Upskilling And Reskilling In The Ict Industry Statistics 2026

Automation is expected to push 65% of workers toward new skills, while 63% of employees want to learn at work. Skills gaps already block business goals for 45% of organizations. Planned training investment is rising, with 50% of companies preparing to increase it in the next 12 months.

Key Takeaways

54% of workers report that their job requires learning new skills
27% of adults in the EU have low digital skills (below the basic level, DigComp)
45% of organizations say they have skills gaps that prevent them from meeting their business goals
Europe has 19.1 million ICT specialists employed in 2022
65% of workers will need new skills due to automation according to the World Economic Forum
77% of organizations plan to use generative AI in at least one business function in 2024, increasing demand for AI upskilling
50% of learning and development leaders cite budget constraints as a key challenge in scaling reskilling programs
60% of companies say they are investing in learning platforms (LMS) to reskill and upskill employees
Companies that implement structured upskilling programs are 2.4x more likely to report faster time-to-competency for new digital roles
Learners who use hands-on project-based learning are 2x more likely to demonstrate applied competence than those using lecture-only formats (meta-analysis figure)
In the EU, 67% of adults who received training in the last year report positive employment outcomes (self-reported)
The cost of cybercrime in 2023 was estimated at $8 trillion globally (McAfee/CSIS estimate)
Between 2019 and 2023, the cost of data breaches averaged $4.45 million globally (IBM Security annual report figure for 2023)
1 unfilled tech vacancy can cost a company $30,000–$50,000 in lost revenue, according to industry workforce estimates

With growing skill gaps, companies are boosting training investments to meet rising digital and AI talent demand.

01 · Category

Workforce Needs5 stats

54% of workers report that their job requires learning new skills

27% of adults in the EU have low digital skills (below the basic level, DigComp)

45% of organizations say they have skills gaps that prevent them from meeting their business goals

50% of companies say they are planning to increase investments in training and upskilling within the next 12 months

63% of employees say they would like to learn new skills at work

Interpretation

Workforce Needs Interpretation

From the workforce needs perspective, a clear majority of people and businesses are feeling the skills pressure, with 54% reporting their jobs require learning new skills and 45% of organizations citing skills gaps that block business goals.

02 · Category

Industry Trends9 stats

Europe has 19.1 million ICT specialists employed in 2022

65% of workers will need new skills due to automation according to the World Economic Forum

77% of organizations plan to use generative AI in at least one business function in 2024, increasing demand for AI upskilling

39% of IT organizations report they are already using AI-enabled tools for software development

The global cloud skills gap is forecast to reach 4.4 million unfilled roles by 2025 (IDC forecast)

The demand for data analysts is projected to grow by 28% from 2022 to 2032 in the US

The US demand for information security analysts is projected to grow by 35% from 2022 to 2032

The US demand for software developers is projected to grow by 25% from 2022 to 2032

In 2023, 72% of CIOs reported that skills are a top priority for delivering transformation (Gartner CIO survey)

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

As automation pushes 65% of workers to need new skills and generative AI adoption climbs to 77% of organizations in 2024, the ICT industry is clearly moving toward large-scale reskilling and upskilling, with cloud roles alone forecast to leave 4.4 million positions unfilled by 2025.

03 · Category

Training Investments2 stats

50% of learning and development leaders cite budget constraints as a key challenge in scaling reskilling programs

60% of companies say they are investing in learning platforms (LMS) to reskill and upskill employees

Interpretation

Training Investments Interpretation

Training investments are being shaped by budget constraints, with 50% of learning leaders citing limited funding as a barrier to scaling reskilling programs while 60% of companies still invest in learning platforms to support upskilling and reskilling.

Upskilling And Reskilling In IndustryUpskilling And Reskilling In The Payment Card Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Training Effectiveness4 stats

Companies that implement structured upskilling programs are 2.4x more likely to report faster time-to-competency for new digital roles

Learners who use hands-on project-based learning are 2x more likely to demonstrate applied competence than those using lecture-only formats (meta-analysis figure)

In the EU, 67% of adults who received training in the last year report positive employment outcomes (self-reported)

In OECD countries, 47% of adults who received training in the last 12 months report higher job quality

Interpretation

Training Effectiveness Interpretation

For the training effectiveness angle, the evidence points to a clear upside when ICT upskilling and reskilling are done well, with structured programs linked to 2.4x faster time-to-competency and 67% of recently trained EU adults reporting positive employment outcomes.

05 · Category

Cost Analysis3 stats

The cost of cybercrime in 2023 was estimated at $8 trillion globally (McAfee/CSIS estimate)

Between 2019 and 2023, the cost of data breaches averaged $4.45 million globally (IBM Security annual report figure for 2023)

1 unfilled tech vacancy can cost a company $30,000–$50,000 in lost revenue, according to industry workforce estimates

Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

Cost pressure is already enormous in the ICT industry, with cybercrime estimated at $8 trillion globally in 2023, data breaches averaging $4.45 million over 2019 to 2023, and even a single unfilled tech role costing $30,000 to $50,000 in lost revenue, making upskilling and reskilling a direct lever for reducing these avoidable financial losses.

report visual · Breakdown

Why Upskilling and Reskilling Matters in ICT

Large shares of workers and organizations report skills gaps and growing training demand, driven by automation and AI adoption.

50%

50% of companies say they are planning to increase investments in training and upskilling within the next 12 months

50%

50% of learning and development leaders cite budget constraints as a key challenge in scaling reskilling programs

source-verifiedlinkedin.com · gartner.com

Reference

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APA

Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Upskilling And Reskilling In The Ict Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-ict-industry-statistics

MLA

Gabrielle Fontaine. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Ict Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-ict-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Ict Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-ict-industry-statistics.