The Skills Gap Is a Visibility Problem, Not a Learning Problem

An HRReview report published September 29, 2026, covering PwC UK's Hopes & Fears Survey of 2,023 UK workers, found only 48% said they understood which skills they would need in the future. Meanwhile, 60% were confident in their ability to learn new skills. That is the tension: people think they can learn, but fewer than half can see what to learn next.

The security split is sharper. Among workers who believed their current skills were in demand, 74% felt confident about job security. Among those who did not, 30% did. The survey does not prove that clarity causes security. It does show that perceived demand and confidence move together. Gen Z is least clear: 39% understood the skills they would need, compared with 51% of Millennials and 49% of Gen X.

My read: this is not a training-volume problem. Among workers confident about adapting, only half believed they had access to the learning and development resources they needed. The gap is line of sight and access. If you hire or manage, the specific move is to attach the next skill to a real piece of work. Name the capability, the work where it shows up, who can help someone learn it, and what progress looks like. That is not a generic portfolio ask. It is making the future skill visible inside the job someone already has.

The evidence has limits. This is a UK worker survey, not a market-wide proof. It does not show what employers pay for or how they select. It also does not prove that clearer communication will change security or mobility. But it does show a specific gap: workers are not short on learning confidence. They are short on a clear next step.