According to a new report by TalentLMS that highlighted how learning and development is growing in importance, by most metrics, L&D is going to be a key business differentiator in the years to come, particularly with organizations struggling to bridge talent gaps. As stated in the report, 67 percent of HR managers have increased their training budgets so far this year, and 42 percent have focused that training to support the re-entry of formerly retired employees. And training is going beyond hard skills. A full 72 percent of HR managers feel it’s important to invest in mental health, and 77 percent said they would likely focus on life skills during the next year. As for employees, 75 percent said they were satisfied with the level of learning and development they received, and 76 percent said they were more likely to stay at a company that offered adequate, continuous training. Not all respondents, however, were satisfied with the level of training they received. About 38 percent of respondents said their training could be better aligned with their job responsibilities, and 32 percent said they believed training needs to be more social and updated more frequently.