Category Features

The TJ L&D Influence Report 2026

TJ L&D Influence Report 2026 front cover

After months exploring why L&D’s best evidence and intentions still stall, Editor Jo Cook shares a new report shaped by Training Journal’s 60th Anniversary Conference. It introduces the Readiness Enablers Index and highlights practical conditions like stakeholder access, data, experimentation…

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The AI upskilling mandate: An L&D strategy for the AI era

Close-up of businessman holding glowing blue digital chess knight hologram representing AI, strategy, innovation, and leadership.

In the rush to govern AI and fear automation, organisations are ignoring the most urgent issue: capability. This article argues HR and L&D must distinguish autopilot risks from co-pilot opportunity, move beyond basic AI prompt training, and prioritise critical thinking,…

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The trust gap between L&D and the business

Build trust in business concept. Building a structure of blocks as the word TRUST

When change feels stuck, the barrier is often low trust, not poor intent. Nathan Kracklauer shows how business acumen, understood as the logic behind strategy, helps managers align across functions. Position it in business language, resist the skills-only trap, and…

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You won’t believe what’s hiding in your learning content (and what it’s costing you)

Time Equals Money Letter Tile on Yellow Background – Minimalist Concept of Productivity and Value

L&D are facing a massive, overlooked challenge: they don’t know what’s actually inside their digital learning content libraries. Years of content accumulation have resulted in outdated, duplicative, and siloed courseware across disconnected systems. This “invisible” content causes direct and hidden…

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The efficiency paradox: Why AI is speeding up work but slowing down leadership

Slow growth, inefficient or stupid mistake, businessman idiot leader riding slow snail never reach goal, losing business competition

Andrew Bryant argues that AI-driven efficiency is outpacing leadership capability, creating an “efficiency paradox” where organisations perform better on paper but grow strategically weaker. He explores Klarna’s AI lesson, the shift from performance management to potential development, and why L&D…

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Three AI adoption patterns that look busy but break performance

Overwhelmed Worker with 'Busy' Paperwork Stack

Fahed Bizzari argues most organisations are just drifting into AI use, creating activity without dependable performance. He outlines three common patterns: waiting, rolling tools out, and mandating use, all of which fuel shadow AI: uneven quality and rework. He shows…

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The qualification trap: Why apprenticeship frameworks are excluding capable talent

Apprenticeship on wooden blocks as education or job training concept.

Apprenticeships were designed to prioritise applied capability, yet assessment frameworks can still exclude individuals who can perform the role itself. And exclusion means less people getting what they need. Michelle Carson examines how this misalignment is narrowing workforce pipelines and…

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Workslop and the illusion of progress in the age of AI

AI chip surrounded by censor symbols, creating restriction

Rushing AI into workflows can produce polished ‘workslop’ that masks shallow thinking, wastes time and erodes trust. Jenna Tiffany sets out a human-centred antidote: start with purpose, define boundaries, train people and tools, make human review non-negotiable, and reward outcomes…

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When leaders look away and employees push back, L&D can be the bridge

Do not be afraid of change

In organisations with constant transformation, change stalls when employees resist and leaders disengage. This article shows how L&D can interpret pushback as information, rebuild leadership visibility, create listening loops, align learning to purpose, and reinforce new habits so change sticks…

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Purposeful leadership: The mindset and the skillset shift L&D needs to back

Leading with purpose is key to achieving meaningful results in any field.  Having a clear vision and strong ethics guides action and motivates toward success.

Nicola Pye argues that purpose only delivers results when leaders practise it daily, not just talk about it. Drawing on research and frameworks, she shows how to build the capabilities behind clarity, connection and energy, avoid the “purpose paradox,” and…

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