Learning Uncut

Recognition is often written off as a "nice to have." In this episode, Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with Sarah McVanel, Canada's recognition expert and founder of Greatness Magnified, and Lisa Anstey, manager of Medical Device Reprocessing at Waterloo Regional Health Network, to make the case that recognition is not soft.

Recognition is one of the most powerful learning and behaviour-change tools available. Together they share the story of a deeply disengaged hospital team that became one of the most recognised in the country.

The framework, the coaching, the daily huddles, and the sheer persistence behind that...

Eight years. Nearly 200 episodes. One consistent heartbeat.    In this special Elevate episode, Michelle Parry-Slater sits down with Learning Uncut founder Michelle Ockers to reflect on eight lessons from eight years of the podcast.    From community as the engine that started it all, to the quiet discipline of showing up and being of service without knowing where it leads...  

Transcript and related resources: learninguncut.global/podcast/elevate-48

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The brief was simple: we need an L&D function. Go and start one. In this episode, Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with Elyse Toomey, Head of Learning and Development at Ironbark Financial Group, about what it really takes to build an L&D department from nothing in a fast-moving financial services business, from coaching coaches to become trainers and launching peer-to-peer onboarding at scale, to doubling LMS engagement, growing a team of six, and learning to lead with a strategy that bends with the business. A story for anyone who has ever been handed a blank page and told to...

Most leadership programs start with the how; the workshop, the elearning, the coach. The business case often comes later, if at all.

In this episode, Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with Tina Robinson, founder of WorkJoy and author of Developing Your Business Leaders, and her client, LaTanya Foster, VP of People at global travel accessories brand BÉIS, about what happens when you start with the why instead.

Together they share the story of Altitude, a director-level leadership development program built for a fast-moving, disruption-hit business and make a compelling case for why treating learning as a b...

We rarely stop to look back. One achievement blurs into the next, and before long we've accumulated years of practice without ever taking stock of what we've actually learned.

In this episode, Michelle Parry-Slater invites Greg Wilton - a St. Louis-based L&D practitioner with a career spanning darkroom photography, web publishing, global e-learning, and generative AI - to do exactly that. Together they trace the experiences, pivots, and hard-won insights that shaped his thinking: from a process safety briefing that reframed the entire purpose of intake, to a human-centred questioning methodology that...

Most conference chairs open with applause and slip off stage. At Learning Technologies, chairing starts two months before anyone sets foot in the room.

In this Elevate episode, Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with three Learning Technologies 2026 chairs: Niall Gavin, Helen Palmer, and Anit Mahay. Join our range of Chairs, both new and experienced, as we discuss what it really takes to prepare speakers for the stage. From reviewing slide decks and managing nerves to handling off-topic questions and being the voice of the audience, this is a masterclass in why the chair role matters far more than most...

Hearing loss is more common than most workplaces acknowledge. Around one in six Australians, one in eight Americans, and one in five UK adults lives with some form of hearing loss, tinnitus or D/deafness. Yet at HSBC UK, only a handful of colleagues had formally disclosed a hearing loss before this project launched.

In this episode, Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with Georgie Cooke from Lima Delta and Louise Bassiri from HSBC UK about their award-shortlisted hearing loss awareness programme, created with the RNID and learning partner Jam Pan.

Rather than telling colleagues about hearing loss...

Arnika Knight and Michelle Parry-Slater share the decade-long journey of modernising L&D for 80,000 volunteers at Girlguiding UK. From navigating change resistance to building a multi-modal learning ecosystem, their story is packed with practical lessons for any L&D professional working at scale. The conversation explores respecting volunteers' time, supporting motivation and using a clear learning strategy to modernise learning while maintaining strong human connections. 

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/182/

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Sydney Trains frontline staff face customer aggression daily. They knew the de-escalation models. Applying them under real pressure was another matter entirely. And they'd made one thing clear: no more role play.

In this episode, The Two Michelles speak with Ryan Byrne from Sydney Trains and Dr Nathan Moore from Frameless Interactive about Project CIVIL: Customer Initiated Violence Interactive Learning. Winner of the AITD Excellence Award for Best Use of Learning Technology 2025, Project CIVIL uses AI-driven simulation to build genuine capability under pressure, without a script, without an actor, without the awkwardness of traditional role play. A...

Matthew Peade from TFE Hotels discusses their award-winning People Leaders Program, a 12-month leadership development initiative that's seen 300 graduates and an impressive 86% promotion rate. Matthew shares how the program weaves together a blend of three learning streams of on-the-job experience through business change projects, peer learning with dedicated mentors, and formal sessions led by leaders across the business, all used to build a steady pipeline of capable leaders in Australia's fast-paced hospitality industry. Our conversation explores how Matthew selects participants, engages managers as coaches and facilitators, uses reflection to deepen learning, and creates a culture where leaders actively develop...

