Global Soft Skills Training Market – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2031

Soft Skills Training Market Analysis and Size

Corporate training in soft skills for employees is a critical application within the market, aimed at enhancing the interpersonal abilities of employees across various levels within organizations. Companies invest in soft skills training market to foster better communication, teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution among their workforce. These skills are essential for improving employee productivity, engagement, and retention. Moreover, training programs often focus on emotional intelligence, adaptability, and cultural sensitivity to equip employees with the skills needed to navigate diverse workplace environments effectively.

The global soft skills training market size was valued at USD 29.75 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 74.61 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 12.18% during the forecast period of 2024 to 2031. In addition to the market insights such as market value, growth rate, market segments, geographical coverage, market players, and market scenario, the market report curated by the Data Bridge Market Research team includes in-depth expert analysis, import/export analysis, pricing analysis, production consumption analysis, and pestle analysis.

Report Scope and Market Segmentation       

Market Definition

Soft skills training refers to programs designed to develop non-technical abilities in individuals, such as communication, teamwork, time management, leadership, and problem-solving. Unsuch as technical or hard skills, which are job-specific and measurable, soft skills are essential for effective interpersonal interactions, professional relationships, and overall career success. Training typically involves workshops, coaching sessions, simulations, and other educational methods aimed at improving these crucial competencies.

Soft Skills Training Market Dynamics

Drivers

• Rising Technological Advancements

Technological advancements increases demand for soft skills development training by emphasizing the need for human-centric abilities amidst automation and AI integration. As routine tasks become automated, employers increasingly value soft skills such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. Organizations invest in training programs that use technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to provide immersive learning experiences. These technologies allow employees to practice and refine essential skills such as communication, leadership, and problem-solving in realistic simulations.

• Increasing Demand for Workforce Development

Employers are increasingly recognizing that technical skills alone are insufficient for driving organizational success. Soft skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving are crucial for enhancing employee effectiveness, productivity, and collaboration. As industries evolve and competition intensifies, there is a growing emphasis on fostering a skilled workforce that can adapt to changing business environments and customer needs. Consequently, companies are investing in soft skills training to ensure their employees possess the interpersonal competencies needed to navigate complex challenges, innovate, and contribute positively to organizational growth and stability.

Opportunities

• Rising Globalization

Globalization has an impact on workplace diversity and international business operations. As companies expand globally, employees must navigate diverse cultural norms, communication styles, and business practices. Soft skills training equips employees with essential competencies such as cross-cultural communication, adaptability, and empathy, which are crucial for effective collaboration and relationship-building across borders. Moreover, globalization increases the need for employees to understand and respect cultural differences, manage virtual teams, and navigate complex global markets.

• High Regulatory Requirements

Regulatory bodies impose standards that necessitate employees to possess strong communication, empathy, and ethical decision-making skills. For instance, healthcare professionals must effectively communicate with patients and adhere to privacy regulations. In finance, employees must demonstrate integrity and compliance with legal standards in customer interactions. Soft skills training ensures that employees understand and meet these stringent requirements, mitigating risks of non-compliance, enhancing service quality, and maintaining organizational reputation.

Restraints/Challenges

• Limited Budget Allocation

Limited budget allocation impacts the ability of organizations to invest adequately in comprehensive training programs. Many companies prioritize budget allocation towards core business activities or technical training, often overlooking the perceived indirect benefits of soft skills development. This constraint restricts the scope and scale of soft skills training initiatives, limiting the variety of training methods, frequency of sessions, and accessibility to all employees. As a result, some organizations may opt for cheaper or less effective training solutions, compromising the quality and depth of learning experiences.

• Lack of Standardized Assessment

Unlike technical skills that can be measured objectively through certifications or tests, assessing soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and leadership is more subjective and context-dependent. This variability makes it challenging for organizations to reliably gauge the effectiveness of their training programs and quantify the return on investment (ROI). Without standardized assessment metrics, it's difficult to benchmark progress, compare results across different training initiatives, or demonstrate the tangible impact of soft skills training on employee performance and organizational outcomes. Consequently, this ambiguity can deter some organizations from fully committing resources to soft skills development, impacting the market's growth potential.

