LinkedIn Skills on the Rise 2026: The 10 fastest-growing skills in Program and Project Management

Our annual list of Skills on the Rise in Program and Project Management highlights the 10 fastest-growing skills that program and project managers should be investing in to get ahead in today’s world of work. 

As the business landscape rapidly evolves, so do the skillsets needed for success in program and project management roles. The list signals individual and enterprise-level shifts in new technology adoption — from AI Literacy (No. 1) to Cloud Migration Strategy (No. 7). Meanwhile, Vendor Coordination (No. 3) and Stakeholder Communication (No. 4) showcase how people-focused collaboration skills remain critical to execute successful programs and projects. The ranking uses the same methodology as our U.S. Skills on the Rise list, but reflects members within the specific job function versus the entire country. 

And these insights are just the beginning. You can read more about each skill and start honing your expertise through a related LinkedIn Learning course (free for all members until March 23). 

Check out the 10 fastest-growing skills in program and project management— and join the conversation using #SkillsOnTheRise. 

You can read our full methodology at the bottom of this article. This list is based on LinkedIn data and was produced by LinkedIn data scientist Yao Huang in partnership with editors on the LinkedIn News team Juliette (Faraut) Bell , Sarah McGrath , Emily Bruck and Juliette Schiff ).

You can also see the Skills on the Rise in Arts & Design, Business Development, Education, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare, HR, IT, Marketing, Media & Communications and Sales.

What it means: AI literacy encompasses the ability to understand and effectively utilize AI tools and technologies for business purposes. In program and project management roles, professionals can leverage AI for tasks like budget and timeline management, risk prediction and project documentation. 

💡 Learn to leverage AI to enhance project efficiency, accuracy and innovation (free LinkedIn Learning course until March 23)

What it means: Standards compliance means ensuring that business activities adhere to internal policies, legal regulations and ethical guidelines. Following these frameworks is critical for overall success of a project or product. 

💡 Learn how to identify and manage project risks effectively (free until March 23)

What it means: Vendor coordination is the sourcing and management of external suppliers or service providers supporting a business project — including negotiating contracts and project scope and monitoring adherence to budget and timelines. 

💡 Learn how to manage outside goods and services effectively  (free until March 23)

What it means: Stakeholder communication is the process of clearly and effectively relaying information to all the relevant parties for a project or overall business. It spans internal and executive alignment as well as relationships with external partners or outside vendors.  

💡 Learn how to streamline and set plans for effective project communication (free until March 23)

What it means: Contractor and workforce management involves hiring and overseeing workers who are temporarily staffed for a specific project — including regular supervision and performance monitoring to make sure the project has sufficient resourcing for success. 

💡 Learn how to forecast workforce demand and allocate resources successfully (free until March 23)

What it means: Data center construction management is the oversight of the design and building of datacenters to ensure they meet requirements and adhere to project timelines. It’s a specialized type of project management, requiring expertise in technical areas like large-scale generators and cooling and security systems.

What it means: Cloud migration strategy is the planning and coordination associated with transitioning an organization’s digital assets to the cloud. Project managers play a key role in creating detailed timelines, mitigating risk from the transition and coordinating with stakeholders to ensure smooth execution. 

💡 Learn how to build a successful cloud migration strategy (free until March 23)

What it means: Cross-functional collaboration is communicating and working with members of different teams and departments across an organization — including clearly defining roles and responsibilities and working toward a shared goal. 

💡 Learn essential strategies for leading projects with strong collaboration (free until March 23)

What it means: Digital transformation is the strategic implementation of digital technologies to business operations in order to drive efficiency. Successful transformation projects, especially at the enterprise level, require deliberate change management techniques and strong collaboration. 

💡 Learn how to lead and deliver innovation in digital transformation initiatives (free until March 23)

What it means: Financial management is the process of planning and controlling a project or product’s budget, making sure resources are allocated efficiently and that it is completed within cost. 

💡 Learn how to build and manage project budgets efficiently (free until March 23)

List Methodology

LinkedIn measures the year-over-year growth of skills based on two pillars: skill acquisition and hiring success. Skill acquisition measures the growth of a given skill being added to member profiles. Hiring success measures the growth of a given skill possessed by members who have been hired in the past year. Growth rates for all metrics are measured by comparing LinkedIn data from December 1, 2024 to November 30, 2025 to the same period in the previous year (December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024). To be ranked, skills must have had sufficient representation and activity volume over the analysis period.

Data is normalized across all skills. Language skills, basic digital literacy skills and overly broad skills are excluded.