Research Finds 59% Of Candidates Who Recently Accepted a Job

Offer Would Make the Same Choice, Down From 83% in 2021. Gartner. 2022.

5. Future of Jobs Report 2023. World Economic Forum. 2023.

6. CEO decision-making in the age of AI. IBM Institute for Business Value. 2023.

7. The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier.

McKinsey and Company. 2023.

8. Despite layoffs, talent is still king. SoftBank Vision Fund. 2023.

9. Employers eyeing new sources of talent, changes in skills to tackle labor

shortage. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited. 2022.

10. Recession and Automation Changes Our Future of Work, But There are Jobs
Coming, Report Says. World Economic Forum. 2020.

11. Decoding Global Reskilling and Career Paths. BCG. 2021.

12. AWS Global Digital Skills Study. Gallup and AWS. 2022.

13. Where Companies Go Wrong with Learning and Development. Harvard

Business Review. 2019.

L&D Investment Survey 2023 | Endnotes 26