In 2019, an increasing number of organizations are focused on how learning can help them weather the skills gap. Research by Deloitte found that twice as many executives in 2019 are ready and willing to “train their existing employees rather than hire new ones.” This shift is just in time: 40% of US employers cant find candidates with the necessary skills and 78% expect to experience a skills gap in the future.

Yet prioritizing development is just the first step in successfully navigating the future of work. Being “willing to train” employees isn’t the same as infusing learning throughout the entire organization—in short, becoming a learning organization.

Learning organizations will have a competitive edge in the coming skills shortage for several reasons.

First, they see the root of the skills gap as not a lack of qualified candidates but a large pool of untapped talent, talent that simply hasn’t had the right kind of development opportunities.

Second, by prioritizing learning throughout the organization (and the entire employee lifecycle), learning organizations can more effectively respond to and innovate in the face of technological, political, and economic disruption.

Third, and perhaps most critically, learning organizations don’t expect “training” to solve the skills gap challenge. Instead they view training for what it is: one slice of learning, not the whole pie. Every activity, every role, is a learning opportunity.