85% of people believe lifelong upskilling will be the new norm, but barriers still remain to make it a reality, according to new ETS/Harris Poll research

According to new research released today by ETS in partnership Harris Poll—and first shared exclusively with Fortune—the world is in overwhelming agreement: Upskilling and reskilling will become the new standard for people throughout their career. And of the more than 17,000 respondents, 85% shared this viewpoint in findings for the first annual Human Progress Study.

“We no longer live in a world where you get your degree or training, leave education and learning behind and never look back. Respondents across the globe acknowledged this clearly. Globally people are feeling the pressure to keep assessing and certifying their skills,” says Michelle Froah, global chief marketing and innovation officer at ETS.

This comes as education leaders and beyond—from Sal Khan to Mark Cuban have championed lifelong learning as the future.

However, the world also recognizes that AI is changing the game when it comes to the workforce—for better or for worse. While the technology is creating a need for learning more often, it also is opening additional opportunities to gain new skills.

“The rapid growth and adoption of technology—specifically generative AI—has rushed in an era where skills are becoming absolute in as little as two years in some cases,” Froah tells Fortune.

Nearly three-quarters of the survey respondents noted that they would trust AI-generated guidance for improving skills, and a roughly same number agreed that unintentional biases and programming flaws within AI could negatively impact learning assessments.

Is upskilling accessible?

Just because there is an overwhelming realization that upskilling is important does not necessarily mean people are engaging in upskilling or reskilling activities. In fact, there are many significant barriers.

First and foremost is simply price: 53% of respondents in the survey said the top barrier that hinders individuals from upskilling or reskilling is expense or lack of financial resources. What’s even more worrisome for the existing industry is that 41% believe that the largest barrier is a lack of financial rewards, benefits, or recognition for upskilling or reskilling efforts. So, not only is upskilling training inaccessible for some, others still don’t see a great return on investment.

Froah says because prosperous societies generally have greater access to upskilling opportunities, there is a global need for increased attention toward educational training that yields meaningful outcomes.

“This is a call to action, not just for access to learning, but access to the tools to measure and prove skill proficiency,” she says.

But what’s interesting is that there is still skepticism about the ability for online learning platforms to grow and address these needs. Earlier this year, for example, Goldman Sachs downgraded their advice for publicly traded edtech companies like Coursera, Chegg, and Duolingo from hold to sell.

Over the years, many tech companies have attempted to address skills gaps with their own training programs and platforms—some paid and some free. But for a learner, it can certainly be confusing when trying to navigate the growing ecosystem.

Earlier this month, Cisco announced it was leading the creation of a new consortium with top tech names like Google, Microsoft, and Intel in order to address AI’s impact on the workforce.

A never-ending push for soft skills

Ultimately, as AI integrates more into the world of education and the workforce, many of the most important skills for any candidate to have are ultimately the most human ones: the soft skills. In fact, LinkedIn declared communication as the most in-demand skill altogether for 2024. 

The ETS survey data has similar sentiment. It found that the three most important core skills for “life success” are communication, problem solving/critical thinking, and creativity. While technical skills, creativity, and digital literacy ranked among the top for the job market, it is clear that AI is creating a greater need for individuals to be able to set themselves apart with human capabilities. 

“To enable individuals, businesses and economies to thrive in this environment, we must rethink the skills we need to develop and measure,” Froah says.