Training Needs Prioritization

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗟&𝗗 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝗩𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗟&𝗗 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 Most organisations still approach Learning & Development with a simple request: “Can you run a training on this?” And on the surface, it sounds reasonable. But the truth is… That question is often the beginning of the wrong solution. Because high-impact L&D does not start with training. It starts with clarity. ▶️ What exactly is not working? ▶️ Where is the performance breaking down? ▶️ Is it a skill gap… or something deeper? ▶️ What outcome are we trying to change? Most of the time, the issue is not: -Lack of knowledge -Lack of content -Lack of courses It is: -Misaligned expectations -Broken processes -Weak manager capability -No reinforcement after learning And this is where the role of L&D changes. From: 👉 Delivering programmes To: 👉 Diagnosing problems 👉 Challenging assumptions 👉 Recommending the right intervention (even if it is NOT training) 👉 Connecting learning directly to performance and business outcomes Sometimes, the most valuable thing L&D can do is pause and say: “Let us not jump to training yet.” Because real impact does not come from how many sessions you deliver. It comes from what actually changes after the learning. 👉 Do people behave differently? 👉 Do managers lead differently? 👉 Do results improve? If the answer is no… then learning did not happen. Only activity did. If you work in L&D, here is a simple reflection for you: The next time someone asks for training… Will you design a programme? Or will you diagnose the problem? Because that choice… quietly defines your career. What do you think? Is L&D still seen as a training function in your organisation… or is it evolving into a performance partner? #LearningAndDevelopment #LearningStrategy #WorkplaceLearning #TalentDevelopment #FutureOfWork

The World Economic Forum’s #FutureofJobsReport 2025 has just been published, on January 9th, and as always, it offers fascinating insights into the shifting dynamics of the global job market. It is a long report, with lots of valuable data. From my perspective, this chart may be the most interesting view included in it. A goldmine for reflection and strategy. The #fastest_growing_roles are - almost all of them - dominated by #AI: Data Specialists, Machine Learning Experts, FinTech Engineers, etc. Notably, green tech (e.g., Renewable Energy Engineers, Environmental Engineers) is also surging. This underscores how deeply intertwined AI and sustainability have become in shaping our economies. Organizations investing in these areas are not just future-proofing their business—they’re building the future. On the other end, #declining_roles reflect a shift toward #automation. Jobs like Bank Tellers, Cashiers, and Data Entry Clerks are rapidly shrinking, displaced by technology that offers efficiency and cost savings. While this presents significant challenges for those in these professions, it also highlights the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling. Some Implications for Leaders: 1. Talent Strategy Must Evolve: Leaders need to focus on cultivating talent pipelines for roles that didn’t exist a decade ago. From DevOps Engineers to UI/UX Designers, the demand for skills at the intersection of technology and creativity is exploding. 2. Reskilling is Non-Negotiable: Companies must view reskilling as an investment rather than a cost. Employees in declining roles need pathways into emerging professions—this is as much about social responsibility as it is about long-term competitiveness. 3. AI Adoption is Key—but Ethical AI Even More So: The integration of AI isn’t just a trend—it’s a foundational shift. But as we adopt AI in business processes, ensuring ethical and inclusive implementation will differentiate the winners from the rest. In addition, this chart doesn’t just speak to business; it speaks to the broader socio-economic fabric. The gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” in terms of skills is growing. If we fail to address this through public and private partnerships, we risk creating a polarized workforce—one half thriving in high-growth industries and the other struggling in declining sectors. For me, the biggest takeaway is that growth and decline are two sides of the same coin. Where some see loss, others see opportunity. The challenge is ensuring we don’t leave anyone behind in this transition. I really hope that our government leaders, educators, institutional representatives, top managers, and as many people as possible will see, understand, and act based on this data...

Singapore’s workforce is in a skills reset. What got you hired won’t keep you relevant by 2030. CORE (Double Down) Human skills no machine replicates: • Critical & Creative Thinking • Leadership & Influence • Empathy & Listening • Self-Management & Motivation • Learning Agility EMERGING (Upskill Now) Demand is exploding across Singapore’s digital-green economy: • AI & Data Literacy • Cyber & Network Fluency • Sustainability Intelligence • Talent & Capability Design OUT-OF-FOCUS (Deprioritise) Routine, rule-based, tool-specific skills — automate or move on. Reality Check The edge isn’t tech alone. It’s the fusion of human judgment with digital fluency. Those who can lead with empathy, think critically, and learn fast will own the future of work. What you can do: 1. Audit: list 6 skills you use weekly and tag each Core/Emerging/Out-of-Focus. 2. Close gaps: pick one Core to master and one Emerging to apply in a real project within 90 days. 3. Institutionalise: align learning to SkillsFuture/Jobs-Skills frameworks and employer demand data.  Outcomes you must measure (minimum) • Two demonstrable projects in 6 months that show a Core skill applied with an Emerging capability. • Evidence of impact (time saved, revenue enabled, risk reduced, stakeholder adoption). 

