2024 Global Learning & Skills Trends Report
Read the trends and dive into the data.
Teams – and leaders – are aligning on communication and collaboration
Across business skills, top trends focus on creating better processes while improving collaboration. Leadership development represents another key area of learning consumption. Strong leaders need a variety of skills to bring teams together, in part through clear planning and communication.
Project management supports complex cross-functional work so that dispersed teams can achieve their objectives. Frameworks like Scrum and Agile figure prominently among the skills learned most, as does learning to acquire certifications and validate skills in these key areas.
Personalization is a critical element of customer interactions and helps drive engagement and brand awareness. Digital experiences are core to personalizing customer relationships, explaining why advertising, social media, and PR are marketing skills seeing a surge in learning consumption.
Top 10 surging business skillsRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Advertising strategy | 1,118% |
| Certification and software test-taking preparation | 1,044% |
| Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | 593% |
| Public relations | 334% |
| Notion | 326% |
| Foundational business planning | 304% |
| Social media marketing | 257% |
| Anti-money laundering (AML) | 239% |
| HR analytics | 209% |
| Project planning | 208% |
Top 10 consumed business skillsRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel tools | 1 |
| Communication skills | 2 |
| Foundational project management | 3 |
| Foundational leadership | 4 |
| Project Management Professional (PMP) certification | 5 |
| Agile | 6 |
| Scrum | 7 |
| Effective meeting strategy | 8 |
| Business analysis | 9 |
| Time management | 10 |
Aligning supply chain processes and logistics for better flow
Warehouses are at the root of the supply chain and require efficient, modern processes, logistics, and management to support retail and transportation industries, among others. Meeting customer expectations for speed and accuracy of delivery mean that more and more organizations are relying on digital technologies to support their supply chain operations. Systems engineering and Kaizen are popular methods to streamline and create better processes.
Top 10 surging skills: Business operations excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Warehouse management | 173% |
| Logistics management | 165% |
| Business process management (BPM) | 164% |
| Kaizen | 135% |
| Manufacturing | 112% |
| Inventory management | 104% |
| Process mapping | 91% |
| Procurement | 87% |
| Quality management | 87% |
| ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (QMS) certification | 82% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Business operations excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Business analysis | 1 |
| Quality assurance | 2 |
| Supply chain | 3 |
| Process mapping | 4 |
| Business process modeling | 5 |
| Quality management | 6 |
| Business process management (BPM) | 7 |
| Procurement | 8 |
| ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (QMS) certification | 9 |
| Business process model & notation | 10 |
A focus on financial certification and cloud accounting tools
Acquiring verifiable skills through certifications is as essential in finance and accounting as in other areas, which is why the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification ranks high. Learners are diving into tools from SAP to keep accounting activities in the cloud. Fundamental accounting principles round out the rest of the top-consumed skills.
Top 10 surging skills: Finance & accounting excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Anti-money laundering (AML) | 239% |
| Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification | 175% |
| Internal auditing | 142% |
| Tax preparation | 139% |
| Management accounting | 131% |
| Financial statement | 128% |
| Foundational insurance topics | 127% |
| Uniform CPA examination | 110% |
| Private equity | 102% |
| Oracle NetSuite | 99% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Finance & accounting excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification | 1 |
| Financial analysis | 2 |
| SAP S/4HANA | 3 |
| SAP FICO | 4 |
| Bookkeeping | 5 |
| Foundational accounting | 6 |
| Corporate finance | 7 |
| Financial accounting | 8 |
| Foundational finance topics | 9 |
| Financial modeling | 10 |
Language skills are business skills
For today’s multinational organizations, speaking the same language is mission critical so teams can communicate effectively across borders to align efforts and objectives. Most organizations prioritize Business English, which makes up 80% of foreign language learning on Udemy Business. English language certifications and preparing the skills needed to pass those also rank high, followed by other global languages.
