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 dispersed and technically diverse workforce. This episode offers a compelling example of modern, scalable L&D practice—where learning is embedded, employee-led, and aligned with business and individual growth.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/174/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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/podcast/173/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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/podcast/172/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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 bar for L&D practice across the country.

Host: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/171/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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.global/podcast/170/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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: Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/169/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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 budget.

Hosted by Michelle Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/elevate-44/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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 Ockers

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/167/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

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

Transcript and related resources: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/elevate-43/

Podcast information and more episodes: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/