Skillsoft unveils AI-ready Percipio skills platform

Skillsoft has released a next-generation version of its Percipio platform, positioning it as a single system for corporate learning and skills management as AI accelerates changes in job requirements.

The updated Skillsoft Percipio Platform is now generally available. Demand is rising for a closer link between learning, skills development, and business performance.

Many organisations continue to spend heavily on training and development, but leaders often struggle to determine whether those investments build workforce capability. Skillsoft pointed to limited visibility into existing skills, emerging role-based gaps, and weak links between learning activity, readiness, and performance.

Skillsoft also cited research suggesting workplace skills will shift rapidly through the rest of the decade. Estimates indicate about 40% of core workplace skills could change by 2030 as AI and emerging technologies reshape work.

Chief Executive Officer Ron Hovsepian framed the update as a move beyond content libraries and course access.

"Customers are telling us the challenge is bigger than simply access to learning," said Ron Hovsepian, Chief Executive Officer, Skillsoft. "The challenge is knowing whether their workforce is ready for what's next. As work changes faster, organisations need clarity and results. They need to understand which skills matter, where they stand today, and how their talent development connects to real outcomes. That shift is driving the move toward end-to-end skills management."

From learning to skills

The release comes as many HR and learning teams reassess how they define, track, and report skills across the business. Skills frameworks have often sat apart from learning management systems, leaving leaders to rely on course completion rates and survey feedback rather than direct measures of proficiency and job readiness.

Employers increasingly expect learning programmes that match job needs and can be applied in real situations. Skillsoft cited survey findings showing only 10% of HR and learning and development leaders are fully confident their workforce will have the skills needed to meet business goals over the next 12 to 18 months. Fewer than one in four organisations reported having a consolidated view of workforce skills and capability.

Against that backdrop, Skillsoft is pitching skills management as a discipline spanning mapping, assessment, development, and measurement. The aim is a consistent approach to skill definitions and progress signals across the learning lifecycle.

Percipio update

Skillsoft said the next-generation Percipio platform brings learning delivery and skills management into one product. It described the platform as a central place to identify capability, build skills, and apply them where they have the most impact.

One focus is creating learning experiences tailored to specific roles and skill needs. Skillsoft said organisations can use its LX Design Studio and CAISY tools to create interactive learning content in minutes, supporting reskilling as roles evolve and job requirements change.

A second focus is skills visibility and measurement within the same system used for learning. Skillsoft said the platform connects skills mapping, assessment, development, and measurement, creating a more consistent view of workforce capability, gaps, and readiness as business needs shift.

The third focus is linking learning activity to outcomes. Skillsoft said the platform includes structured, skills-aligned learning journeys, and that consistent skill definitions and measurable progress signals can give leaders more confidence that learning is translating into readiness.

NatWest's Head of Learning and Development, Gavin McQuillan, said the organisation is seeking clearer lines of sight between skills requirements, skills supply, and learning decisions.

"Learning creates value when skills are visible and actionable across the business," said Gavin McQuillan, Head of Learning and Development, NatWest. "That means understanding the skills we have, the capabilities the work requires, and how learning can close that gap. Skillsoft helps us connect learning to skills development and workforce decisions so we can adapt as needs change."

Market pressure

The update lands amid a broader push in the HR technology market toward skills-based workforce planning. This includes tools that map skills to roles, compare current supply with future demand, and provide executive reporting. Vendors have also sought to combine skills signals from multiple sources, including learning systems, assessments, and job histories.

Skillsoft said the updated platform supports skills mapping and measurement at scale, helping organisations identify gaps earlier and respond through development and reskilling rather than relying on hiring alone. It also framed the approach as a way to target learning spend and extract more value from existing talent as job requirements shift.

Skillsoft said it will continue developing the platform around the connection between learning, skills, and workforce decisions as organisations seek clearer measures of readiness amid ongoing, technology-driven change.