At least 92% of supply chain and logistics organizations report having at least one critical skills gap in their workforce, as disruptions to trade, and advancements in artificial intelligence have put more pressure than ever on supply chain teams to keep up.

According to a survey of supply chain and logistics leaders from corporate training firm Skill Dynamics, 47% said that AI and automation represented their largest capability gap, followed by analytics at 31%, demand planning at 29%, sustainability at 24%, and sustainability at 22%. Despite these gaps, 14% of organizations still don't have a dedicated training budget, indicating that firms have been opting for an informal approach to skills development, rather than using structured and strategic learning programs.

"Skills gaps are now nearly universal," Skill Dynamics noted in its report.

Part of the issue is that development programs are often fragmented, rather than organized into clearly-defined plans for individual employees. Just a third of respondents reported using personalized digital learning programs, while nearly 60% instead prioritized on-the-job training as their primary mode of employee development.

Skill Dynamics also identified what it described as a "clear tension between confidence and capability" when it comes to AI, where organizations are optimistic about their readiness for the technology, despite AI representing the most prominent skill gap in the survey. To wit, 83% said that they felt at least somewhat prepared to leverage AI and automation, even while acknowledging a lack of skills to use it effectively.

"Confidence in AI readiness isn't yet grounded in widespread, embeddable skills," Skill Dynamics said.

To bridge that gap, firms are shifting toward more continuous, hands-on training that teaches employees how to work alongside AI in real-world scenarios, rather than relying on one-off sessions that quickly become outdated. Additionally, 46% of organizations said that aligning human intelligence with AI initiatives was their top workforce development priority, as part of a shift toward building practical, on-the-job skills that allow humans to work in concert with the technology in their day-to-day roles.