The Skills Forecast Episode 1 — What CEOs Will Demand From L&D in 2026

In 2026, L&D is no longer a support function. It is the function the business bets on for its future success.

Your CEO wants a skills strategy that is specific, measurable, and tied directly to growth and productivity targets. Your employees expect learning that feels as personal and intuitive as the consumer apps they use every day. And AI is raising the bar on what “good” looks like in both.

In this fireside conversation, Lori Niles Hofmann, one of the most respected voices in global EdTech and digital learning transformation, joins Taylor Sullivan, PhD, Workera’s Head of Product, to talk about what L&D and talent leaders must get right next year and what they can safely stop doing.

Specifically, they will dig into:

1. The shifts reshaping the skills ecosystem and what they really mean for enterprise L&D
2. How AI is changing the mandate for the learning function, not just the tools
3. The data every L&D leader should be putting in front of their C suite
4. Where high-impact teams are doubling down their time budget and headcount

This will be a candid, practical, future-focused session for leaders who own the skills agenda and need to make sharp choices in 2026 to ensure their organizations remain healthy and competitive.

If you oversee learning, talent, or AI transformation, this is the session to put at the very top of your January list.

This conversation is part of The Skills Forecast Workera’s monthly series featuring leading voices shaping the future of skills.

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