New data released today by Coursera, one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, reveal the fastest growing professional skills by 2025, based on insights from five million students. Learners are adopting AI skills at an accelerated rate to keep up with the demands of the evolving job market. Currently, AI is the fastest-growing skill among employees, job candidates and students, with enrollments in courses in this area increasing 866% year over year
These are the findings from the roomCoursera's annual Professional Skills Report, based on insights from over five million students who accessed the platform through more than 7.000 institutional clients in 2024. The main highlights of the report include
- As AI skills grow globally, only 28% of the courses were taken by women in 2024, highlighting the urgent need to address gender disparities in the AI workforce
- Six of the ten fastest-growing technological skills this year are related to cybersecurity and risk management, amid a 71% increase in cyber attacks in the previous year
- Human skills are also among the fastest growing, as students seek to build a balanced skill profile. Assertiveness and Communication were among the top 10 skills in 2024
- Three of the 10 most sought-after skills by students were focused on sustainability, since the World Economic Forum ranks sustainability as the second fastest growing job function from 2023 to 2027
- Generative Artificial Intelligence, Workplace Technologies and Analytics were the main skills among job candidates
Learning in Generative AI Grows, but Brazil lags behind emerging markets
Generative AI is now the fastest-growing skill among employees, students and job candidates globally. More than half (54%) of the enrollments in generative AI courses on Coursera come from students in emerging markets like India, Colombia and Mexico. However, Brazil's participation in this rapid adoption remains limited, falling behind these markets
Brazilian students are still primarily focused on building fundamental skills, with courses likeFoundations: Data, Data, Everywhere, Google AI EssentialsandFoundations of Project Managementbeing the most popular, representing 6,3 millionof the 162 million students from Coursera. Brazil has a long way to go to fully harness the transformative potential of AI and other high-demand technologies. In 2025, the global race for AI literacy is expected to intensify, highlighting even more the urgency for Brazil to start closing this gap
Only 28% of AI Enrollments are Women
Although AI skills are growing globally, only 28% of enrollments in generative AI courses on Coursera were made by women. This is particularly concerning, considering that79% of working women—compared to 58% of menare employed in occupations susceptible to the impacts of generative AI
Marni Baker-Stein, Content Director of Coursera, highlighted
When we look at the current technological landscape, it is clear that the gender gap remains pronounced. Gender inequality in STEM has been an ongoing issue and is now becoming evident in the field of AI. Just22%of AI and data science professionals are women, what creates significant barriers to social equity and the effectiveness of technology. Encouraging women to seek skills in AI through educational initiatives and workplace policies will be crucial to closing the gap and ensuring that the benefits of AI are accessible to all.”
Cybersecurity: A Growing Priority in Brazil Amid Increased Attacks
The report2024 Threat Landscape da Kasperskyrevealed that Brazil led Latin America in ransomware attacks, with 1,2 million blocked incidents in the region between June 2023 and July 2024—an alarming average of 3.200 daily attacks
Despite these challenges, Brazil has the potential to become a regional leader in cybersecurity by investing in high-demand skills, how to manage cyber risks, threat modeling and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). Adopt advanced tools, as a generative AI, cyber defense can drive innovation and economic growth in the Brazilian digital environment
Marketing Evolution: Embracing Technology to Engage Customers
In Brazil, companies are migrating from traditional marketing approaches to the use of new technologies, how AI-powered chatbots and personalized analytics, requiring marketing professionals to master these tools to effectively engage customers. When developing skills inEmail Marketing, Customer Engagement and RetentionandAdvertising and Campaign Management, the learners are trained with highly demanded knowledge, ready to take advantage of the growing opportunities in marketing and brand management. These advanced capabilities allow companies to connect with the audience more effectively, optimize campaigns and deliver data-driven strategies that meet the ever-evolving expectations of consumers
Prompt Engineering: An Essential Skill
With 22% of recruitment professionals globally updating job descriptions to include the use of Generative AI, courses likePrompt Engineering for ChatGPTandGenerative AI: Prompt Engineering Fundamentalsare among the top 5 most sought after by students and job candidates. These skills are essential for the effective use of AI tools in various professional contexts, making prompt engineering a crucial skill to remain competitive in an increasingly AI-driven job market
Christian Hernandez, Head of Coursera Enterprise in Latin America, statedGenerative AI is ready to transform jobs and industries in Brazil at an unprecedented pace. To unlock your full potential, digital technologies could generate more thanUS$ 1,3 trillion in annual impact by 2030throughout Latin America. For Brazil to capitalize on this opportunity, it is crucial to prioritize investments in training and literacy in AI. As 2025 approaches, equipping individuals with the necessary skills to leverage this technology will be essential to drive innovation and sustain economic growth.”
Methodology
The fastest growing skills for 2025 were identified through a comparative assessment of corporate student enrollments on Coursera throughout 2024. From more than 1.000 detailed skills in the Coursera catalog, the skills with the highest growth are those that showed the largest increases in their overall enrollment ranking during this period and that are expected to continue growing or remaining popular in 2025
