Employers Turn to Certifications as AI Skills Gaps Bite
Pearson’s 2026 employer report finds companies are prioritizing professional certification as they try to close skills gaps in AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
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Employers are turning to professional certifications to close IT and AI skills gaps, with 78% choosing certification as their leading upskilling investment, according to Pearson’s 2026 Value of IT Certification Employer Report/
The report found that 60% of organizations with IT skills gaps said those gaps had a significant business impact over the past year. The widest shortages were in high-impact fields including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
Employers estimated that each certified IT employee adds an average of $17,646 in annual value, rising to nearly $20,000 in IT workforces with fully up-to-date skills. Pearson said the gains show up in areas including employee performance, retention, cost savings, issue-resolution time and customer satisfaction.
The report also found that 93% of employers see a positive return on investment from certified IT employees, while 92% either require or strongly prioritize certification as part of their workforce strategy. Organizations that require certification reported greater competitive advantage than those that do not, at 70% versus 57%, and higher success in closing skills gaps, at 65% versus 56%.
“Employers overwhelmingly value certification as a way to build and validate the skills their IT teams need today, and they expect those credentials to matter even more as AI and other technologies continue to reshape roles,” said Art Valentine, President of Pearson Assessment and Qualifications.
The findings point to a broader shift in how companies are approaching workforce readiness as AI adoption expands. Pearson said employers increasingly view certification not only as a skills-development tool, but also as a way to improve IT operations, project delivery, technology adoption and employee retention.
The report found that 90% of leaders expect certifications to become more important over the next three to five years, while 84% of employees plan to pursue additional certifications in the next 12 months.
“The value organizations realize from AI and other advanced technologies ultimately depends on the skills of the people applying them. Certification helps ensure their workforce is prepared to unlock that value,” Valentine said.
The 2026 report is the tenth edition of Pearson’s Value of IT Certification research series. It is based on surveys of 505 IT and HR leaders across the United States, United Kingdom, China, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and India, supported by qualitative interviews with senior IT executives.
