AI Readiness Gap: Only 24% of Employees Feel Prepared, Skillsoft Report Finds — Skillsoft Corp.

Event summary

Skillsoft's Workforce Readiness Report: AI Edition found that only 24% of employees feel fully equipped to use AI tools effectively, despite 86% using them at work.
A 53-point gap exists between leadership's perception of AI readiness (77% believe employees are set up for success) and employees' actual preparedness.
Only 11% of employees report receiving formal skills assessments, and just 16% receive training before new AI tools are introduced.
Less than 10% of employees say their organization has comprehensive AI governance in place, while 21% report no AI guidance whatsoever.

The big picture

The report highlights a critical disconnect between AI adoption and workforce readiness, underscoring the need for a structured 'Skills Supply Chain' to bridge the gap. As AI reshapes entry-level work and elevates expectations for problem-solving and collaboration, organizations must shift from ad hoc training to continuous capability development. The findings suggest that AI readiness is less about technology and more about strategic workforce planning, with implications for performance, trust, and competitive positioning.

What we're watching

Skills Visibility: How organizations will address the lack of formal skills assessments to align learning with business outcomes.
Training Alignment: Whether companies can synchronize AI tool rollouts with preemptive training to build employee confidence and trust.
Governance Scaling: The pace at which organizations implement company-wide AI governance standards to reduce variability in guidance.