Managers race to upskill: Why over 70% of leaders are retooling for an AI-driven future | Survey

By: Lyss Welding, Edited by: Valerie Black

Published: August 18, 2025

What do managers know about upskilling in the age of AI that staff don't? A new edX survey of nearly 1,000 working U.S. adults reveals that managers are more likely than non-managers to say they're considering upskilling (learning new or advanced skills) or reskilling (gaining new skills to transfer into a different role in the same company) given today's economic and technological landscape. And many are doing just that.

In the survey, 72% of managers report they are currently upskilling, and 51% are reskilling. Compare that to 34% of non-managers who are upskilling and 27% who are reskilling.

The survey revealed a workforce-wide appetite to upskill, with managers leading the way.

About 3 in 4 managers (74%) say the current state of the economy has them considering upskilling or reskilling. Seventy-one percent are considering upskilling or reskilling due to advancements in AI.

Managers also see the value of upskilling for their general professional health and well-being. About 8 in 10 (78%) say upskilling is important for their job security and satisfaction.

Additionally, 78% of managers say completing additional education and training improves their chances of receiving a salary increase.

How much training is enough for a competitive edge?

Leaders agree that workers in their fields must upskill regularly to stay competitive. Eighty-two percent of managers and supervisors say it's necessary to pursue additional education and training at least once a year for workers to stay competitive in their field or industry. The majority (57%) say workers should be pursuing education and training opportunities quarterly or more often.

By comparison, 57% of non-managers say it's necessary to pursue extra training annually or more often. Just one-third (33%) say workers should pursue additional education and training at least quarterly. Ten percent report not knowing how much training it takes to stay competitive in their industry.

Also, 67% of managers vs. 41% of non-managers plan to spend four hours a week or more in professional development activities. Thirty-five percent of managers and 19% of non-managers plan to dedicate more than eight hours per week to additional training and education.

Most leaders (58%) predict they will invest more time in professional development activities this year than last year. About 27% of non-managers plan to invest more time in these activities this year compared to last year.

Leaders are all in on AI upskilling

Over one-third of managers (36%) say AI and machine learning / AI prompting is a top skill for their career advancement. Compared to other options, AI skills are the most desirable to leaders, followed by executive leadership skills.

In fact, across all levels of leadership surveyed — upper management (owners, C-suite executives, presidents, and VPs), middle management (department heads, managers, senior managers), and frontline management (supervisors, team leaders, assistant managers) — supervisors rank AI and machine learning as the top technical skill area for their career advancement.

More leaders in upper management list executive leadership and software development/programming as top technical skill areas for advancement. Project management is another top skill for frontline and middle managers. Data analysis and visualization appear on all management tiers' top skills lists.

Top 5 technical skill areas for career advancement: Ranked by leadership levels

Note: The survey included responses from 96 frontline managers, 243 middle managers, and 200 upper managers.

Overall, 65% of managers say AI-related skills are very or extremely important for remaining competitive in their careers.

Not only do leaders recognize the importance of AI skill development in their career advancement, but many are also considering participating in continuing education to upskill in AI. Three in four managers (75%) say they are likely to pursue AI-related education or training in the next six months.

Managers recognize the benefits of AI for their skill development, too: 70% agree that emerging AI technology improves people's ability to upskill or reskill.

At the same time, leaders see a gap: 65% notice a lack of AI expertise in their industries. Explore more details in edX's AI and upskilling survey report.

Methodology

This survey was conducted from May 6-13, 2025, and was fielded by Pure Spectrum. Survey participants included 1,002 adult respondents nationwide who were currently employed (93%) or seeking work (7%). Ninety percent of respondents were ages 18-60. The respondents for the survey were screened by various quality checks, including systems like Relevant ID, and responses were manually reviewed to ensure consistency and accuracy.

Fair use statement

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