About this podcast
Learning Uncut is about real conversations around real learning solutions and real experiences with real advice from real people.
We're all about keeping it "real."
Here's an overview of our approach:
Strategy and tactics. We want to unpack the strategy and how-to's of creating great learning solutions, frameworks and teams.
CONVERSATIONS, NOT SCRIPTED DISCUSSION
Our podcasts are professional but not so edited and polished that they lose their authenticity. We want our audience to hear real people having real conversations and sharing real examples and advice.
PROGRESSIVE
We want to showcase the "unsung L&D heroes" out there doing great work, being brave and trying new things.
PRACTICAL
We invite our guests to share tips and strategies to help listeners take their solutions to the next level. We aim to provide actionable takeaways for our listeners through show notes, links and downloads wherever possible.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 291 episodes
- 194: Knowledge and the Human Side of AI - Kim Sherwin · 41 min · Episode 194In an AI enabled world where knowledge is everywhere, what does it really mean to manage knowledge in an organisation? In this episode host Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with Kim…
- 193: Optimising Learning Technology at Starbucks Australia – Peter Elkhuizen · 46 min · Episode 193You've chosen your learning technology and a launch date draws near. Then what? Peter Elkhuizen, Partner Capability and Growth Manager at Starbucks Australia, shares how he moved…
- 192: Choosing Learning Technology in the age of AI - Audrey Chan and Adam Hepper · 49 min · Episode 192Most L&D teams don't choose the wrong learning platform because they're careless, they choose it because the process is confusing, rushed, or driven by shiny demos. In this…
- 191: Team alignment is commitment, not agreement - Lindsay Uittenbogaard and John Dobbin · 55 min · Episode 190What does alignment really mean when the stakes are high? Drawing on a global banking case study involving a major regulatory deadline, Lindsay and John share how surfacing…
- 190: The Education Revolution – Jeff Davis · 46 min · Episode 190The choices we make in education today shape the workforce thirty years from now. In this episode Michelle Parry-Slater speaks with Jeff Davis, Executive Head at Hillcrest…
- 189: What Happens After the Award, Reflection 18 months on – Millie Law ANZ · 46 min · Episode 189What happens after the award, is won? In this episode, Michelle Parry-Slater welcomes back Millie Law, Enterprise Capability Lead at ANZ for an 18-month update on the Better…
- 188: Minimal Interventions, Maximum Outcomes - Andrew Lawson & Alice Smith · 45 min · Episode 188Michelle Parry-Slater is joined by Andrew Lawson (2026 AITD L&D Professional of the Year) and his client Alice Smith, about a deliberately different approach to leadership…
- Elevate 50: What's next for L&D? Donald Taylor · 49 min · Episode 50For three years running, AI topped the list of what's hot in L&D. This year it dipped, and Donald H Taylor is taking it off the survey altogether. Don has run the Global…
- Elevate 49: Gari Yala - Speak the Truth | Indigenous Employment and the L&D Responsibility · 57 min · Episode 49It will take 118 years, at the current rate of change, before an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person can go to work without hearing a racial slur. This is not history…
- 187: Recognition as a Learning Tool Sarah McVanel & Lisa Anstey · 55 min · Episode 187Recognition 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…
- Elevate 48: Eight Years of Learning Uncut – Michelle Ockers · 47 minEight years. Nearly 200 episodes. One consistent heartbeat. In this special Elevate episode, Michelle Parry-Slater sits down with Learning Uncut founder Michelle Ockers to…
- 186: Building L&D from Scratch – Elyse Toomey · 46 min · Episode 186The 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…
- 185: Learning as Investment, Not Cost – Tina Schust Robinson & LaTanya Foster · 49 min · Episode 185Most 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…
- 184: From Darkroom to AI: Reflective Practice Across an L&D Career – Greg Wilton · 46 min · Episode 184We 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…
- Elevate 47: The Craft of Conference Chairing – Niall Gavin, Helen Palmer & Anit Mahay · 48 minMost 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…
- 183: Hearing Loss Awareness Designing for Empathy at Scale (HSBC) - Georgie Cooke, Louise Bassiri and Michelle Parry-Slater · 47 min · Episode 183Hearing 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…
- 182: The Power of Evolution in Learning Transformation (Girlguiding UK) – Arnika Knight and Michelle Parry-Slater · 50 minArnika 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…
- 181: Beyond Role Play: Using AI to Build Real Skills – Ryan Byrne and Dr Nathan Moore · 50 minSydney 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…