The last decade has ushered in unprecedented levels of change for the workforce - from the rise of hybrid working to the rapid integration of #AI in the workplace. To ensure the workforce is equipped to succeed, we need to do more than just respond to change. We need to anticipate it. The World Economic Forum #FutureofJobs report reveals that employers expect a mix of technical and human centric skills to be of increasing importance, with AI & big data at the top of the list: •       AI and big data •       Technological literacy •       Curiosity •       Resilience, flexibility and agility Crucially, however, some of the fastest-rising skills are not yet widely prioritized: cybersecurity and environmental stewardship are notable examples. These are areas where organizations may need to build capabilities before it becomes critical. Workforce transformation can’t just be reactive. It requires targeted skills development and career mobility strategies that prepare people for emerging roles – not just the ones that exist today. How are you—whether as a leader or an individual—investing in the skills that will shape the future of work?

The difference between leadership programs that transform and those that disappoint? It's not about the content—it's about the design. After designing countless leadership development experiences and working with great learning professionals like Rachelle Pereira, Berin McKenzie, Rolf Pfeiffer, Suzanne de Janasz, Ph.D., Teresa Ramos Martin, and Bridget C Harbaugh, I've identified 6 principles that separate high-impact programs from the rest: 🔄 Design for sustained behavior change → Learning journeys span months, not days. Real transformation happens through spaced reinforcement and real-world application between sessions. 🎯 Customize thoughtfully → Generic examples fall flat. I interview participants upfront to develop scenarios that mirror their actual challenges and context. 🤝 Build psychological safety → When leaders feel safe to be vulnerable and learn from each other, breakthrough moments happen naturally. ⚡ Use live case methodology → Participants work on their actual current challenges, not hypothetical scenarios. This bridges the gap between learning and doing. 📊 Iterate systematically → The best programs evolve based on participant and stakeholder feedback, documenting real impact along the way. ✨ Leverage alumni power → Nothing sells future cohorts like authentic stories from leaders whose skills and success genuinely improved. The goal isn't just knowledge transfer—it's creating sustainable behavior change that ripples through entire organizations. Leadership development isn't an event. It's a journey of becoming. What else, in your experience, distinguishes high-impact learning programs? #LeadershipDevelopment #LearningDesign #BehaviorChange #Leadership

This is one of the smartest training interventions for healthcare professionals in 2025 👇🏻 In the Netherlands some medical schools go beyond lectures. They give clinicians experiences that reshape how they think about patients. Instead of only teaching theory, students do structured activities designed to build empathy, observation and judgement. They don’t just learn 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 patient-centred care. They practise it by engaging with scenarios that challenge their assumptions and reflections. For example one programme in the Netherlands uses art-based observational training in collaboration with a major museum. Medical students, residents and doctors spend time interpreting artworks under guided prompts. After the course researchers found statistically significant increases in measured empathy and tolerance of ambiguity, both linked to better communication and patient care. The impact isn’t more facts about empathy. It’s healthcare professionals who see patients more clearly, read cues they previously missed, and understand uncertainty not as confusion but as a part of compassionate practice. I think this is a masterclass in experiential learning. If you want people to really understand something, don’t lecture them. Let them experience it from a different angle. Because if you want clinicians to know empathy, tell them the principles. But if you want them to feel it and act differently, give them an experience. What do you think? Read more about the Dutch art-based observational training study here: https://lnkd.in/eCneJeuz ------ PCC Executive Coach & Strategic L&D Consultant. I bridge the gap between technical brilliance and leadership influence in Pharma and Healthcare. Specialising in self-leadership, idea advocacy, and diagnostic-led team performance.

