Professional Development
L&D – adapting to the pace of change
Paul Heath calls upon all learning and development pros to be ready for technological change The pressure on businesses and their employees to adopt technology and transform digitally is ever-increasing. But when the pace of change is so rapid, how do learning and development (L&D) professionals ensure their people can keep up and succeed? L&D people must adopt the latest learning methods. Training is no longer just about making information available but helping individuals become the best versions of themselves.…
Reassuring employees about AI
Luke Smith offers ideas on how to reassure employees they won’t be replaced by artificial intelligence As AI becomes increasingly capable, even employees in highly skilled industries are becoming concerned about job security. One recent study showed that 24% of Americans believed AI might make their job obsolete. As a business leader, how can you help employees understand that your organisation isn’t planning to lay everyone off and replace them with bots? It can be challenging, especially given the number…
Learning from life: what I learnt from swimming in the sea
Michelle Parry-Slater doesn’t like to be cold. So when a friend suggests a dip in the sea she was less than enthusiastic I was born in August, so I blame my summer birth on the fact that I hate the cold. I would be cold if I lived on the sun. I was looking forward to Menopause heating up my stone-cold blood. (It didn’t work, I still hate the cold.) Recently I spent the weekend in Devon with a dear…
Professional apprenticeships – the way to improve social mobility
Young people face an uncertain future due to inequality, Nichola Hay suggests that professional apprenticeship offer real opportunities for the next generation to thrive At first glance, the latest annual State of the Nation 2023 report from the Social and Mobility Commission (SMC) could make for bleak reading for the UK’s younger generations. Pointing to stagnating wages and broader geographic inequality across the UK, Alun Francis, chair of the Commission, warned that Britain’s younger generation was at risk of being…
Why inclusion in training is vital
Joanne Lockwood argues that inclusion and training is a business necessity and that L&D must ensure it meets the needs of all learners The professional landscape is constantly evolving, and businesses are now sourcing talent from all corners of the globe. To thrive in such a diverse environment, it’s vital for organisations to give equal weight to both training and inclusion, yet many are grappling with the challenge of melding these two crucial elements, resulting in missed opportunities and diminished…
5 talent gaps to address when building a digital-ready workforce
Michael Nizich identifies the missing factors you need to tackle when preparing your workforce to be digitally ready What is the cost for an organisation to invest heavily in new technology only to have it sit unused due to a lack of understanding of its operation and purpose? There was a time before computers existed when companies were quite successful and very profitable. Even when computers became readily available, some companies took a long time to begin their transition into…
Personalisation: the route to engagement and success
Research shows employees want to improve their skills and expect a tailored approach. Tommy Richardson explains how asking the right questions leads to success Corporate training has evolved over the past four years with the move to remote and hybrid work creating an increased demand for digital learning opportunities. Because of this shift, it’s imperative employers adjust quickly and expand virtual learning and development (L&D) programmes to meet the needs of their business and their employees. The demands of today’s…
Joining the dots . . . on generative AI
This month Martin Couzins dives into the latest news on Generative AI and asks ‘who are you listening to?’ It’s all gone a bit bonkers. The generative AI news firehose shows no signs of diminishing, just take a look at the generative AI news updates on TechCrunch: I counted 34 stories on the topic published between 25 and 28 September and in there are some significant updates. For L&D teams, there is an opportunity to then shape the opportunity for…
Learning from life: what I learnt from having a child move away to university
Michelle Parry-Slater reflects on our lives as parents and asks if L&D do enough to support colleagues in the emotional roller-coaster of parenting For many parents, September marks a month of mixed emotions due to the start of the school year. The joy and heartbreak of your 3-year-old skipping off into nursery school without a second thought for you sobbing quietly in the playground, redundant yet proud. Or the day they go to ‘big school’ primary and are clinging to…
Three checkpoints when using AI in designing learning
Can a machine-human partnership elevate training efforts? Nic Girvin offers some advice using DEI as her example Can artificial intelligence (AI) really add value to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training experiences, when it lacks emotion, empathy and the ability to understand the complexities of human nature? With AI so glaringly inhuman, how can this machine resource contribute to an organisation’s behavioural change and cultural transformation? The unfortunate reality – despite extensive evidence arguing the necessity – is that DEI…
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