Research Highlights Top Emerging Trends to Impact L&D Strategies:Employee Well-Being and Mental Health, AI-Powered Learning, and Microlearning

LearnUpon, a leading Learning Management System (LMS) provider, today announced its inaugural “State of Learning and Development Report,” which dives into the goals, priorities, and concerns of Learning and Development (L&D) leaders. The research reveals a profession in transition—balancing AI adoption, strategic alignment, and employee retention—while emerging as a key driver of business performance.

The report draws insights from 600 L&D leaders and practitioners across the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, exploring themes of maturity, metrics, and momentum for change. It highlights a decisive evolution in how L&D is perceived—no longer just as a service function, but as a strategic driver of business performance. Notably, 43% of L&D leaders believe that AI could entirely replace their roles, with another 40% anticipating some changes caused by AI. Only 3% expected AI to cause no changes—signaling a major shift in how learning will be designed, delivered, and measured.

However, despite these fears, L&D leaders' priorities span beyond AI. The top trends for 2025 were identified as integrating L&D with overall business strategy (36%), the rise of learning ecosystems (34%), and data-driven decision-making (34%). There has been a discernible shift in perspectives on the key drivers of learning and development, with employee well-being and mental health (44%) emerging as the most impactful factor shaping programs this year, followed closely by AI-powered learning (42%) and microlearning formats (42%), reflecting a strong shift toward flexible, personalized, and sustainable learning experiences.

Key findings from the report include:

• AI: Disruption and Opportunity: 43% of learning leaders believe AI could replace their role entirely, with sectors such as retail, education, software, and technology feeling this threat the greatest. To balance AI and the human experience, L&D teams are building AI literacy, centering AI’s role in learning, and focusing on enablement versus elimination.
• L&D budgets continue to grow—despite economic pressures: 84% of ANZ respondents and 70% in the U.K. reported a budget increase in 2025, with the U.S. (66%) not far behind—an encouraging sign that L&D is gaining a stronger voice at the leadership table.
• Measurement Confidence is High: More than nine in ten L&D leaders (91%) say they measure program impact effectively, and nearly half (44%) feel very confident in their approach. Additionally, whilst many teams are still monitoring traditional metrics like completion rates (34%) and learner satisfaction (30%), an equal share (34%) now prioritize “bigger picture” metrics like skill development and knowledge retention, signaling a shift toward tracking deeper, business-aligned outcomes.
• Capabilities for the Future: L&D leaders are shaping the future of the business by prioritizing employee skill development to improve performance, prove impact, and effectively build their careers. Top skills critical to the year ahead include data analytics and reporting (56%), AI and machine learning in L&D (53%), change management and leadership (52%), and learning technology expertise (51%).
• Persistent Challenges: L&D teams continue to face challenges such as talent acquisition and retention (32%), keeping pace with change, particularly around AI (31%), and aligning L&D with business strategy (30%). Measuring ROI of L&D and demonstrating the impact of L&D programs also remain concerns for 30% and 29% of leaders, respectively, underscoring the need for sharper strategies, smarter tools, and closer business alignment.

“Today, L&D leaders are being asked to do much more than just onboard new hires or fill knowledge gaps. Effective learning programs are now an opportunity to reshape the employee experience, drive performance, and create a greater sense of stability across the business,” said Brendan Noud, CEO and co-founder of LearnUpon. “Progress comes from making the right moves in the right order—investing in your team’s skills and agility, choosing technology that truly works together, and measuring what matters for better buy-in. Do that, and today’s constraints quickly turn into tomorrow’s advantages for employees, leaders, and the business.”

LearnUpon’s research report was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 600 L&D leaders and practitioners across the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia. The data was collected during April 2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

For further information and to view the full report, click here.

About LearnUpon

LearnUpon helps businesses deliver online learning to employees, customers, and members. By championing simple, learner-centric experiences and results-focused support, we make it easy for businesses to deliver learning that impacts what matters: performance, retention, and growth.

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Effective learning programs are now an opportunity to reshape the employee experience, drive performance, and create a greater sense of stability across the business