Top 10 surging skills: Language learning excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Certification and software test-taking preparation | 1,044% |
| Business English | 226% |
| Portuguese language | 187% |
| Japanese language | 167% |
| Foreign language learning best practices | 126% |
| Korean language | 107% |
| Italian language | 75% |
| Dutch language | 73% |
| PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic proficiency test | 71% |
| German language | 65% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Language learning excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Business English | 1 |
| IELTS (International English Language Testing System) proficiency test | 2 |
| Spanish language | 3 |
| German language | 4 |
| French language | 5 |
| Japanese language | 6 |
| Korean language | 7 |
| Mandarin Chinese language | 8 |
| Italian language | 9 |
| Portuguese language | 10 |
Learning skills to lead through change
Leaders are embracing skills to manage the rapid pace of change and disruptive technological transformation in today’s workplace. Effective communication and coaching skills, the ability to formulate strategy, and fundamental leadership and management capabilities are more important than ever. These skills allow leaders to engage teams and create collaborative, inclusive work environments.
Top 10 surging skills: Leadership & management excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Foundational business planning | 304% |
| Coaching | 177% |
| Strategic planning | 153% |
| Team building | 150% |
| Ethics | 138% |
| Empathy | 136% |
| Digital transformation | 135% |
| Foundational business proposal | 134% |
| Problem solving | 124% |
| Habits | 123% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Leadership & management excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Communication skills | 1 |
| Foundational leadership | 2 |
| Effective meeting strategy | 3 |
| Personal productivity | 4 |
| Time management | 5 |
| Presentation skills | 6 |
| Digital transformation | 7 |
| Emotional intelligence | 8 |
| Management skills | 9 |
| Design thinking | 10 |
Marketers are focusing on digital strategy, advertising, and measurement
Digital marketing strategies to personalize customer experiences are surging in importance, particularly through effective SEO and social media tactics. Deploying advertising and measuring its success are essential components of these strategies. These marketing methods offer one of the most fertile use cases for implementing generative AI tools, allowing marketers to work more effectively.
Top 10 surging skills: Marketing excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Advertising strategy | 1,118% |
| Public relations | 334% |
| Marketing management | 204% |
| Marketing plan | 150% |
| Google Analytics reports analysis | 122% |
| Neuromarketing | 100% |
| Marketing strategy | 81% |
| Google Tag Manager | 78% |
| Programmatic advertising | 68% |
| YouTube marketing | 61% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Marketing excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Digital marketing | 1 |
| Marketing strategy | 2 |
| Social media marketing | 3 |
| Google Analytics | 4 |
| Writing | 5 |
| Advertising strategy | 6 |
| SEO | 7 |
| Marketing analytics | 8 |
| Marketing plan | 9 |
| Google Ads | 10 |
Every role, every team requires efficiency and fundamental productivity
As organizations embrace remote or hybrid work models, these productivity skills become even more crucial for seamless virtual collaboration and task management. By prioritizing learning programs that focus on productivity skills, L&D leaders can equip their workforces with the competencies needed to remain efficient and successful in today’s digital-centric work landscape, ultimately driving productivity and organizational growth.
Top 10 surging skills: Office productivity excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Notion | 326% |
| Microsoft Excel tools | 199% |
| Apple MacOS basics | 199% |
| Microsoft Teams | 128% |
| Microsoft OneNote | 119% |
| Microsoft Power Automate | 119% |
| Email productivity hacks | 105% |
| Note taking | 103% |
| Microsoft Outlook | 95% |
| Foundational computer topics | 71% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Office productivity excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel tools | 1 |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 2 |
| Microsoft Power Automate | 3 |
| Pivot tables | 4 |
| Microsoft Word | 5 |
| Microsoft SharePoint | 6 |
| Microsoft Power Platform | 7 |
| Microsoft Teams | 8 |
| Microsoft Office 365 | 9 |
| Microsoft Outlook | 10 |
Project and product management are more essential all the time
There’s a growing need for project managers in today’s world of work; they align teams, create efficient and transparent processes, help keep everyone on track, and move things forward. All of this explains why there’s a growing need for these skills in the workplace, with project management employment predicted to grow 28% worldwide between 2019 and 2030.
