A 5-stage model for implementing a skills-based learning strategy

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People who know me know that I’m an advocate of skills-based learning strategy.

However I find that some of my peers who work in L&D or in broader talent management don’t quite understand what that means, or they grasp aspects of it in isolation of the bigger picture.

So I’ve tried to do my bit by writing a white paper that not only proposes a definition of the strategy, but also describes a model to aid its implementation.

I’ve labelled it Version 1.0 as I see it as an organic document that will continue to evolve over time. I hope you find it useful…

A white booklet titled A 5-Stage Model for Implementing a Skills-Based Learning Strategy.
Download the white paper

A 5-stage model featuring the stages Define, Prioritise, Develop, Apply and Validate.
Download the model

L&D conferences in Australia & New Zealand in 2026

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Welcome to this year’s instalment of Learning & Development conferences down under and across the ditch.

If AI hasn’t yet taken over your need for professional development and desire for social networking, I hope to see you.

So do let me know which ones you intend to attend, and if you’re aware of any others that I should add to the list…

Conference List

The details of the following events may change, so check their websites!

Australian VET Conference
Sydney, 12-13 March 2026

HR Summit
Sydney, 18-19 March 2026

AI DesignX
Sydney, 19 March 2026

HRD National HR Summit
Sydney, 31 March – 1 April 2026

L&D Leadership Summit
Melbourne, 6-7 May 2026

AITD Conference
Brisbane, 13-15 May 2026

VET Quality and Innovation Summit
Melbourne, 27 May 2026

EDUtech
Sydney, 3-4 June 2026

New Zealand L&D Leadership Summit
Auckland, 11-12 June 2026

L&D Symposium
Hunter Valley, 16-17 June 2026

HR + L&D Innovation & Tech Fest
Auckland, 30 June – 1 July 2026

Learning & Development Forum
Melbourne, 13 August 2026

L&D Leadership Summit
Sydney, 26-27 August 2026

Digital Learning Showcase
Auckland, 11 September 2026

HR + L&D Innovation & Tech Fest
Sydney, 21-22 September 2026

LearnTech Conference and Exhibition
Perth, 25-26 November 2026

🐨🥝

’Tis

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Sometime around April I blinked and it’s Christmas season again.

Despite the physics-defying acceleration of time, I somehow managed to steal enough of it to publish another round of thought bubbles this year.

I invite you to read any that you may have missed, and comment on any that you’d care to revisit…

A figurine man wearing a red cap in the foreground, and a Christmas tree in the background.

  • In L&D conferences in Australia & New Zealand in 2025 I curate a list of professional development events down under. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2026 edition.

  • In Evidently I highlight two evidence-based features of high-quality online courses.

  • In Apathy and ivory I express my disappointment at the lack of global citizenship among academic researchers.

  • In Wrecking ball I advocate a skills-based learning strategy to mitigate cheating in the age of AI.

  • In The traps of performance consulting I caution the Learning and Development mouse sniffing the Performance Consulting cheese.

  • In Sandwich makers I recommend a simple workflow when using AI so that it complements your intelligence, rather than replaces it.

  • In Stirred, not shaken I share the 5 lessons I’ve learned about learning by blogging about cocktails.

  • In A musing I predict the outcome of everyone using generative AI to remix outputs.

  • In Boge’s Law I illustrate the relationship between the volume of a mobile device in public and its owner’s intelligence.

🎄

To my readers, I thank you for your continued patronage and support. You make it all worthwhile.

Merry Christmas if it’s your thing, and happy new year regardless!

A musing

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Today, generative AI has an abundance of original content to draw upon.

However, as an ever-increasing number of us use it to remix outputs, there must come a tipping point whereby the knowledge base becomes rehashed and outdated.

It’ll be the equivalent of referencing a set of Encyclopedia Britannica from the 1980’s.

On the flip side, the relatively few among us who produce fresh content can disproportionately shape the narrative.

Four human emojis among many robot emojis.