Michelle Ockers speaks with Learning Uncut co-host, and author, Michelle Parry-Slater about her book, The Learning and Development Handbook, A Learning Practitioner's Toolkit. Sharing ideas from within the book, Michelle talks through why practitioners "…must be advocates of the right solution, for the right problem, for the right people, at the right time, for the right reason, delivered in the right way." (P176, 2nd Edition 2024, The Learning and Development Handbook)

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/elevate-46/ 

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Liz Seskus and Kate Schultz from Australian Red Cross Lifeblood discuss their development of a virtual tour to support the induction of new hematology registrars. They share how they applied learning science, user testing, and a co-design approach to create a practical, cost-effective learning tool that reduces cognitive load and enhances understanding of blood processing procedures. Winner of 2025 Australian Institute of Training and Development Excellence Award for Best Use of Gamification or Simulation for Learning.

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/179/

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Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with co-authors Michelle Ockers and Laura Overton about their book, The L&D Leader. Principles and practice for delivering business value, released in October 2025. They reflect on the collaboration behind the book, the research and evidence that informed it, and its practical relevance for learning professionals. The conversation offers insights into leading with impact in L&D and the mindset shifts needed to thrive in today's environment of continuous changing.

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/elevate-45/ 

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Peter Brace from Sodexo Australia shares how his path into L&D, including training under trees in Papua New Guinea, shaped his practical and learner-centred approach. Hosted by Michelle Ockers and co-host Michelle Parry-Slater, this episode explores adapting learning to diverse environments, building flexibility into facilitation, and the value of connecting learning to real-world settings.

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/178/

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In this year-in-review episode, Michelle Ockers and Michelle Parry-Slater reflect on 2025 through the lens of Learning Uncut. They discuss professional highlights, patterns emerging across the podcast's case studies, and what the year revealed about relevance, value and the human role in L&D. The conversation explores learning culture, co-design, learner agency and the normalisation of AI, alongside reflections on community, lived experience and the evolution of the podcast itself.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/177/

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This episode explores NAWIC ACT's award-winning mentoring programme for women in construction. Jo Farrell from Build Like a Girl and Jana Clyde from Wisdom Learning discuss addressing gender equity challenges through structured mentoring. They cover participant matching, workshops, psychological safety measures, and the importance of time in building trust. Jo shares her journey from apprentice to mentor, whilst Jana explains key design principles. The conversation examines retention challenges, programme evolution since 2017, and signs of cultural change in the industry.

Host: Michelle Ockers 

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/176/

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Donald H. Taylor joins Michelle Ockers and co-host Michelle Parry-Slater to unpack findings from the latest instalment of his multi-year research on AI in L&D, conducted with Eglė Vinauskaitė: The Race for Impact. They discuss how AI has reached an inflection point, becoming a standard part of the L&D toolkit, along with its growing use in research and analysis. The conversation also examines three possible futures for L&D emerging from the research, each with implications for how the profession may evolve.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/175/

Hannah Ryan, Learning and Capability Manager at Versent, joins Michelle Ockers to share how she helped shape a vibrant learning culture at the Australian technology consultancy, recognised with the 2025 AITD Excellence Award for Best Learning Culture. As Versent's first and only L&D professional, Hannah reflects on how she reshaped her role managing an LMS and leadership program to enabling learning in the flow of work.

The conversation dives deep into Craft | 180, a peer-led, program designed to grow technical mastery. Hannah unpacks how Versent cultivates self-directed learning, builds deep craft expertise, and strengthens community across a geographically...

Matthias Nauwelaers, Learning Experience Lead at Imec, joins Michelle Ockers to discuss how Imec is building the capability of its frontline people leaders. In a fast-growing, highly technical R&D environment, consistent leadership is key. Matthias shares how Imec replaced ad hoc, inconsistent manager development with a scalable, structured program grounded in real work, peer support, and behavioural change. Learn how they engaged stakeholders, designed for busy experts, and built momentum through iterative improvement—creating a practical, flexible approach that supports leaders across the globe.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/po...

Christine Gaynor-Patterson joins Michelle Ockers to share how she and her L&D team enabled 10,000 professionals in a large US-based organisation to support workforce AI literacy. Drawing on her blend of experience in education, change management and learning design, Christine approached AI as a tool to enable humans to do better work. She discusses her team's framework for AI literacy, change enablement strategies, and how they tailored support at scale. A practical, example of how L&D can lead responsibly in the evolving AI landscape.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global...

Michelle Ockers is joined by Ben Campbell, CEO of the Australian Institute of Training and Development, and organisational capability expert Lisa Elias to discuss the development of AITD's first-ever L&D Capability Framework. In addition to being our podcast host, Michelle was the Project Lead on this community-driven initiative, and offers insight into how the project came to life, its collaborative design process, and what it offers the Australian L&D profession. The trio explores the framework's purpose, structure and practical applications for individuals, teams and organisations. Learn how it establishes a common language for capability and raises the...

