Skills gaps, gender pay gaps, and tips for presenting like a pro

Edition two sees us through to the end of November. As the days get shorter and the annual December break draws nearer, it’s the perfect time to kick back and enjoy our roundup of the top learning news and views. Grab a hot drink, marvel at how dark it is at 5pm, and take a quick tour through the world of learning and learning tech with us.

Skills: the buzzword on every practitioner’s agenda

Whether you’re bridging growing skills gaps, mapping out career pathways for ‘skill seekers’, or labouring through the intensive process of identifying future skills demands, there’s a likelihood that ‘skills’ – whatever that means to your organisation – is high on your agenda.

As HR and L&D teams plan?for the year ahead, it can be tempting to rely on tried and tested methods. HR does the hiring, and L&D does the training — right? This is where many people teams are falling short. An urgency to fill critical vacancies re-prioritises hiring over upskilling and development, and the cycle of reactive action continues. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Take a peek at our new white paper – “Mind the (skills) gap: aligning HR and L&D for better skills-development strategies through technology” — which will challenge your perspective on the skills crisis so many organisations are facing.

In the report, we analyse how people strategies have evolved, and how technology can reliably and insightfully bridge the gap between two core functions to better support skills-development strategies. It provides thought-provoking insight into the possibilities of strategic and technological collaboration between HR and L&D, and may well inspire your future-ready learning programmes.

Pressed for time? Catch up on the webinar we ran earlier this month which covers this topic in detail, here.

Webinars

Aligning HR and L&D for better skills-development strategies through technology

Did you catch Bradley Burgoyne , Andrea Matkin and Cathryn Newbery ?earlier this month? “Mind the (skills) gap” — Digits LMS ' last webinar for the year — was one of our most popular themes. Based on our recent white paper, we discussed how to create an aligned skills strategy, supported by technology, to bridge the gap between HR and L&D teams, as well as the skills organisations need for today and tomorrow. You can watch it on demand, and you can download the white paper, too.

Reserve your seat for “How to choose an LMS” on 17 January

Have you signed up for January's webinar? “How to choose an LMS” explores the intricacies, nuances, and often-overlooked aspects of the LMS selection process. Guided by our team of LMS and learning experts, you’ll leave feeling confident in your ability to choose the ultimate learning platform for your needs. Register to attend on 17 January at 11am (if you can’t make it, we’ll email a recording to everyone who registers). Register today to book your spot.

Mind the (skills) gap

Our in-house team of tech and learning experts shared their insights for inclusion in the “Mind the (skills) gap” white paper.

News and events

Our sister company, Ciphr , has analysed the latest employee earning figures from the Office for National Statistics , which reveal that many popular job roles in the UK have gender pay gaps. Find out which occupations, industries, and geographical locations have the widest and smallest gender pay gaps in 2022 in our press release.

In October, Bradley Burgoyne presented “Signs you’ve outgrown your LMS (and what to do next)” at the Learning Technologies Exhibition & Conference autumn forum #LTAF22. He’s been overwhelmed with positive feedback on this topic — with many practitioners highlighting how accurate these indicators are.

“The discussions with practitioners following this presentation have highlighted the central role an LMS plays in the development of talent within an organisation. This topic is high on the agenda of many organisations and is viewed as a key component in building a strategy to mitigate the challenging talent marketplace at present.” Watch the recording of Bradley’s presentation.

Peter Drucker, renowned management consultant, educator, and author famously said: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” With the new year fast approaching, we’ve assessed the major eLearning trends that have shaped the way we learn at work to help us predict what’s in store. Some firm favourites – including AI, VR, and AR – will continue to evolve the virtual learning arena, but what about the trends nobody thought to hedge their bets against? Take a look at our online learning trends and predictions – and, remember, you heard it here first.

Giving your employees the chance to develop their skills is a great benefit to offer – for your organisation and the person receiving it. You can retain more people, keep your talent management costs low (#downwithattrition), and give yourself the innovation- and skill-driven competitive edge you need to stand out. But is your L&D plan focusing on developing the right skills, in the right people? A training needs analysis (TNA) is your best bet for assessing the suitability of your learning and development programme, determining where to focus your efforts, and how you can support everyone involved to achieve the best outcome.

