Despite demand surging for roles in security, cloud, and AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning), there are still very significant skill gaps in these very fields.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects demand for cybersecurity roles surging by as much as 29% by 2034, and 20% for AI and machine learning-related roles, both of which are much faster than the average job growth rate.
Unfortunately, the biggest tech skills gaps emerge in these three core areas, leaving many organizations at risk and resulting in delayed or abandoned key projects, loss of revenue, and lack of career mobility for tech and even non-tech professionals.
A recent Pluralsight report sheds further light on this. In their Tech Skills Report 2025, they listed cybersecurity, cloud, and AI ML as the top three technical skills gaps. “Artificial intelligence and machine learning, not just generative AI, have become deeply interwoven in all other tech domains, and people need the skills to match,” Pluralsight said. Going into further detail, the report revealed that about 58% of IT professionals and 47% of organizations have had to abandon projects due to IT skills gaps.
So this is definitely a real problem.
As a matter of fact, when listing the top priority skills in 2026, the report uncovered:
For Executives:
- Cloud
- Cybersecurity
- Data
For IT Professionals:
- Cybersecurity
- Cloud
- AI/ML
For Business Professionals:
- AI/ML
- Cloud
- DevOps
6 Free Online Courses With Certificates
Here are a number of free online courses with certificates that teach you these skills, so you can boost your earning potential, have access to more opportunities to grow your career, and make yourself indispensable in your workplace.
Free Cloud Courses With Certificates
- Beginner: Google Cloud Cybersecurity Certificate
- AWS For Beginners, by Great Learning
Free Cybersecurity Courses With Certificates
- Introduction to Cybersecurity by Codecademy
- Prompt Engineering: Generative AI for System Hacking, by Codecademy
Free AI/ML Courses With Certificates
- Prompt Engineering: Ethical Hacking & Generative AI Fusion, by Codecademy
- Generative AI on AWS: Creating Intelligent Chatbots, by Codecademy
Codecademy has a full suite of learning resources, including free and paid (at low cost) for you to build these skills, as well as DevOps, web design, web development, and data science. Other places that offer free and low-cost course access, so you can gain certifications in these very fields and close your own skills gap, include Pluralsight, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Udacity, Kaggle, DataCamp, and freeCodeCamp.
You can literally begin learning this week, setting aside a few hours for study, and practice through building and working on your own mock projects. These projects, which are usually included in the course materials, allow you to build a portfolio that you can showcase to employers.
Here’s what you need to do right now after reading this article:
Identify your own skill gaps and pick one at a time. Don’t rush and try to attempt all at once. Ideally, pick the skill that most aligns with your job function and career goals.
Select one of the three courses listed in this article, relevant to that skill gap, and enroll. Create an account and at least complete the intro lessons so you can familiarize yourself with the course content and structure.
Next, set yourself a target for completing each section. Pace yourself by setting reminders and time-blocking your calendar for professional development. Ask a friend or trusted co-worker to hold you accountable.
Finally, share your progress on LinkedIn and join relevant learning communities, Slack groups, and LinkedIn groups so you can connect with others on the same learning path, ask questions, share insights and support, and motivate yourself as you study.
The future of work is in your hands.
Over to you.