When James Swift moved from Sales into his L&D role at Leyton UK, he started as many do—trusting the 'L&D experts', buying content, and chasing engagement. But it didn't deliver results. So he flipped the script. In this episode, James shares how he built a culture of accountability, motivation, and autonomy—putting learners in charge of their own development. Discover how informal coaching evolved into a structured pathway, and why trusting people to learn their way outperformed content-driven solutions in driving real performance.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.glob...

Lane Hannah and Ange Forde from One New Zealand, alongside Dan Hibberd from Makeshapes, discuss how One New Zealand transformed its learning model to enable consistent, scalable, and engaging learning. The shift was driven by the need to support a diverse workforce across locations and roles, particularly during a major brand transition. The trio explore how peer-to-peer learning, supported by the Makeshapes platform, were used to foster collaboration, build capability, and support innovation - including around the adoption of AI. This episode offers practical advice on designing for social learning and building a modern learning ecosystem.

Host...

How do you equip a workforce for an AI-enabled future? Amy Vig from KPMG Australia joins Michelle Ockers to share the story behind KPMG's AI Learning Academy. Amy discusses how her team fostered innovation, psychological safety, and continuous learning while navigating rapid technological change. Discover practical insights into designing an internal learning solution that blends self-directed learning, curated pathways, and hands-on practice with emerging AI tools. A rich, real-world example of building future-fit skills and strengthening learning culture.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/168/

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In this episode, Michelle Parry-Slater returns to Elevate to explore how L&D professionals can make their budget stretch further. With the current environment of budget constraints and rising business expectations, Michelle and Michelle Ockers share practical approaches to prioritising spend, aligning learning with business needs, and tapping into existing resources—both internally and externally. From curation and internal podcasts to cross-functional budget partnerships, leveraging existing tech and communities of practice, they outline actionable ideas drawn from both corporate and not-for-profit sectors. This conversation is a rich source of insight for anyone looking to deliver value on a tight bu...

Keith Heggart from the University of Technology Sydney joins Michelle Ockers to discuss the creation of the Graduate Certificate in Learning Design. He takes us behind the scenes of the design process—how he spent months consulting with industry experts, developing learner personas, and challenging traditional university structures to create a program that is fast-paced, practical, and immediately useful. Keith also shares key insights on the growing demand for learning design expertise, the critical role of communication in the field, and why the divide between corporate and higher education learning design needs to be bridged.

Host: Michelle Oc...

In this episode of Learning Uncut Elevate, Michelle Ockers speaks with Catherine Lombardozzi about her latest research with the Learning Guild, which explores how leadership development strategies are evolving. Catherine set out to understand what's changing in leadership development and how organisations are adapting to post-pandemic realities. Her findings highlight three key shifts: greater emphasis on experiential learning, more sustained and blended approaches, and an increasing focus on relational learning to strengthen leadership networks. This research provides L&D professionals with practical insights to design more relevant and effective leadership development programs.

Hosted by Michelle Ockers 

Australia has a critical structural engineering skills shortage, yet many qualified graduates and migrant engineers struggle to find jobs. In this episode, Michelle Ockers talks to Moly Ashtari and Alex Jovanovski, co-founders of Learnpedia. Moly shares her personal challenges as a migrant engineer seeking local experience. Alex highlights difficulties small businesses face hiring skilled engineers. They discuss creating Learnpedia to provide project-based traineeships combining real-world projects, on-site training, and mentorship. Discover how their practical learning approach equips engineers with essential workplace experience and why industry collaboration is vital for solving Australia's engineering skills shortage.

Host: Michelle Ockers<...

Australia's tech sector faces a critical skills gap. Women – who make up just 30% of the tech workforce – represent the largest untapped talent pool to close this gap. Michelle Ockers speaks with Kade Brown from RMIT Online and Rhiannon Yetsenga from Deloitte Access Economics about their latest research report into skills and talent diversity in Australia's tech workforce. They explore the key findings of the report, including the scale of the skills gap, why women are the biggest untapped opportunity to close this gap, and the business case for investing in re-skilling. The conversation also highlights practical actions organisations can take...

The 2025 Global Sentiment Report has been released, capturing the pulse of L&D professionals worldwide. In this episode, Michelle Ockers speaks with Donald H Taylor about the key findings and what they reveal about what L&D is paying attention to in 2025. AI continues to dominate conversations, but there's also continued interest in skills and data, with the creating value on the rise again. Don shares insights on why these trends matter, how they vary across different regions, and what L&D professionals can take away from the results.

