Employers demand certifications but few young workers are pursuing them

The Pearson report found 78% of employers identified professional certification as their leading upskilling investment, and 93% reported a positive return on investment from certified employees, tied directly to performance and retention outcomes.

Certification gap sharpest in AI and emerging tech

The largest skills shortfalls are concentrated in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity and cloud computing, according to Pearson. Art Valentine, president of Pearson Assessment and Qualification, said employers overwhelmingly view certification as the most reliable way to build and validate the skills their teams need, and expect those credentials to carry even greater weight as AI continues to reshape roles across industries.

AI-related job listings across architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing and design grew nearly two and a half times over two years, according to analysis of more than four million global job postings conducted by research firm GlobalData for Autodesk’s second annual AI Jobs Report, released in 2025. Design has become the most in-demand skill in AI hiring, while human skills such as communication and leadership now rank ahead of coding in employer requirements.

Young workers are largely self-taught and it shows

The research also points to a structural problem in how young people are acquiring skills. Eighty per cent of students said they are teaching themselves job-related skills online, while fewer than one in five gained those skills through internships or workplace experience. That self-directed learning is not translating into the formal credentials employers are prioritising.

The trades face a parallel challenge. Demand for credentialled workers in plumbing, pipefitting, HVACR and welding is rising alongside design and engineering roles, yet apprenticeship and formal training pathways remain underutilised by young workers entering those fields.