Top 10 surging skills: Project & product management excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | 593% |
| Project planning | 208% |
| Product development | 135% |
| Oracle Primavera | 133% |
| Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification | 132% |
| Product owner | 123% |
| Project risk management | 108% |
| Lean Six Sigma | 106% |
| Six Sigma White Belt certification | 92% |
| monday.com software | 82% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Project & product management excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Foundational project management | 1 |
| Project Management Professional (PMP) certification | 2 |
| Agile | 3 |
| Scrum | 4 |
| Jira software | 5 |
| Product management | 6 |
| PMI Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMI PMBOK) | 7 |
| Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification | 8 |
| Confluence | 9 |
| Six Sigma Green Belt certification | 10 |
Skills to make the sale — and use key technologies to do it
Sales and customer success teams are essential when it comes to maintaining business continuity and sustaining growth during challenging economic times. Sales technologies help them stay the course; topics that leverage sales and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software giants SAP and Salesforce rank high. So do courses to support customer service and success so that customers see results and renew.
Top 8 surging skills: Sales excellence*Ranked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| SAP sales tools** | 71% |
| Sales management | 70% |
| B2B sales | 61% |
| Foundational sales topics | 57% |
| Customer success management | 56% |
| Customer service | 37% |
| Salesforce software | 26% |
| Prospecting and lead generation | 14% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Sales excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| SAP sales tools** | 1 |
| Customer service | 2 |
| Salesforce software | 3 |
| Foundational sales topics | 4 |
| Customer success management | 5 |
| B2B sales | 6 |
| Prospecting and lead generation | 7 |
| Business development | 8 |
| Sales management | 9 |
| Salesforce Certified Sales Cloud Consultant | 10 |
* Eight skills in the sales skills category saw positive surging consumption during the July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, time frame, as compared to the prior year.
** SAP sales tools include SAP PP, SAP MM, and SAP SD.
HR teams leverage analytics to take on many functions
In many organizations, the HR team, or people team, often has outsized responsibilities in proportion to headcount. Yet, they serve a multitude of needs, including recruiting, interviewing, and hiring talent. Many HR teams also take on learning and development. HR analytics make it possible to collect and use data for a better understanding of talent management, helping businesses make the most of their most valuable resource: their employees.
Top 7 surging skills: Workplace & human resources excellence*Ranked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| HR analytics | 209% |
| Foundational HR topics | 75% |
| Hiring | 42% |
| Recruiting | 37% |
| Corporate learning & development | 26% |
| Interviewing skills | 17% |
| Workplace health & safety | 10% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Workplace & human resources excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Interviewing skills | 1 |
| Corporate learning & development | 2 |
| Foundational HR topics | 3 |
| Recruiting | 4 |
| Workplace health & safety | 5 |
| HR analytics | 6 |
| Hiring | 7 |
| HIPAA compliance | 8 |
| Talent management | 9 |
| IT recruiting | 10 |
* Seven skills in the workplace & human resources skills category saw positive surging consumption during the July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, time frame, as compared to the prior year.
Meeting the pace of change with data, application development, and cloud computing expertise
Tech moves fast, and employees’ skills must adapt to industry shifts while keeping foundational knowledge sharp. Mastery of cloud computing topics and demonstration of that mastery by earning certifications in cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure help tech teams to scale infrastructure, drive efficiencies, and make the most of their cloud investment.
Software, IT, and data science teams continue to use time-honored development languages and web frameworks like Python, SQL, JavaScript, and React, placing these skills among the most-learned technical topics.
Top surging technical skills like Microsoft Playwright and Tricentis Tosca support the growing automation of the software development lifecycle.
