2.24m Aussie workers haven’t received training in the past year, report finds

Australian workers are calling for training that promotes career development and growth amid AI-fuelled role transformation.

For its research, the Employee Sentiment Index (ESI), tech company ELMO collected responses from 1,034 Aussie workers aged 18–64 between 1 and 6 October 2025. The responses unveiled the actions, attitudes, and behaviours of Aussie workers surrounding job security, wellbeing, and the economy between July and September 2025.

Retention and workload

According to the ESI, only 18 per cent of Aussie workers considered a career move, compared with 23 per cent last quarter. Despite this drop, two in five (40 per cent) of Aussie workers reported feeling burnt out, and nearly three in 10 (29 per cent) reported taking on more responsibility.

The research revealed that organisations weren’t providing workers with adequate training, with one in five (21 per cent) Aussie workers (approximately 2.24 million) having not received any training in the past year, and four in five (80 per cent) Aussie workers reporting having inadequate AI-related training.

Skills stagnation

ELMO chief executive Joseph Lyons (pictured) said that while employers opted for security, stability without growth can lead to stagnation. Lyons stressed that employers need to help their people to learn, adapt, and grow to build future-ready organisations. Nearly four in five (79 per cent) Aussie workers reported participating in training within the past 12 months – mostly short-term or compliance-driven – which included general awareness sessions (40 per cent) or role-specific technical training (38 per cent), the report found.

The majority of Aussie workers (76 per cent) said they trusted that the training provided by their organisation was relevant to their future career. In contrast, less than three in 10 (29 per cent) pursued future-focused learning – the report suggested that this shows confidence in support provided by the organisation, but a reluctance to act.

“To bridge this gap, organisations need to make career pathways clearer and foster psychological safety around career movement,” the tech company said.

Provision of training and development

Nearly one in two (43 per cent) Aussie workers reported that training was completely employer-provided, while 16 per cent reported having done self-funded training. For digital or technology training, 42 per cent of Aussie workers reported having done self-funded training. This suggests that Aussie workers were self-motivated in areas where demand for skills is highest, the report said.

Training provided by organisations was a key determinant of employee loyalty, as the study found that three in five (61 per cent) of Aussie workers reported they would consider leaving their employer if skills development or growth stalled, and one in five (21 per cent) said they “definitely would”.

AI’s role in growth

According to the research, three in 10 (30 per cent) employees believed that their role could be replaced by automation or AI within five years, and nearly three in five (58 per cent) said they felt prepared for the impact of AI and new technologies. Despite this, the data found that 84 per cent of workers reported that their skills could keep pace with their industry.

Only one in five (20 per cent) Aussie workers reported receiving adequate AI training from their organisation – within this group, the majority of Gen Z (68 per cent) and Gen Y (74 per cent) employees reported having received inadequate AI training. As a result, more than two in five (44 per cent) Aussie workers felt that their organisations have not done enough to upskill the national workforce.

Lyons noted that while many Aussie workers did not feel equipped to keep up with AI despite recognising its role in transforming their jobs, Australia’s productivity, competitiveness, and confidence are largely dependent on bridging the AI skills gap.

“Technology can’t replace creativity, critical thinking or compassion, but it can amplify them. The future of work will depend on keeping the human in the loop: designing workplaces where people and technology learn from each other. AI is changing how we work, but it doesn’t change the value of people,” Lyons said.

Carlos Tse

Carlos Tse is a graduate journalist writing for Accountants Daily, HR Leader, Lawyers Weekly.