Hosted by Michelle Ockers  

Transcript and re...

Ryan Byrne, Senior Manager of Capability and Learning at Sydney Trains joins host Michelle Ockers to discusses the "First Impressions Count" performance campaign. This campaign focused on enhancing customer service through station cleanliness, uniform standards and empowering and engaging staff. Ryan shares insights on using employee feedback to identify barriers and build respectful, actionable solutions. He also highlights how Sydney Trains engaged staff via competitions, incentives, and real-time customer feedback, fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the frontline.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/164/

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In this episode of Learning Uncut, Michelle Ockers and co-host Laura Overton are joined by Lisa Christensen, Director of Learning at McKinsey, to explore the organisation's innovative approach to enhancing feedback skills. Lisa introduces the Receive to Grow program, a targeted initiative designed to help employees build the skill of receiving feedback effectively - a critical competency in McKinsey's fast-paced and high-performance culture. Lisa delves into McKinsey's broader feedback surge strategy, discussing how cross-functional collaboration, data-driven insights, and behavioural science have shaped this impactful initiative. Discover how simple, actionable learning techniques and a holistic talent strategy are transforming feedback...

Michelle Ockers is joined by Dr. Cathryn Lloyd, founder of Maverick Minds, to explore how L&D professionals can shift their thinking and support others to shift their thinking. Cathryn shares how her own experiences of personal and professional transformation led to her work in helping individuals and organisations think differently. They discuss why shifting thinking is crucial for L&D professionals who are responsible for supporting learning, change, and capability-building in their organisations. Cathryn introduces practical tools and insights from her book on storytelling and creativity.

Hosted by Michelle Ockers 

Transcript and related resources: h...

In this episode of Learning Uncut, Catherine Sharpe (Blackmores) and Mark Eggers (Yarno) join Michelle Ockers to discuss their award-winning learning solution. Recognised at the AITD 2024 Excellence Awards for both Best Use of Technology for Learning and Best Use of Gamification or Simulation, their initiative tackled the challenge of embedding financial acumen across Blackmores' diverse, multilingual workforce. Catherine and Mark share insights on leveraging gamification, microlearning, and data-driven engagement to transform revenue management training. Learn how this innovative partnership boosted learning outcomes and engagement across 13 Asia-Pacific markets.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https...

In this episode of Learning Uncut, Millie Law discusses a highly successful blended learning initiative at ANZ Bank that won the 2024 AITD award for best blended learning solution. The program focused on developing business development capabilities among home lending specialists. The solution combined self-paced learning, peer workshops, and practical application, with strong support from internal coaches. Through careful performance consulting, collaboration and a focus on mindset shifts, the program achieved sustained 20-25% improvements in key business metrics.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/161/

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In this special episode of Learning Uncut, Michelle Ockers presents an AI playbook for Learning and Development professionals. Drawing from conversations with industry practitioners throughout 2024, she distills key principles and practices for implementing AI effectively in L&D. The episode explores how organizations can move beyond the hype to create real value with AI, offering practical guidance whether you're just starting your AI journey or looking to scale existing initiatives. A reflection and discussion guide is available in the show notes to help teams apply these insights in their own context.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript...

In this special end-of-year episode, Michelle Ockers and Chemène Sinson reflect on the key themes explored in the 2024 Learning Uncut podcast episodes and connect them to broader trends and conversations in L&D. This year's standout themes include moving from talk to action with AI, adopting skills-based approaches, fostering community and collaboration, and driving real behaviour change. Underpinning it all is the vital interplay between humanity and technology. From stories of professional growth to global learning insights, this episode offers rich inspiration as we step into 2025. Join the discussion on LinkedIn—find the episode post on Michelle's profile and...

This episode of Learning Uncut offers a rare 'before and after' look at the design, execution, and outcomes of a workplace learning campaign. Michelle Ockers speaks with Matthew Murray, VP of Digital Learning, and Sydney Cannon, Senior Manager of Learning Engagement at Bain & Company, about their October Skills Boost campaign.

The episode starts by exploring exploration their low-resource, email-driven approach to fostering self-directed learning among functional professionals. Seven weeks later, they return to share candid reflections on the campaign's outcomes, unexpected challenges, and key lessons learned. Packed with insights this discussion is a must-listen for learning for...

In this episode of Learning Uncut, Michelle Ockers is joined by Adam Le Nevez and Adrian Manning from the Australian Public Service (APS). They explore how the APS L&D Community of Practice (CoP) fosters collaboration amongst L&D teams across over 100 agencies. They discuss the unique challenges of building capability in a decentralised system with over 170,000 employees and how the CoP helps reduce duplication, share best practices, and build professional networks. They also highlight the importance of creating a safe space for L&D practitioners to connect and learn from each other, ensuring that the community evolves organically...