Top 10 surging technical skillsRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics | 799% |
| Software design | 624% |
| Simulink | 578% |
| Microsoft Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) certification | 464% |
| International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) certification | 402% |
| Computer-aided design (CAD) software | 368% |
| Microsoft Playwright | 361% |
| Tricentis Tosca | 342% |
| Tailwind CSS | 332% |
| dbt (Data Build Tool) | 271% |
Top 10 consumed technical skillsRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Python | 1 |
| Java | 2 |
| Microsoft certification exam prep | 3 |
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | 4 |
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | 5 |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | 6 |
| React | 7 |
| JavaScript | 8 |
| SQL | 9 |
| Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification | 10 |
Companies continue to invest in the cloud to do more with less
Public cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud allow organizations to scale technical infrastructure across regions and adapt to customer demand. A multi-cloud approach allows companies to create a tech stack that meets their unique needs. Employees are consuming cloud certification prep courses to gain the skills needed to manage cloud platforms and pass exams that can boost their career growth.
Top 10 surging skills: Cloud computing excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Azure Internet of Things (IoT) | 195% |
| Google Cloud Digital Leader certification | 140% |
| Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Microsoft Azure Active Directory) | 123% |
| Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) | 91% |
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) CodePipeline | 88% |
| HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP) Packer | 77% |
| Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I | 75% |
| OpenStack Cloud | 74% |
| Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer | 69% |
| Google Cloud certification | 67% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Cloud computing excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | 1 |
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | 2 |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | 3 |
| Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification | 4 |
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate | 5 |
| Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) certification | 6 |
| Microsoft Azure | 7 |
| Foundational cloud computing | 8 |
| Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification | 9 |
| Spring Cloud | 10 |
Cybersecurity skills safeguard enterprises and build customer trust
Organizations are investing in cybersecurity best practices and encouraging their employees to earn related certifications so that they’re equipped to protect proprietary and customer information. As governments adopt cybersecurity compliance guidelines for companies operating in their jurisdictions, these skills become increasingly important for all technical teams, from IT to data science to software development.
Top 10 surging skills: Cybersecurity excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) certification | 464% |
| Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst skills | 222% |
| Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer certification | 180% |
| Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Enterprise Infrastructure certification | 178% |
| CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) certification | 163% |
| ISC2 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) | 147% |
| CompTIA PenTest+ certification | 127% |
| Data security | 88% |
| IT governance | 81% |
| Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900) certification | 71% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Cybersecurity excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Foundational cybersecurity | 1 |
| CompTIA Security+ certification | 2 |
| Ethical hacking | 3 |
| AWS Certified Security – Specialty | 4 |
| Microsoft Azure Security Technologies (AZ-500) certification | 5 |
| Network security | 6 |
| Penetration testing | 7 |
| Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst Skills | 8 |
| CompTIA PenTest+ certification | 9 |
| Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900) certification | 10 |
Smart business decisions start with data
Foundational data analysis skills and tools like Microsoft Power BI and Tableau enable technical and non-technical teams alike to make data-driven decisions. As companies take in more data at the same time that they create more data, they need to ensure data sources and storage are managed properly. This phenomenon explains the growth of data engineering and data quality management learning.
Top 10 surging skills: Data science excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics | 799% |
| dbt (Data Build Tool) | 271% |
| Data engineering | 269% |
| Data quality management | 232% |
| NumPy | 147% |
| SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP Analytics Cloud | 130% |
| Microsoft Azure Machine Learning | 102% |
| Google Looker Studio | 102% |
| Data governance | 89% |
| MLOps | 84% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Data science excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Power BI | 1 |
| Foundational data science | 2 |
| Machine learning | 3 |
| Python for data science | 4 |
| Data analysis | 5 |
| Data modeling | 6 |
| Tableau | 7 |
| Statistics | 8 |
| Artificial intelligence | 9 |
| Apache Spark | 10 |
Great user experience begins with design
A well-designed customer experience is integral to a product team’s success, whether they’re creating software or manufactured goods. Skills that help the creation of physical goods, like computer-aided design (CAD) software and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) methods, are growing across industries. Design and video production tools like Figma, Canva, and DaVinci Resolve offer professional-grade capabilities to non-professionals, helping the smallest teams produce top-quality work.
