78% Of Employers Lack Strong Mandate For AI Upskilling: 2U Report
A recent 2U report found that nearly 4 in 5 employers lack a strong mandate for AI upskilling though 83% identify AI as a workforce priority.
Nearly 4 in 5 employers lack a strong mandate to lead AI upskilling, even as 83% identify AI capabilities as a workforce priority. A recent 2U report titled The State of Enterprise Learning 2026 found that only 29% of respondents’ employers have built mature AI capabilities.
The study surveyed more than 500 learning and workforce strategy leaders, including chief human resource officers, chief learning officers and L&D leaders, at companies with 500 or more employees across key industries worldwide.
The problem extends to the organisations responsible for workforce development. Just 26% of respondents said they are highly confident that their L&D function can deliver the capabilities their workforce needs.
The research identified a group of “AI transformation leaders” representing 15% of companies surveyed. These organisations combine mature AI capabilities with high confidence in their ability to develop the skills their workforce needs.
Compared with other companies, these organisations are 3.9 times as likely to have a strong mandate for AI upskilling.
Across the broader sample, 85% of companies do not develop AI and leadership capabilities as a connected effort.
Andy Morgan, Chief Partnerships Officer, 2U, said, “This research shows us what stands between an employer’s AI ambitions and the ability to deliver on them. Bringing those perspectives together helps our partners make better-informed decisions about the learning they offer and the people they serve.”
The finding challenges the focus on whether AI skills development should sit with HR, L&D or IT. According to the report, simply assigning ownership does not necessarily translate into workforce readiness.