March 04, 2026

49. World Learning Content Cleanup Day with Ger Driesen

42 minutes

Is your L&D content closet getting a bit cluttered? When was the last time you cleaned it up? In this episode, Jess sits down with Ger Driesen, founder of World Learning Content Cleanup Day (#WLLCD), to challenge L&D's obsession with creation over maintenance. They explore why outdated learning erodes credibility, how to adopt a "retire by default" mindset, and how a simple annual cleanup can uncover powerful data insights. Let's reduce risk and increase the benefits of our content together with a cleanup celebration.

Jess and Ger Discuss

Why L&D teams prioritize creation and neglect maintenance
The concept behind World Learning Content Cleanup Day
The idea of learning hygiene as a professional standard
How to evaluate content using relevance, usage, accuracy, and risk
Using LMS data to inform cleanup decisions
The retire by default mindset shift
Refreshing, rewriting, or retiring content strategically
What heat illness training in Alaska can teach us about relevance
How cleanup builds credibility with stakeholders
Navigating resistance and "killing your darlings" conversations
Turning a one day event into an ongoing process
Simple ways any L&D pro can get started

About Ger Driesen

Ger Driesen started working in L&D in 1990 and has taken on almost every L&D role there is during his career. He's served as a L&D consultant, a learning designer, an L&D manager, a Trainer/facilitator, a teacher for L&D at a university of applied sciences, a writer, and speaker. As the Learning Innovation Leader at Newspring, Ger launched the World Learning Content Cleanup Day (#WLCCD) in 2023. He is the co-founder and independent learning and leadership consultant for Challenge Leadership Development Academy. Ger is based in the Netherlands and also known as the Dutch L&D trend catcher.

Find and Connect with Ger Driesen