Independent Professionals
Top 5 trends shaping the future of career coaching
Jenny Booth shares insights from over two decades in careers guidance and calls for a shift toward much more inclusive, flexible, and strengths-based support for neurodivergent young people. She explores the growing role of families, digital tools, and purpose-led planning in shaping credible, compassionate career paths for the next generation. After more than two decades working in careers advice and guidance with young people, I have seen the landscape change dramatically. What once centred on information giving and career matching…
Space to think, permission to change: The TJ60 conference takeaways
Training Journal’s 60th Anniversary conference video captures the people profession at a turning point. From celebrating 60 years of workplace learning to confronting stubborn challenges around impact, evidence and credibility, contributors share what must change next. Expect practical reflections on AI, and moving beyond content creation towards real organisational capability. Training Journal’s 60th Anniversary Conference (TJ60) brought L&D people together in London for a day designed to celebrate the past, and sharpen what matters next. The video captures that energy…
Performance is human: Building a modern people strategy in the age of AI
As AI continues its massive transformation of the workplace, performance management must evolve too. Sidonie Viala shares how 360Learning has moved beyond rigid metrics to embrace coaching, autonomy and real-time learning. By prioritising people over process, the company is building a culture where growth thrives, and performance becomes truly human-centred. Data rules in the age of AI. We trust it for everything from growth targets, revenue forecasting and strategic decisions. Yet when it comes to performance management, our obsession with…
Generation numb: Why today’s workforce feels nothing at all
Today’s workforce is emotionally checked out, overwhelmed by constant change and digital saturation. In this compelling call to action, Josh Cardoz urges organisations to break the cycle of disconnection and cynicism. Through purpose, friction and human connection, we can reignite meaning and reshape work for a generation on the brink. Today’s workforce is going through a profound and fundamental shift. Faced with relentless economic uncertainty, the after-effects of a global pandemic, and perpetual digital overload, this generation of workers is…
Growth through AI starts with your people, not platforms
AI holds huge promise for business, but many workers feel overwhelmed. Cassandra MacDonald explores how organisations can bridge the gap between innovation and confidence by shifting the focus from technology tools to people. Communication, culture and capability are key to unlocking AI’s true potential and turning disruption into sustainable growth. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the workplace at breathtaking speed, and its potential to fuel business growth is vast. Yet, amid the hype, another reality is emerging, one where many…
How businesses can help to address youth unemployment
With NEET rates at a ten-year high, Nichola Hay MBE explores how UK businesses can rethink early career job roles, from apprenticeships to flexible entry routes. Investing in young talent is not just ethical, it’s a smart business strategy that builds skills, boosts retention and shapes a resilient, future-ready workforce. The proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) in the UK has reached 13.5%, marking the highest rate in ten years. This highlights urgent risks to…
TJ interviews: Frédéric Hébert on staying skill-ready when everything keeps changing
Jo Cook sits down with Frédéric Hébert, Chief Learning Officer at Rise Up, to dig into what it really takes to stay ahead of rapid skills change. He shares practical examples, fresh thinking and why investing in people, not just technology, matters most for building future-ready teams in the workplace Training Journal: We live in a world where jobs for the youngest generations probably haven’t been thought of yet, and there’s an expiration date on many of today’s skills. How…
Learning smarter, not faster: How to optimise time and master skills
Whether you’re designing learning or trying to improve your own, it is easy to feel pressure to learn faster. Amy Brann explores how attention, emotion, spacing and deliberate practice help people learn in a way the brain prefers, offering simple ideas that make learning stick and feel more enjoyable too Life feels fast and full, and the pressure to adapt quickly is high. Whether it’s picking up a new tool, adapting to change, or developing leadership skills, the message is…
Left behind twice: What SEN inequity means for tomorrow’s workforce
Michelle Carson examines how early inequality and missed support for children with special educational needs shape access to learning, opportunity and progression. Drawing on findings from the Sutton Trust and Support SEND Kids, and her own experience, she explores why today’s educational gaps become tomorrow’s workforce barriers, unless we act The findings of the Double Disadvantage report has drawn national attention to a familiar but deeply troubling truth: children with special educational needs (SEN) from socially deprived backgrounds are being left…
Your team is using AI, but are your prompts letting you down?
AI use in L&D is rising fast, but prompt quality often lags behind. Poor inputs lead to weak outputs, wasted time and reduced learner trust. Drawing on the testing methodologies of verification and validation, together with Dakan and Feller’s 4Ds framework, Catherine Dock explains how to strengthen your AI prompts We know from recent L&D research that Learning teams are using AI more widely to support increased volumes of L&D design delivery, and personalisation of learning at scale. This trend…
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