New Year, New Skills: Why 2026 Belongs To Learners Who Can Retain, Apply, And Transform

Every January brings a predictable wave of ambition. We set new targets, map new strategies, and commit (at least in spirit) to developing new skills. But as we enter 2026, a quiet realization is reshaping how leaders think about talent. Skills alone are no longer the differentiator. Retention is. 

As the Middle East continues its large-scale national development and digital transformation initiatives, the real competitive advantage is not how much people learn, but how much they retain and apply. As industries evolve and new technologies reshape job roles, organizations are realizing that traditional approaches to learning aren’t sufficient. The future belongs to workforces that can turn knowledge into sustained capability, and that requires rethinking how learning is designed, delivered and reinforced. 

Yet this is precisely where many organizations continue to struggle. Leadership programs inspire, but behavior doesn’t always shift. Technical training builds awareness, but not always proficiency. Employees complete courses, but long-term habits rarely change. Despite significant investment in learning and development (L&D), the gap between knowing and doing remains one of the biggest barriers to workforce transformation. However, this gap is solvable. 

For decades, corporate learning focused on volume: more courses, more workshops, more certifications. But our brains were never designed to absorb or retain information at that pace. Research shows that nearly 70 percent of new knowledge is forgotten within 24 hours if not reinforced or applied. The implications are clear: 

• Technical programs may teach concepts, but not mastery. 

• Leadership development may inspire, but not embed new behaviors. 

• Soft skills training may motivate, but not create lasting habits. 

• L&D strategies may look impressive, but fail to deliver measurable return on investment. 

Organizations aren’t struggling because they lack content. They’re struggling because the learning systems around that content haven’t evolved with how the brain truly learns. 2026 demands a shift: not just building skills, but building skills that stick. 

High-performing organizations have already recognized a fundamental principle: training is an event. Learning is a journey. Retention is the outcome. 

Traditional training often ends when the classroom session concludes. But real development begins after the session through repetition, reflection, application, coaching, digital reinforcement, and contextual problem-solving. In this model, learning is not a one-time experience. It’s a continuous loop designed to strengthen neural pathways and embed new behaviors into everyday work. This shift is grounded in neuroscience. 

Advances in cognitive science and behavioral psychology now make it possible to design learning that the brain naturally adopts, strengthens and retains. Four principles stand out: 

1. Repetition strengthens memory networks The brain encodes long-term memory through repeated exposure over time. That’s why spaced learning, micro-learning and reinforcement significantly outperform one-time sessions. 

2. Emotional activation boosts retention Experiences that trigger emotion like making decisions, facing consequences, and solving real problems are remembered far more strongly than passive content. 

3. Trial-and-error accelerates learning When learners fail safely, reassess, and try again, the brain releases dopamine, the chemical that fuels deeper learning and intrinsic motivation. 

4. Context drives application The brain struggles to apply skills learned in isolation. Realistic, role-relevant, or simulated environments are essential for transferring knowledge into real work. 

These insights reshape not only how programs are designed, but how organizations think about capability-building at scale. 

At EY Academy (which I head in the MENA region), we operate with a clear belief that knowledge that is not retained cannot transform an organization. Drawing on neuroscience, organizational psychology, behavioral science, and decades of experience developing leaders across the region, we design learning ecosystems, not content libraries, to help people not just learn, but remember, apply and grow.  

Our approach is grounded in repetition-by-design, using learning loops, spaced reinforcement and repeated activation to move learners from awareness to mastery. We integrate simulation-based and game-driven experiences that place participants in realistic scenarios where they make decisions and experience consequences in a safe, immersive environment, strengthening emotional connection and memory. Every journey is tailored to different roles, industries, maturity levels and organizational goals, recognizing that people learn differently and require personalized pathways.  

To support long-term behavior change, we embed habit-formation mechanisms such as nudges, prompts, micro-challenges, and reflection tasks. And through integrated digital learning ecosystems such as artificial intelligence-driven simulators, bite-sized content, gamified reinforcement, and continuous assessments, we extend learning far beyond the classroom. Together, these elements ensure that learning becomes a sustained cycle of reinforcement rather than a momentary event. 

The new year brings both opportunity and responsibility for leaders across the Middle East. As transformation agendas accelerate and workforce expectations evolve, leaders must rethink what upskilling truly means, seeing past simply providing training and instead, enabling lasting capability. 

In 2026, leaders must strive to: 

• View learning as a strategic investment that shapes culture and performance. 

• Build systems that encourage continuous growth rather than one-time participation. 

• Prioritize measurable learning outcomes linked to business impact. 

• Elevate human skills of judgment, adaptability and empathy, alongside technical skills. 

• Ensure learning delivers not just knowledge, but transformation. 

At EY Academy, our mission is to help organizations develop leaders, teams, and technical talent equipped for the future. We design journeys grounded in neuroscience, powered by simulation and built for long-term impact. If 2025 was about learning, let 2026 be about retaining, applying and transforming. Because the future will not belong to the most trained workforce, but to the most prepared. 

About The Author 

Fazeela Gopalani is a Partner at EY and Head of the EY Academy for the MENA region.