Average training hours per staff member reached 19.4 hours in 2025, with firms prioritising AI and soft skills

Average training hours per employee in Hong Kong hit a 14-year high as local companies pushed for technology adoption and workforce upskilling, a new survey released on Friday showed.

According to the 2025-26 survey on workforce development needs conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management, the average annual training hours per employee reached 19.4 hours in 2025.

This represented a 6.8 per cent increase from 18.1 hours in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of growth and the highest level recorded since 2011, when it stood at 19.9 hours.

The study collected responses from 127 companies across 18 different industries from February 10 to April 30 this year, covering nearly 80,000 full-time employees.

The surge in hours reflected a growing emphasis among businesses on staff training, particularly a dual emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and soft skills, according to the findings.

“The increase in training hours is also driven by the fact that AI now affects colleagues across all levels, from senior and middle management to junior staff,” said Charles Ho Long-chau, the co-chairman of the institute’s learning and development committee.

As for the learning and development priorities for 2026, leadership development remained the top priority for employers at 50 per cent, while mastering generative AI for learning surged from sixth place in 2025 to second place at 49 per cent.