A skills tree is part of the Skills Mapping and AI-powered learning path feature. This article outlines what a skills tree is, why they’re important, and how Udemy generates and leverages them to help organizations drive employee skill development.
Please note:
- Skills trees are currently generated through AI within the process to create an AI-powered learning path.
- Skills trees are currently only generated in English and Japanese.
- Skills Mapping and AI-powered learning paths are available to Enterprise Plan organizations at no additional cost.
What is a skills tree?
A skills tree serves as a structured view of what learners should know and be able to do within a specific subject area. It organizes these skills in a hierarchical format with distinct levels, encompassing the following components:
- Domains: These are the overarching areas of expertise.
- Sub-domains: These represent more specialized areas of knowledge or expertise. Sub-domains branch out from the main domain.
- Skills: The ability to do something competently. Each sub-domain is made up of several skills.
At every level, these elements adhere to the principles of being mutually exclusive (ME) and collectively exhaustive (CE). This means they do not overlap (ME) and that every skill within the area fits neatly into one of these elements (CE).
Why skills trees matter
In today’s skills-based economy, ensuring that employees possess the right skills is essential. Skills trees provide a clear roadmap for employee skill development, aligning with both the employees’ needs and the organization’s strategic goals. Additionally, we use skills trees as the foundation for creating AI-powered learning paths that are tailored to meet the specific skill needs of your employees and organization. Learn more about Skills Mapping and AI-powered learning paths and how to create them.
Skills tree example:
The following skills tree example is for the topic of Data Collection and Exploration. Note that each domain is organized by subdomains, and each subdomain includes several skills.
How Udemy generates skills trees
Skills trees are generated using the power of artificial intelligence (AI). To create skills trees, Udemy first gathers information about your organization's and employees' skill needs through the skill definition step. Leveraging AI and our extensive Udemy catalog, these inputs are translated into a more specific set of skill requirements; constructing the final, hierarchical skills tree.