Top 10 surging skills: Design excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Computer-aided design (CAD) software | 368% |
| Geometric dimensioning & tolerancing (GD&T) | 240% |
| Siemens NX | 144% |
| Figma | 142% |
| Canva | 134% |
| DaVinci Resolve | 98% |
| Color theory | 97% |
| Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA) | 92% |
| Autodesk Fusion 360 | 88% |
| Computer Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA) | 84% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Design excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| User experience design | 1 |
| Web design | 2 |
| Graphic design | 3 |
| Blender | 4 |
| User interface design | 5 |
| Figma | 6 |
| Adobe Photoshop | 7 |
| Adobe After Effects | 8 |
| 3D modeling | 9 |
| Adobe Illustrator | 10 |
Testing and automation tools enable software reliability and efficiency
Skills in software testing and automation tools are gaining popularity as companies advance their DevOps methods to increase speed and quality. Web development skills go beyond the ability to use specific programming languages or frameworks — although Java, Python, and React remain the most-consumed development topics on Udemy Business.
Top 10 surging skills: Development excellenceRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Software design | 624% |
| Simulink | 578% |
| Microsoft Playwright | 361% |
| Tricentis Tosca | 342% |
| Tailwind CSS | 332% |
| Datadog | 263% |
| MATLAB | 260% |
| Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (PCEP) | 230% |
| FastAPI | 206% |
| Oracle APEX | 200% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Development excellenceRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Java | 1 |
| Python for web development | 2 |
| React | 3 |
| JavaScript | 4 |
| SQL | 5 |
| Angular | 6 |
| Selenium WebDriver | 7 |
| Spring Boot | 8 |
| Kubernetes | 9 |
| Spring Framework | 10 |
The fastest-moving skills quickly become business critical
The speed of change is requiring faster upskilling than ever before. Topics that saw hardly any consumption the previous year are leaping forward, with massive gains in learning hours as they become almost instantly essential to employees.
ChatGPT and generative AI are case in point. These tools came into existence in November of 2022, and now have seen off-the-charts growth in learning. The same can be said for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) skills, though the growth has been slightly less explosive.
Digital marketing strategies, including advertising, have seen strong increases in learning engagement. This is in part because this area is fertile ground for generative AI usage.
Top 10 hottest skillsRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| OpenAI’s ChatGPT* | 4,419% |
| Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) | 3,128% |
| Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer certification | 1,454% |
| Behavioral economics | 1,326% |
| Advertising strategy | 1,118% |
| Certification and software test-taking preparation | 1,044% |
| Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics | 799% |
| Autodesk 3ds Max | 780% |
| DevSecOps | 730% |
| Software design | 624% |
* Because ChatGPT came out in late 2022, we used data from our Q1 Workplace Learning Skills Index for this data point.
Certifications validate skills mastery
Certifications offer leaders the confidence that their teams have deep knowledge of the tools and methodologies that spur innovation. For employees, these certifications are an essential step in career advancement.
Udemy Business offers learners over 150 certification prep topics so that they can develop and demonstrate skills mastery in the subjects most important for their organizations. The greatest growth in certification prep courses this year took place in topics including Google Cloud, cybersecurity, project management, and financial analysis.
Top 10 surging skills: Certification preparationRanked by increase in consumption |
% increase |
|---|---|
| Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer certification | 1,454% |
| Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | 595% |
| Microsoft Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) certification | 465% |
| ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) 4 Foundation certification | 347% |
| Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (PCEP) | 231% |
| Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification | 175% |
| Google Cloud Digital Leader certification | 140% |
| CompTIA PenTest+ certification | 127% |
| Microsoft Power Platform App Maker Associate (PL-100) certification | 119% |
| Databricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache Spark | 117% |
Top 10 consumed skills: Certification preparationRanked by total consumption |
Rank |
|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Cloud Practitioner | 1 |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | 2 |
| Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification | 3 |
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate | 4 |
| Project Management Professional (PMP) certification | 5 |
| Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) | 6 |
| Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) certification | 7 |
| CompTIA Security+ certification | 8 |
| CompTIA A+ certification | 9 |
| Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification | 10 |
For this report, we analyzed data from thousands of our customers around the world. We calculated total consumption by Udemy Business learners across all course topics for the year from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023. We calculated the percentage growth in consumption compared to the year from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022. Some data categorization has been slightly modified for clarity.
