Why EdTech Alone Doesn’t Work: The 30% Usage Trap and the Rise of Skills Intelligence
For over a decade, the world has placed great hope in education technology (EdTech) as the answer to upskilling at scale. Billions have been poured into platforms promising democratized access, self-paced learning, and personalized modules. But here’s the hard truth: EdTech rarely works in the way organizations need it to.
Most companies that adopt EdTech platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or Udemy for Business quickly run into a familiar wall—only about 30% of users actually engage. And of those, even fewer complete meaningful learning pathways that lead to real change in behaviour, capability, or productivity.
Let’s unpack why this happens—and why EdTech needs to be complemented (or replaced) by Skills Intelligence if we’re serious about transforming workforce capabilities.
1. The Myth of “Access = Engagement”
Giving employees access to thousands of courses does not mean they’ll learn. In fact, choice paralysis is real. Learners are overwhelmed, unsure what to take, and often default to not engaging at all.
Most EdTech platforms operate on a "pull" model: they wait for users to take initiative. But upskilling doesn’t happen by accident—it needs direction, relevance, and accountability.
2. One Size Doesn’t Fit Roles (Even When They Try)
Many EdTech platforms have started to offer role-to-learning pathways—tagging content to job titles like “Data Analyst” or “Sales Manager.” It’s a step in the right direction, but it still falls short.
These predefined tracks are often too generic, static, and not tailored to an individual’s actual skill gaps. They also reflect what someone in that role should learn, not what they need to learn next to progress or perform better.
The result? You get visibility into learning activity, but not into skills. You can see who clicked on a video—but not who is ready for the next challenge, project, or promotion.
3. No Skills Baseline = No Strategy
This is the core flaw in EdTech. Without a baseline of current capabilities across roles, teams, and departments, organizations can’t:
- Identify who needs what training
- Prioritize high-impact learning areas
- Align learning to business strategy
- Measure upskilling ROI
You can’t manage what you can’t measure—and EdTech doesn’t measure skills, it measures content consumption.
Diagnose Before Prescribing
CADS starts with role-to-skill assessments to baseline every employee—what they can do today, and what they need to be future-ready. No guessing.
Drive Relevance and Personalization
Based on skill gaps, CADS dynamically recommends curated learning paths (including free and paid content) that are aligned to each person’s role and career progression.
Move Beyond Learning Visibility to Skills Visibility
You don’t just see how many courses were clicked—you see who improved, who’s certified, and who’s ready for a bigger role.
Activate Talent, Not Just Train It
By surfacing hidden talent and matching people to internal projects, certifications, or mentorship opportunities, CADS helps companies mobilize skills—not just train for the sake of training.
Benchmark Progress
From individual improvement to organizational maturity (via frameworks like the CADS Data-Driven Organization™), companies can track ROI, literacy rates, and readiness over time.
Stop Paying for Passive Learning
If your organization is investing in EdTech subscriptions and getting 30% usage, it’s not a technology problem. It’s a skills visibility problem.
Until companies can see what skills they have, what they need, and how to close the gap in a measurable way—EdTech will always underdeliver.
Skills Intelligence is the missing link. It’s how we shift from passive content delivery to proactive, role-aligned, business-driven upskilling.
Upskilling isn’t about giving people content. It’s about giving them a purpose, a path, and a push—and that’s exactly what CADS AI delivers.
About the Author.
Sharala Axryd is passionate about data driven business transformations & driving data science education in ASEAN. A natural thought leader, she is a highly-sought-after speaker for conferences with topics ranging from analytics to women in STEM.