Introducing the 2025 State of the L&D Industry Report — from community.elearningacademy.io
What’s changing is not the foundation—it’s the ecosystem. Teams are looking to create more flexible, scalable, and diverse learning experiences that meet people where they are.
What Did We Explore?
Everyone seems to have a take on what’s happening in L&D these days. From bold claims about six-figure roles to debates over whether portfolios or degrees matter more, everyone seems to have a take. So, we wanted to get to the heart of it by exploring five of the biggest, most debated areas shaping our work today:
- Salaries: Are compensation trends really keeping pace with the value we deliver?
- Hiring: What skills are managers actually looking for—and are those ATS horror stories true?
- Portfolios: Are portfolios helping candidates stand out, and what are hiring managers actually looking for?
- Tools & Modalities: What types of training are teams building, and what tools are they using to build it?
- Artificial Intelligence: Who’s using it, how, and what concerns still exist?
These five areas are shaping the future of instructional design—not just for job seekers, but for team leaders, hiring managers, and the entire ecosystem of L&D professionals.
The takeaway? A portfolio is more than a collection of projects—it’s a storytelling tool. The ones that stand out highlight process, decision-making, and results—not just pretty screens.