Skills for 2026: Power skills, adaptive learning, and internal talent

By Neeraj Deginal, CTO, SHRM India, MENA, APAC

For a long time, organisations approached skills as static assets. We documented them in job descriptions, validated them through certifications, and refreshed them through periodic training. The assumption was straightforward: once a workforce was trained, capability would remain stable for a reasonable period.

That assumption is no longer valid.

Technology cycles have shortened to the point where knowledge depreciates faster than organisational processes can adapt. Cloud platforms evolve quarterly, cybersecurity threats evolve daily, and AI capabilities evolve almost continuously. The challenge for IT leaders is therefore not simply acquiring skills but maintaining relevance.

The real question for 2026 is not whether organisations can hire skilled people. It is whether organisations can continuously renew capabilities.

Power skills: Enabling technology to deliver value

Within IT, we historically prioritised technical expertise because it was measurable. Architecture frameworks, programming languages, platform certifications, and ...