Building an upskilling culture: Your competitive edge in a new working world

An organisation’s ability to upskill its teams faster than the pace of change may be its greatest competitive edge, writes Peter Kokkinos.

While product innovation, customer experience, and operational efficiency remain important, positive business outcomes increasingly hinge on an organisation’s culture of continuous upskilling and the ability to equip people with the capabilities and mindset to adapt, grow, and lead in a fast-evolving global economy.

A skilling culture is more than access to training. It’s a mindset embedded in the organisation’s values and day-to-day workflows. It encourages curiosity, experimentation, and resilience. And when supported by the right systems and leadership, it becomes a powerful engine of performance, innovation, and engagement.

Benefits of an embedded upskilling culture

Investing in upskilling drives meaningful business outcomes across employee engagement, adaptability, innovation, and leadership. Key benefits include:

1. Employee engagement and retention

Upskilling is one of the most effective levers for engaging and retaining top talent. Employees who feel they have opportunities to “learn and grow” are 3.6 times more likely to report being happy at work. According to RMIT and Deloitte, 88 per cent of Australian employees are more likely to stay with an employer that invests in their development.

2. Performance and adaptability

Upskilling cultures are agile cultures. Organisations that foster daily skilling habits are 4.1 times more likely to adapt successfully to change and 2.6 times more likely to exceed financial targets.

3. Innovation and productivity

People with the skills and confidence to experiment are more likely to innovate. A recent PwC study found that 93 per cent of CEOs who implemented upskilling strategies saw productivity rise, showing that skilling is not a distraction from performance but a driver of it.

4. Leadership and culture

At a time when trust and culture are increasingly important, upskilling builds connections. It opens up new pathways for cross-functional collaboration, helps teams work with empathy, and supports inclusive leadership at all levels.

Where to start

Building a learning culture doesn’t require a massive program overhaul. However, it does require deliberate steps to ensure a seamless transition. Here are a few steps organisations and leaders can take to build a skills-centric, outcomes-driven upskilling culture:

• Lead by example: When leaders prioritise upskilling through curiosity, humility, and action, it becomes cultural. To truly connect upskilling initiatives and priorities with business performance, the cultural mandate must cascade from leadership.
• Make learning relevant: Focus on skills that drive business outcomes and directly relate to job roles/goals, not just course completions.
• Celebrate and scale success: Recognise progress and embed upskilling into workflows to make it part of how work gets done.
• Measure impact: Track skills development, business outcomes, and employee sentiment beyond participation metrics. Managers should also take employee feedback to continue improving and optimising learning programs.

The future of work belongs to professionals who continue upskilling in emerging technical and soft skills to stay competitive. Those organisations that cultivate a strong upskilling culture will be the ones that adapt fastest, innovate most, and attract the best talent. The time to invest is now.

Developing AI fluency demands strong leaders

The massive shift towards rapid AI fluency stands as this year’s most defining technological trend. AI-related skills development on Udemy Business increased by 60 per cent year on year, not just within technical teams but also across functions like sales, HR, marketing, and customer support. AI is no longer the domain of tech specialists; it is now a core competency for the modern workforce.

At the same time, leadership development is being prioritised as a strategic imperative for successfully integrating emerging technologies into organisational workflows. As organisations move towards skills-based models, leadership must evolve to ensure their frontline managers and employees are equipped with the skills and tools to manage disruptions. They can’t just focus on business strategy; they also need to home in on soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and mentorship. A strong upskilling culture empowers people at all levels to build these capabilities.

Building an AI mindset: How Serko transformed its workforce

According to Udemy’s 2025 Global Learning & Skills Trends Report, the number of skills required for a single job is increasing by 10 per cent annually. In fact, the shelf life of technical skills is less than two years. The rise of generative AI, automation, and accelerated digital transformation drives this. In this context, a culture that supports continual upskilling is no longer a nice-to-have; it has become foundational.

Research shows that organisations with strong upskilling cultures are nearly five times more likely to outperform peers on key business metrics. They’re also more agile in the face of change and better equipped to retain talent in competitive markets. But what does this look like in action?

Travel and expense management company Serko is a great example of what a continuous upskilling culture looks like in action, particularly in the age of AI. Recognising that AI is as much a mindset as a technology shift, Serko partnered with Udemy to develop an ambitious AI upskilling culture. Their goal: to empower every team member, in every role, across five countries, to build AI fluency and confidently integrate AI into their work.

To drive adoption, Serko embedded AI upskilling into company KPIs and ensured the content was accessible, engaging and tailored to different job functions. Partnering with Udemy, Serko leverages flexible micro-learning formats to train more than 360 employees to ensure their workforce is equipped with future-ready skills.

Peter Kokkinos is the vice president and general manager in APAC at Udemy.