.webp)
What are learners focused on right now? What makes training worth their time? And are employees really prepared for what’s next? We’re tackling all three in this month’s What’s New, along with new resources, expert perspectives, and plenty of opportunities to join the conversation live.
New guide: Making learning worth their time
Employees want opportunities to grow. Finding time for them is another story.
Gallup found that 41% of employees say time away from their job responsibilities is their biggest barrier to learning and development. CHROs see the problem even more sharply: 89% cite time away from responsibilities as their organization’s biggest obstacle to employee development.
But “I don’t have time” isn’t always just a scheduling problem. When learning feels disconnected from an employee’s role, difficult to access, or hard to apply, it becomes one more thing competing for attention.
Our new Making Learning Worth Their Time playbook helps L&D teams rethink the experience around the learner, not just the assignment. It includes practical tools to help you identify what’s getting in the way, make learning more relevant to the work, bring managers into the process, and measure success beyond completion.
Make training worth paying attention to.
What have learners been learning this past month?
A look at course popularity over the past month reveals an interesting mix. As AI changes how work gets done, learners are building new technology skills alongside the distinctly human skills that help them put that technology to work.
Some of the topics rising to the top include:
- Communication: Better conversations, listening, and communicating clearly
- Leadership: Navigating change, building trust, and making better decisions
- Critical thinking: Solving problems, evaluating information, and exercising judgment
- AI fluency: Prompting, working with AI, and using it responsibly
- Customer service: Communicating with empathy and handling customer needs effectively
The bigger picture: Preparing for what’s next meants strengthening the human skills that become even more valuable alongside AI.
Curation Assistant now handles multiple learning needs at once
Workforce challenges rarely involve just one skill. A leadership initiative might require communication, coaching, change management, and AI skills, each with different requirements for your workforce.
Now, Curation Assistant lets you bring those needs together in a single conversation.
Describe multiple skills, topics, or competencies at once, and Curation Assistant will find relevant courses and organize its recommendations by topic. You can refine each group, account for requirements like language, duration, audience, or proficiency level, and save your selections to organized learning lists.
That means fewer separate searches and less time manually assembling content, while you stay in control of what ultimately makes it into your program.
Learn more about multi-topic curation
Exclusive content for Self-Care Awareness Month
September is Self-Care Awareness Month! Take time to invest in your well-being with Briefly. Explore bite-sized summaries of bestselling books with insights on focus, sleep, healthy habits, and longevity:
- Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams | Matthew Walker, PhD
- Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick | Wendy Wood
- Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity | Peter Attia, M.D. with Bill Gifford
New Ecosystem Experts episode: Are your frontline employees ready for what’s next?
Organizations are investing in AI, new technology, and workforce development. But having access to the right tools and training doesn’t automatically mean employees feel ready to use them.
In the latest episode of Ecosystem Experts, UKG’s Julie Develin joins OpenSesame’s Liza Mucheru Wisner to unpack the preparedness problem: why leaders can overestimate workforce readiness, how constant change feels different for frontline employees, and what organizations can do to build greater confidence and trust.
Upcoming events: Learn with us live
From leading through AI-driven change to keeping fast-growing frontline teams covered, our upcoming events tackle some of the workforce challenges organizations can’t afford to get wrong. Join OpenSesame and industry experts online, or connect with us in person.
Leading Humans in an AI-Powered World | Wednesday, 16 September | Virtual
AI may be changing how work gets done, but communication, trust, judgment, and strong leadership matter more than ever. Join April Allen and Shawna Unger of Allen & Unger Consulting for practical strategies to navigate conflict, strengthen psychological safety, and lead people effectively through change.
Scaling the Frontline: Onboarding Seasonal Hires Without Compliance Blind Spots | Wednesday, 30 September | Virtual
When seasonal hiring accelerates, training consistency can quickly fall behind. Explore where compliance risk hides in compressed onboarding, what consistent training looks like across locations, and how to get new hires protected, prepared, and productive without slowing down the business.
AI in the workplace - compliance spotlight | Thursday, 1 October | Virtual
AI is creating new decisions for employees and new risks for businesses. Experts from Sponge Compliance will explore real-world scenarios where AI can introduce compliance challenges and how critical thinking can help employees use AI safely, responsibly, and with confidence.
Training Industry Strategy Summit | October 6–8 | In person
.webp)
Connect with OpenSesame and senior learning leaders at the Training Industry Strategy Summit. Through workshops, peer discussions, and expert-led sessions, explore practical approaches to workforce readiness, AI, leadership alignment, and learning strategies tied to business outcomes.
Course of the month: Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on 15 September, creating an opportunity to recognise the cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
In this course from OpenSesame Exclusive publisher OpenDoors, learners explore the origins and significance of the month, discover influential Hispanic Americans who have shaped U.S. history and culture, and identify meaningful ways to celebrate and support Hispanic communities.
Part of the OpenDoors Celebrations Series, the course helps build greater belonging, empathy, and allyship in the workplace and beyond.
P.S. If you’re starting to plan your 2027 learning program, our 2027 Course Calendars are coming soon 👀 They’ll make it easier to plan timely, relevant training throughout the year.