- 180: When Leaders Lead the Leadership Programme – Matthew Peade · 42 minMatthew 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%…
- Elevate 46: The Learning and Development Handbook – Michelle Parry-Slater · 51 minMichelle 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…
- 179: Blood Processing Centre Virtual Tour – Liz Seskus and Kate Schulze · 38 minLiz 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…
- Elevate 45: The L&D Leader: Navigating to Business Value – Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers · 54 minMichelle 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…
- 178: Sodexo Academy: Facilitating Flexible, Practical Onboarding – Peter Brace · 44 minPeter 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…
- 177: 2025 End of Year Review – Michelle Ockers and Michelle Parry-Slater · 49 minIn 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…
- 176: Mentoring That Works: Lessons from Construction – Jana Clyde and Jo Farrell · 1 h 2 minThis 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…
- 175: AI in L&D: Race for Impact – Donald H. Taylor · 43 minDonald 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…
- 174: Crafting a Learning Culture – Hannah Ryan · 55 minHannah 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…
- 173: Frontline Leadership Development in a Tech Environment – Matthias Nauwelaers · 55 minMatthias 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…
- 172: Human-Centred Approach to AI Literacy – Christine Gaynor-Patterson · 45 minChristine 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…
- 171: AITD L&D Capability Framework – Ben Campbell and Lisa Elias · 51 minMichelle 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…
- 170: Rethinking Learning: Autonomy Over Content – James Swift · 41 minWhen 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…
- 169: Empowering Peer Learning at One Zealand – Angela Forde, Lane Hannah and Dan Hibberd · 53 min · Season 1Lane 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…
- 168: KPMG's AI Learning Academy – Amy Vig · 52 min · Season 1How 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…
- Elevate 44: Stretching Your L&D Budget Further · 42 min · Season 1In 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…
- 167: Inside the Design of a Learning Design Qualification – Keith Heggart · 53 min · Season 1Keith 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…
- Elevate 43: Current Practices in Leader Development · 31 minIn this episode of Learning Uncut Elevate, Michelle Ockers speaks with Catherine Lombardozzi about her latest research with the Learning Guild, which explores how leadership…
- 166: Building Real World Skills for Structural Engineers – Alex Jovanovski and Moly Ashtari · 45 min · Season 1Australia has a critical structural engineering skills shortage, yet many qualified graduates and migrant engineers struggle to find jobs. In this episode, Michelle Ockers talks…
- Elevate 42: Bridging the Gap: Reskilling Women in Tech · 49 minAustralia'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…
- 165: Personalising Leadership Development – Mark Saddic and Terra Wallace · 47 min · Season 1
- Elevate 41: L&D Global Sentiment 2025 · 33 min · Season 1The 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…
- 164: Customer Service Performance Campaign – Ryan Byrne · 47 min · Season 1Ryan Byrne, Senior Manager of Capability and Learning at Sydney Trains joins host Michelle Ockers to discusses the "First Impressions Count" performance campaign. This campaign…
- 163: McKinsey's Feedback Skills Surge – Lisa Christensen · 52 min · Season 1In 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…
- Elevate 40: Shift Your Thinking · 34 min · Season 1Michelle 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…
- 162: Driving Engagement with Microlearning and Gamification – Catherine Sharpe and Mark Eggers · 44 min · Season 1In 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…
- 161: Blended Learning with Business Impact at ANZ – Millie Law · 51 min · Season 1In 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…
- 160: Playbook – Artificial Intelligence in L&D · 30 min · Season 1In this special episode of Learning Uncut, Michelle Ockers presents an AI playbook for Learning and Development professionals. Drawing from conversations with industry…
- 159: 2024 End of Year Review – Michelle Ockers and Chemène Sinson · 49 min · Season 1In 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…
- 158: A Self-Directed Learning Experiment – Matthew Murray and Sydney Cannon · 57 min · Season 1This 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…
- 157: APS L&D Community of Practice – Adam Le Nevez and Adrian Manning · 48 min · Season 1In 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…
- 156: Skills Portfolio Management at Scale – Cameron Hedrick · 40 min · Season 1Michelle Ockers speaks with Cameron Hedrick, Chief Learning Officer at Citi, about the complexities and opportunities of skills portfolio management. Cameron shares his insights…