This market report provides details of new recent developments, trade regulations, import-export analysis, production analysis, value chain optimization, market share, impact of domestic and localized market players, analyses opportunities in terms of emerging revenue pockets, changes in market regulations, strategic market growth analysis, market size, category market growths, application niches and dominance, product approvals, product launches, geographic expansions, technological innovations in the market. To gain more info on the market contact Data Bridge Market Research for an Analyst Brief, our team will help you take an informed market decision to achieve market growth.

Recent Development

• In June 2021, Skillsoft Corporation announced the acquisition of Pluma, Inc. This strategic move significantly bolstered Skillsoft's leadership development capabilities. By integrating Pluma's expertise in virtual coaching and leadership training, Skillsoft aimed to enhance its portfolio and provide more comprehensive solutions to its corporate clients worldwide
• In November 2020, Wilson Learning Worldwide Inc. collaborated with Profiling Online. This alliance enabled Wilson Learning to strengthen its ability to deliver learning solutions globally. By leveraging Profiling Online's technology and reach, Wilson Learning enhanced its international offerings, catering to a broader range of clients with tailored learning and development programs suited to diverse cultural and organizational contexts

Soft Skills Training Market Scope

The market is segmented on the basis of delivery mode, soft skill, end-user, sourcing and channel provider. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyze meagre growth segments in the industries and provide the users with a valuable market overview and market insights to help them make strategic decisions for identifying core market applications.

Delivery Mode

• Regular/Offline
• Online
  • Asynchronous Online Courses
  • Synchronous Online Courses
  • Hybrid Courses

Soft Skill

• Management and Leadership
• Administration and Secretarial
• Communication and Productivity
• Personal Development
• Teamwork
• Others

End-User

• BFSI
• Manufacturing
• Hospitality
• Energy and Power
• Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
• IT and Telecom
• Retail
• Media and Entertainment
• Others

Sourcing

• In-house
• Outsourced

Channel Provider

• Corporate/ Enterprise
• Academic
• Government 

Soft Skills Training Market Region Analysis/Insights

The market is analyzed and market size insights and trends are provided by country, delivery mode, soft skill, end-user, sourcing and channel provider as referenced above.

The countries covered in the market report are U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA, Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America.

North America dominates the market due to the presence of key industry players and increasing adoption of customizable and efficient learning programs across corporate and educational sectors. The region benefits from advanced infrastructure, which supports the seamless deployment of cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality in training initiatives. This technological advantage, coupled with a strong awareness and emphasis on skill development, solidifies North America's position as a frontrunner in shaping the future of soft skills training globally.

Asia-Pacific is expected for substantial growth driven by increasing awareness of the critical role of soft skills among both employees and employers. This heightened awareness is expected to fuel demand for training programs that enhance communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Additionally, the region's expanding IT infrastructure and growing number of educational institutions focusing on soft skills education will further contribute to market growth. These factors combined indicate a promising outlook for the soft skills training market in Asia-Pacific, highlighting a significant opportunity for development and investment in the sector.

The country section of the global sales force automation software market report also provides individual market impacting factors and changes in regulation in the market domestically that impacts the current and future trends of the market. Data points such as consumption volumes, production sites and volumes, import export analysis, price trend analysis, cost of raw materials, down-stream and upstream value chain analysis are some of the major pointers used to forecast the market scenario for individual countries. Also, presence and availability of global brands and their challenges faced due to large or scarce competition from local and domestic brands, impact of domestic tariffs and trade routes are considered while providing forecast analysis of the country data.

Competitive Landscape and Soft Skills Training Market Share Analysis

The market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, global presence, production sites and facilities, production capacities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies' focus related to the market.

Some of the major players operating in the market are:

• Blanchard (U.S.)
• CCL (U.S.)
• Hemsley Fraser Group Ltd. (U.K.)
• Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., (U.S.)
• CEGOS. (France)
• CGS (U.S.)
• New Horizons Worldwide, LLC. (U.S.)
• QA group (U.K.)
• Articulate Global, LLC (U.S.)
• D2L Corporation (Canada)
• Skillsoft (U.S.)
• MPS Interactive Systems Limited (India)
• The Insights Group Limited (U.K.)
• NIIT (India)
• Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd (India)
• edX LLC. (U.S.)
• BizLibrary (U.S.)
• City & Guilds (U.K.)
• Cornerstone (U.S.)

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