Brunch with Bradley

This November, Bradley Burgoyne celebrated his one-year mark as head of talent at Ciphr — congrats!?

It’s safe to say he knows a fair bit about L&D. Bradley oversees Ciphr’s learning programmes and has a great team to support him.

You might recognise him from his talks at Learning Technologies’ 2022 conference, the subsequent autumn forum for Learning Technologies, or even from yesterday’s Kent HR Knowledge Exchange and Innovation?networking event.

He’s a natural presence on stage and behind the scenes, he’s known as the resident expert on all things learning, learning tech, and professional development. We asked him to give us a quick sneak peek at how he prepares for his presentations, and what his day-to-day looks like when he’s not wowing crowds with his insights.

“I think it’s really important to avoid over-preparing for any presentation. Refine your key points each time you do a practice round – it ensures you get key messages across. But be confident enough to know when to stop rehearsing, or you might find yourself rushing to finish a thought or paragraph.

“Secondly, take a (literal) moment to catch your breath. My go-to is a ‘square breathing’ technique – inhale to the count of four, hold for four, exhale for the count of four, and then hold that empty breath for the last four seconds. This has a great physiological effect of slowing any racing heartbeats (and thoughts) and helping me to ground myself.

“Lastly — and this is key — remember that the way you deliver your presentation is exactly how the audience thought it would be. You might have preconceived ideas about the structure of your presentation, but your audience will never know if you stray from your original plan. Go with what resonates with your audience. If you slip up, move along. This is where most people get flustered; be forgiving to yourself and ‘make it look like it was part of the plan.’”

These really useful tips for presenting to any audience prove how well Bradley’s mastered his stage presence. But with back-to-back meetings, strategy sessions, and presentations – it can be a tall order to juggle home life and work life. We asked Bradley how he manages to find balance:

“I don’t always get it right, and that’s okay. I find that the best results come from intentional planning, preparation, and being present in each moment.

“I try to block out protected time for urgent tasks and the more strategic sessions. Some weeks this can help me stay focused and on track, and other weeks it just won’t work. What makes all the difference is reminding myself to be flexible and allow things to happen without trying to control them beyond my ability.

“Taking the time to really be in the moment – during school runs, reading bedtime stories, and in the ‘everyday’ activities — lets my family know I value every minute we spend together. The same is true for work – after all, that’s what being in a ‘people’ role is all about!”

An example of how Bradley lives out his own ideals of continual learning is that at any given time, he’ll have an audio book or podcast playing in the background. Biographies – including Michelle Obama’s Becoming, and Matthew McConaughey’s Green Lights — are among his firm favourites.

“I love learning about people’s backstories. You hear their names all the time, but discovering the untold story behind the scenes is fascinating – how they’ve had similar challenges to us but seized the opportunities they were presented to make something of themselves. It’s inspiring, and it gives me a new perspective that helps me relate to people on a deeper level, which is really important to my role in and out of work.”

“In the world of L&D – it’s always all about people. The more I can relate to more people, the better.”

?A quick Q&A to wrap up brunch?

?What are you most looking forward to in the new year? ??

“I’ve now been at Ciphr for a year, and in that time, I’ve been working on a few projects that haven’t been visible to everyone across the business. 2023 is the year we get to share these exciting developments across the group, and I can’t wait to see our hard work come to fruition. Watch this space!”

A book you would recommend everyone reads at least once? ??

“Michelle Obama, Becoming. I know I mentioned this earlier on, but it’s a hugely inspirational read. From humble beginnings, she’s gone on to make a significant impact on the lives of others, which is aspirational to me.”

‘Last played’ in your Spotify? ??

“A podcast called The Rest Is Politics hosted by former Downing Street director of communications and strategy, Alastair Campbell, and former cabinet minister Rory Stewart. This is a sensible way for me to keep up to date with current affairs, and it also prompts me to take a critical look at what I’m delivering in my role —and how that supports people in and out of work.”?

That’s a wrap for November — it was great to spend some time with you again. The next time we chat, we’ll be gearing up for a short festive break. If you enjoyed today’s L&D digest, feel free to share it with your network, and don’t forget to subscribe. Until next time.