Pearson PLC

Pearson delivered a 14% underlying increase in adjusted operating profit to £226 million for the first half of 2026, driven by operating leverage and cost efficiencies. Group underlying revenue grew 4%, supported by a 19% surge in Virtual Learning and 7% growth in Enterprise Learning & Skills, while Assessments & Qualifications revenue rose 2% in the first half, returning to a 5% growth rate in the second quarter. Adjusted earnings per share climbed 19% at constant exchange rates to 28.9p, and the company declared a 5% higher interim dividend of 8.2p per share. CEO Omar Abbosh highlighted a new global certification agreement with a leading AI lab and progress on AI self-service adoption, which now handles 40% of customer interactions. Pearson reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance for adjusted operating profit of £640 million to £685 million with mid-single-digit underlying revenue growth, while noting a more cautious outlook for English Language Learning due to tough migration policies.

A joint study by Cognizant and Pearson reveals that 94% of HR leaders expect artificial intelligence to generate new entry-level roles within five years. The survey of 750 HR professionals across the US, UK, and India found that 96% believe entry-level positions will evolve into supervising or managing AI systems, while 60% say their learning and development programs cannot keep pace with AI-driven job transformation. Nearly seven in ten respondents now value broad, interdisciplinary backgrounds over specialized degrees for early-career talent, and 97% say soft skills matter more than ever. The findings highlight a growing disconnect between the skills organizations need and those they currently have, with 64% struggling to find the right talent as AI rapidly changes skill requirements.

Pearson has named the champions of the 24th annual Certiport 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship, held in Nashville, Tennessee, with 140 finalists competing across Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. First-place winners include Scott Chamberlain in Word (Microsoft 365 Apps), Ethan Strayer in Excel (Microsoft 365 Apps), Rebecca Sutherlin in PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps), Reid Chapman in Word (Office 2019), Paul Hudson in Excel (Office 2019), and Amar Azar in PowerPoint (Office 2019). The six champions will advance to the Certiport 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Anaheim, California, from July 27 to 30, where they will compete against more than 100 international finalists for the world title and a $3,000 prize. Laura Peterson, Managing Director of Professional Assessments at Pearson, said the certification and competition experience provide students with a valuable credential and prepare them for an AI-driven economy. Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Global Skilling Jeana Jorgensen added that the event demonstrates how student talent, digital skills, and certification combine to ready participants for the modern workforce.