Opinion
AI isn’t the threat to Jobs. The real risk is the UK not embracing AI Skills
We know that AI is already reshaping how we learn, work, and adapt. The danger for L&D is choosing to stand still. Giles Smith explores how personalised, contextualised learning can close skills gaps, support educators, and help businesses turn training into growth, boosting opportunity and resilience for a better future. AI has quietly taken over my daily life. It’s woven itself into my routines so seamlessly that I barely noticed, until I realised how much I rely on it. I…
The learning crisis no one wants to trace back to recruitment
AI-polished job applications hide how people really learn. Dmitry Zaytsev talks through hiring using simple games to reveal learning readiness early. Dmitry’s case study shows why behavioural signals like persistence and attention matter more than credentials for talent, L&D, onboarding, and building learning cultures that actually stick in modern organisations. In many organisations, learning and development begins only after a person has signed a contract. By that point, L&D teams inherit a challenge they did not create: they are asked…
From training to transfer: Why capability breaks when workers move
As workforces grow more mobile across the Gulf states, learning systems struggle to keep up. People carry skills from site to site, but proof of capability often gets lost along the way. For L&D professionals supporting Gulf-facing or cross-border teams, Vardhan Kapoor and Shubham Choudhary share some handy practical solutions Picture the scene: a technician completes safety training; an operator renews a licence a supervisor signs off competence. Then the worker changes site, employer or project, and suddenly none of it seems to count. For L&D teams supporting Gulf-facing or cross-border workforces, this…
How AI can help save jobs, not eliminate them
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping work, but job losses aren’t inevitable. For L&D and HR leaders, the real challenge is turning disruption into capability at speed. With the right learning strategy, AI can protect roles, close skills gaps and future-proof organisations. Skills expert Robin Adda has the tips you need AI’s presence is ever-growing in the business world, and with it, the uncertainty among the professional community that their roles will become redundant. This stark fact is already becoming apparent, with new research from Adzuna suggesting that new entry-level…
From tasks to talent: Turning offices into learning incubators
For Gen Z, the office is both a learning space as well as a workplace, one where culture is absorbed through proximity and observation. Being intentional with desk placement, open-plan design and varied zones for focus, collaboration and private mentoring can build belonging, confidence and faster progression, writes Paul Sherwin. For Gen Z, the office is no longer just a place to complete tasks, it is a vital environment for learning, building relationships, and accelerating careers. Having spent much of…
The rise of reflective intelligence: The skill that will outlast AI
Artificial intelligence is accelerating learning, yet capability still depends on reflection. Dmitry Zaytsev tells us about reflective intelligence and why it matters in today’s largely AI-driven workplace. He shares how L&D teams can help build practical reflection habits that improve judgement, resilience, and performance across modern organisations and leadership contexts. Artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, teach, and work. It can now generate content, design courses, and even simulate coaching conversations. Yet one skill remains entirely human: the ability…
AI at the top: Pressure, paralysis and performative action in the C-suite
AI is a board-level priority, yet research shows many executives lack the skills to lead it safely and effectively. Wendy Lynch explores the widening AI leadership gap, the huge risks of moving too fast or too slowly, and why a new ‘AI translation’ role may just be the missing link. Artificial intelligence has jumped from an interesting demonstration project to a core pillar of corporate strategy with mind-spinning speed. Three-quarters of corporate leaders expect the technology to transform their industry…
The engagement trap: Becoming irreplaceable in the age of AI
AI is changing work, and it’s calling our bluff. When machines do more of the grind, engagement becomes personal. It’s no longer about perks, but the effort you put in. Grant Wyatt shows how achieving fulfilment at work comes from tapping into the ‘engagement triad’ of clarity, capability and character You’re in your manager’s office, resignation letter in hand, heart racing. You say the line you’ve rehearsed for months: “I quit.” You grab your potted plant and stride out like a movie hero. Three months later, you’re at a new desk. Same emails. Same politics. Same frustrations. The only…
How AI will reset the worker-employer relationship on L&D
AI is quietly rewriting the deal between employers and employees, and L&D sits right at the centre of it. From mindset shifts to self-directed learning, what does this mean in practice? Yomi Tejumola explores how AI is reshaping responsibility, capability and trust at work, and what L&D should do next British businesses spent £53bn on training in 2024. At face value this sounds like a substantial figure, until you realise it’s down nearly one-fifth from 2011 according to government data. Per employee, the decline is even starker. At £1,700…
The HR & L&D trends that will define 2026
Big change is coming for HR and L&D in 2026, and standing still isn’t an option. From AI and skills gaps to retention headaches and hybrid work tensions, what should leaders focus on? Let’s break down the seven trends shaping the year ahead, with practical, no-nonsense guidance from Robin Adda 2026 is already emerging as one of the most pivotal moments for HR and L&D in modern history. Pressures across talent pipelines, ongoing debates on remote work, accelerating AI adoption, widening skills gaps and shifting employee expectations have all been building. “With thoughtful planning and a balanced approach, the pressures…
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