Brunch and Big Ideas: What Modern L&D Looks Like

At our latest Brunch & Learn, we welcomed Andy Lancaster, a leading voice in learning and development, for a conversation packed with practical insights. His message was clear: if L&D wants to stay relevant and drive real business impact, it’s time to shift how we think about skills, AI, and peer learning.

Here’s your recap.

Skills, not job titles: Why L&D must go beyond roles

Andy opened with a challenge. He asked attendees to name a skill they’re proud of. Not a job title. Not a task. A skill. The answers included resilience, strategic thinking and collaborative communication. These are the skills that help people succeed, yet they’re still often labelled as “soft”. In reality, they’re critical to business success.

A skills-first approach to L&D means you can personalise learning, respond more quickly as roles evolve, and focus on the capabilities that actually drive performance. If you’re still working with rigid, role-based frameworks, you’re missing a huge opportunity.

Spreadsheets can’t keep up. AI can.

Andy made a strong case for saying goodbye to static skills matrices and those clunky spreadsheets we’ve all wrestled with. AI gives L&D teams the power to spot skills gaps as they happen, recommend content that’s actually useful, connect people for peer mentoring, and support career growth from within. With real-time data and smarter insights, L&D can make faster decisions and finally link learning to real business outcomes.

Want influence? Get closer to the business

L&D can’t stay in its own lane. Andy reminded us that building credibility starts with connection.

It means talking to people, not just sending surveys.

Understanding challenges, not just collecting feedback.

Showing how learning impacts outcomes, not just completion rates.

And if your teams are hybrid or remote? Adapt. Use virtual drop-ins, informal feedback sessions, or digital coaching. Be visible. Be useful. Stay in the loop.

Don’t build in isolation

Co-creation was a big theme in Andy’s talk. He explained how bringing employees into the learning design process helps L&D stay relevant and connected. Whether it’s through a design sprint or a quick feedback session, co-creating content means people engage more, solutions work better, and learning actually matches real needs. Plus, it sparks a peer-to-peer learning culture that grows naturally, without you having to create everything from scratch.

Smarter learning starts with smarter connections

AI does way more than just recommend content. Andy highlighted how organisations like the UK Civil Service use internal data to connect people based on their skills rather than their job titles. This approach breaks down silos, encourages cross-functional learning, and boosts collaboration across teams. Most importantly, it turns knowledge-sharing from a nice-to-have into a regular habit.

Peer learning is low cost, high impact

Andy’s final takeaway was simple. Peer coaching works. It’s scalable, practical, and deeply human. Perfect matches aren’t the goal here. What really matters is creating space where people can share knowledge, learn from one another, and feel genuinely supported. When you focus on building those connections, you lay the foundation for a learning culture that lasts and grows stronger over time. If you want a learning culture that truly sticks, this is exactly where to start.

The future of L&D is already here

If you take one thing away from this session, make it this:

• Skills-first, not job-first
• AI-augmented, not spreadsheet-led
• Collaborative, not siloed
• Human-led, not tech-replaced

The tools are there. The mindset shift is already happening. And the opportunity for L&D to drive real business impact has never been bigger.

Want to know how you can embrace a skills-first approach, build AI into your learning culture, and turn insights into action?

‍Let’s chat. Request a demo and we’ll show you how, now.