Jobs/Appointments
Only 1 in 10 Global Workers Have In-Demand AI Skills—Study
Salesforce’s new digital skills survey shows that the vast majority of global workers think skills are more important than education qualifications or career background. Most people leaders (98%) believe the shift to skills-based hiring provides business benefits. Yet only 1 in 10 say they have AI skills — which is cited as one of today’s most in-demand digital skills.
This article looks at the survey’s full findings, based on 11,000+ workers across 11 countries, and shares new data on how the workforce perceives the role that generative AI will play in the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Eighty-four per cent of global workers consider the skills-based experience more important than a degree when trying to land a job in today’s market.
However, there’s a disconnect between the skills companies are hiring for and those currently used by the workforce. While 4 in 5 global workers report using digital skills in their day-to-day work, few report skills beyond collaboration technology, digital administration, and digital project management.
In contrast, today’s fastest growing and in-demand skills as reported by workers include artificial intelligence (AI) and coding/app development — but they rank among the least used in workers’ day-to-day roles.
The good news? There appears to be less fear — and more excitement — among workers about the potential of emerging technologies to transform the jobs of the future. This, paired with workers’ reported desire to learn new skills, suggests that companies can help close the digital skills gap by providing continuous, skills-based training to their employees.
A global movement toward skills-based hiring
The shift toward skills-based hiring is evident at all levels. Most (82%) people leaders surveyed said that skills are the most important attribute when evaluating candidates. Only 18% said that relevant degrees are the most important.
Over half of people leaders (56%) cite talent retention as a business benefit to skills-based hiring. Increased workforce diversity (48%) and knowledge sharing (46%) also ranked highly.
Additionally, most people believe that prioritizing employees’ digital skills development will have positive impacts on wider business performance, citing increased productivity (47%), better team performance (43%), and improved problem-solving capabilities (40%).
Leaders and employees agree on the need for AI skills
Workers are excited about emerging AI technologies like generative AI. Sixty per cent of global workers reported excitement about the prospect of using generative AI for their job. In fact, more workers were excited about its use in their workplace (58%) than worried about it replacing them in their job (42%). This is in line with interest from management: Globally, two-thirds of people leaders(67%) say that their company is considering ways to use generative AI.
Despite this excitement, recent research shows that while over half of U.S.-based senior IT leaders say their business is currently using or experimenting with generative AI, 66% say their employees don’t have the skills to successfully leverage the technology.
Workers agree that AI skills are important: Nearly one-fourth of global workers rank AI skills as among the top three most important digital skills right now. This number rises when asked about the importance of these skills over the next five years.
As needs evolve, workplace skills lag
Despite its importance to their future skill set, only 1 in 10 workers say their day-to-day role currently involves AI. A mere 14% say their role involves other, related digital skills like encryption and cyber security, and a smaller 13% claim to use coding and app development skills.
The industry indexing the highest for AI skills, specifically, is the technology industry, but even for this industry, less than a third of employees (27%) use AI skills within their roles today. Outside of traditional IT roles, this number drops further; less than 10% of those in healthcare (8%) and the public sector (6%) report they use AI skills in their day-to-day role.
The path forward is upskilling. Nearly all (97%) global workers believe businesses should prioritize AI skills in their employee development strategy.
Upskilling is critical across wide swaths of these emerging technologies. As a result of the rise in AI and automation, people leaders say data security skills (60%), ethical AI and automation skills (58%), and programming skills (57%) will become increasingly important in the workplace. When asked what ‘soft’ skills will likely be more important as a result, people leaders ranked creative imaginative skills (56%), customer relationship skills (53%), and leadership skills (51%) highest.
Fortunately, companies seeking to boost emerging technology skills and focus on skills-based hiring have something going for them — workers want to expand their limited set of digital skills. Nine in 10 believe that businesses should prioritize digital skills development for their employees.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Global blockchain ecosystem behind the world’s largest digital asset exchange by trading volume and users, Binance, has appointed its co-founder, Ms Yi He, as its co-CEO.
“Yi has been an integral part of the executive leadership team since the launch of Binance. Her innovative and user-focused approach has been instrumental in shaping the company’s vision, culture, and bottom-up business strategy,” said Binance CEO, Mr Richard Teng. “This appointment is a natural progression and she will continue to guide the organization from strength to strength.”
“We remain dedicated to being the most trusted and regulated exchange in the world, always putting our users first. Yi plays a critical role in growing our community and driving product innovation as we work to reach one billion users. Together, we are focused on building the Web3 infrastructure and promoting financial freedom, empowering people to participate in a more open and fair financial system,” added Mr Teng.
“I am honored to build alongside Richard, who brings decades of experience in regulated financial markets and was among the first to regulate crypto in its early days,” said Ms He. “Together, we bring diverse perspectives and are confident in leading the future of the industry during this pivotal time, as we responsibly expand our global presence and drive sustainable innovation with our users always at the center.”
Binance remains one of the world’s largest players in crypto trading, and leadership changes within the company continue to draw attention due to its scale and influence.
The appointment of a co-CEO adds structure during a period when global exchanges emphasize compliance, operational clarity and more formal management frameworks.
The company did not announce changes to its product lineup or platform priorities alongside the leadership update, and no financial terms were disclosed. The addition of a co-CEO role reflects an internal effort to distribute responsibilities as the firm works with regulators and seeks stability in a competitive and closely watched industry.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF) has chosen Nigeria as its official headquarters and also elected the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr Gbenga Komolafe, as its chairman.
Recall that in September, 16 countries, led by Nigeria, gathered in Accra, Ghana, to witness the signing of the charter establishing the forum, which seek to harmonise oil regulation in Africa.
Others include Ghana, Somalia, Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea, and Togo among others.
The decisions were announced at the inaugural executive committee meeting of the forum which took place virtually on December 2, 2025. The meeting which was attended by the 16 African countries, was convened to pick its leadership, headquarters and logo.
Prior to his endorsement as the substantive pioneering chairman, Mr Komolafe acted in interim capacity.
Also, Mrs Eyoanwan Ndiyo-Aiyetan also emerged as the secretary of AFRIPERF.
According to a statement on Wednesday, NUPRC notes that the development affirms Nigeria’s central role in the African petroleum regulatory space and as Africa’s largest producer of crude oil.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Komolafe thanked his African counterparts for the trust and honour, promising to ensure that no member country is left behind.
AFRIPERF aims to strengthen regional petroleum governance by fostering collaboration, cooperation and coordination among member regulators.
Its mission includes creating standards, enhancing transparency and addressing cross-border challenges such as gas trade, emissions, and digitalisation while making the African continent energy sector attractive for crucial investments.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has been nominated by President Bola Tinubu as the new Minister of Defence, replacing Mr Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
The erstwhile minister resigned from his position with immediate effect for health reasons, the president’s spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, had said on Monday night.
The 63-year-old’s departure coincides with a period of heightened security challenges across Nigeria, with the government under pressure to deal with a spate of mass kidnappings.
In a letter to Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed Mr Musa’s nomination as the successor to Mr Abubakar, according to statement on Tuesday by Mr Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The 58-year-old retired military chief is described as a distinguished soldier who served as the CDS from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Mr Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career. His appointments included General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.
In 2021, Mr Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed CDS by President Tinubu in 2023.
In the letter to the Senate, Mr Tinubu expressed confidence in Mr Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
If confirmed by the upper legislative chamber, he will take up the ministry at a crucial time when security challenges including terror and kidnappings are plaguing the country.
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