🇪🇺 Digital Skills in Europe 2025: A Critical Wake-Up Call for Workforce Development! 🔎 The EU Science, Research and Innovation latest policy brief "Digital skills gaps - a closer look at the Digital Skills Index" reveals critical insights into Europe’s digital skills challenges and opportunities, with direct implications for Vocational Education and Training (VET) 👉 See: https://lnkd.in/dqZ_DrdY 🔍 Key Themes & Takeaways: 🌍 Digital Skills Gaps Are Widespread ▪️36% of Europeans lack basic digital skills , and 8% haven’t used the internet in 3 months. ▪️Weak areas : Cybersecurity (24% below-basic), digital content creation (25%), and problem-solving. ▪️VET Action : Prioritize cybersecurity, coding, and data literacy in curricula to address these gaps. 👥 Target Groups Need Tailored Support ▪️Manual workers (30pp higher risk) , the unemployed, and older adults are most at risk of low digital proficiency. ▪️Young people (16–24) with low education face a 43% chance of lacking basic skills (vs. 32% average). ▪️VET Action : Develop inclusive, accessible programs for high-risk groups, integrating digital skills into vocational pathways. 🏫 Education & Training Must Adapt ▪️The report emphasizes strengthening digital skills in compulsory education and VET . ▪️Only 15% of workers have received AI training, despite 61% anticipating skill needs from AI. ▪️VET Action : Align training with emerging tech demands (e.g., AI, data literacy) and offer lifelong learning opportunities. 💰 Policy & Funding Priorities ▪️€26.3B allocated to digital skills (2021–2027), with €15.4B targeting basic skills. ▪️Focus on monitoring initiative effectiveness to ensure resources reach vulnerable groups. ▪️VET Action : Advocate for funding and partnerships with employers to scale up skilling programs. 🛠️ Actionable conclusions for VET stakeholders ▪️Update Curricula : Embed cybersecurity, coding, and data literacy into vocational courses. ▪️Target High-Risk Groups : Design programs for manual workers, the unemployed, and low-educated youth. ▪️Leverage Lifelong Learning : Create flexible pathways for adults to upskill/reskill. ▪️Collaborate with Industry : Align training with labor market needs (e.g., AI literacy for jobs). ▪️Evaluate Programs : Ensure initiatives are evidence-based and impact-driven. 📌 Why This Matters ▪️Without urgent action, only 60% of Europeans will have basic digital skills by 2030—far below the EU’s 80% target. ▪️VET systems are pivotal in bridging this gap, fostering inclusivity, and preparing workers for a tech-driven future. #DigitalSkills #VocationalTraining #FutureOfWork #LifelongLearning #SkillsDevelopment Romina Cachia, PhD EU Employment & Skills Cedefop Eurofound European Training Foundation EfVET European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) European Vocational Training Association - EVTA EURASHE eucen

Most companies wait until they have an urgent problem before addressing workforce capability. But the ones building competitive advantage are investing in readiness before the gap becomes a crisis. Here are four areas where organizations need to focus: 𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼 Automation specialists, data scientists, and AI integration roles require new training pathways. Companies that build apprenticeship programs and internal development tracks get ahead of skills bottlenecks before they slow growth. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝗜 It's not enough to deploy AI tools. Teams need to understand how to integrate AI into their workflows, manage AI-driven processes, and improve performance through human-AI collaboration. 𝟯. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Skills assessments show what people can actually do, not just what their job titles suggest. Companies that map capabilities across their workforce can redeploy talent strategically and keep people engaged in roles where they can grow. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 Whether it's technical training, role-specific development, or management skills, companies need structured programs that prepare people for the work that's coming, not just the work that exists today. The retirement wave is gathering speed. Skills-based hiring is becoming the norm. Growth isn't waiting. What's your approach to workforce readiness right now?

What changes behaviour? It's not what many of us try. We often try to: - Increase knowledge - Change beliefs about consequences - Shape general attitudes - Improve general skills - Sanction certain behaviours But those are not the best strategies. According to a large synthesis of 147 meta-analyses done by Albarracín et al. (2024), the more effective strategies are to: - Provide access to resources that facilitate the behaviour - Establish habits that make the behaviour routine - Provide help with performing the behaviour - Shift attitudes about the behaviour itself - Help people feel they'll fit in by doing the behaviour - Teach skills to execute the behaviour Material incentives can be effective, but the tend to undermine intrinsic motivation to do the behaviour. Sometimes, that doesn't matter, but many times it does. That's why I've not included it in these top six high-impact targets for intervention. Wellbeing and performance are closely connected to behaviours, so to enable flourishing, as individuals or in teams, we need more than just knowledge. We need to change behaviours. The paper is well worth reading. The citation is at the bottom of the graphic. I've reformatted their charts here to put the influences on the same scales. How do these findings fit with your experiences? I'd love to hear.

Inclusive teaching isn’t about doing more individual plans, it’s about designing better learning from the start. I really like this simple 3-tier model for thinking about inclusive teaching and learning. Too often, we jump straight to individual adaptations and specialist interventions. But this pyramid reminds us that the greatest impact comes from getting the foundations right first. Tier 1 – High-impact instruction This is the core. Clear explanations. Modelling. Scaffolding. Retrieval practice. Checking for understanding. Strong routines. When teaching is explicit, structured and evidence-informed, most learners succeed without additional support. Tier 2 – Accessible design This is about planning with inclusion in mind from the outset. Universal Design for Learning, flexible resources, multiple ways to access content, chunking, visual supports, vocabulary pre-teaching. Good design reduces barriers before they appear. Tier 3 – Contextual adaptations Targeted, individual adjustments for specific needs. Essential, but not the starting point. If we rely too heavily here, we risk creating dependency and workload that isn’t sustainable. The key message for me: Less individualism, more inclusion. When Tier 1 and Tier 2 are strong, Tier 3 becomes smaller, sharper and more effective. In FE this has big implications for CPD: Focus first on high-quality teaching strategies, build inclusive curriculum design skills and use targeted support strategically, not reactively. Inclusion isn’t an add-on, It’s good teaching, done well, for everyone. #InclusiveTeaching #TeachingAndLearning #FE #CPD #SEND #EducationLeadership #Pedagogy