Global Skills Podcast

Creativity, Career Pathways And The Future Of Skills With DR Dave Hockham

In this episode of the Global Skills Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Dave Hockham, Associate Head of School at the University of Greenwich, National Teaching Fellow, researcher, and education leader, to explore why creativity and human-centered skills are becoming more valuable than ever in the age of AI. Dave shares his remarkable journey from studying theatre and clowning to leading transformational change in higher education, revealing how curiosity, adaptability, and saying "yes" to new opportunities shaped his career and approach to learning. Together, we discuss the growing disconnect between education and industry, why organizations need to rethink learning and development, and how employers can better support people through mentoring, onboarding, continuous professional development, and lifelong learning. Dave explains why transferable skills, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking are essential for building a future-ready workforce, while highlighting the importance of creating stronger partnerships between education providers and employers. Whether you're a business leader, HR professional, educator, learning and development specialist, or someone planning your next career move, this episode is packed with practical insights for navigating the future of work. We explore workforce development, employability, leadership, skills mapping, innovation, and the human capabilities that AI cannot replace—offering valuable takeaways for anyone passionate about building a more adaptable, inclusive, and resilient workforce. Connect With Dr. Dave Hockham https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-david-hockham-sfhea-ntf-757a0853 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-david-hockham-sfhea-ntf-757a0853] Connect with the Global Skills Podcast * Connect with the Host Vanessa Wainwright LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vwainwright/] * Visit Our Website https://www.globalskillspodcast.com [https://www.globalskillspodcast.com] * Send us an email at editor@globalskillspodcast.com [editor@globalskillspodcast.com] #GlobalSkillsPodcast #FutureOfWork #FutureSkills #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #HigherEducation #SkillsGap #Upskilling #CareerDevelopment #SkillsBasedHiring #SkillsMapping#FutureWorkforce

Rethinking Learning & Development in the Age of AI with Marc Ramos

I'm joined today by Mark Ramos, a global learning and AI transformation leader who has held senior roles at Google, Novartis, and Cornerstone, and is a Fellow at Harvard's Graduate School of Education Learning Innovation Laboratory. We talk about why human agency might be the resource under the most threat in the workplace right now, and what happens to skills, careers, and middle management as AI takes over more of our daily tasks. Mark shares a great real-world example of transferable skills in action, the thinking behind Google's internal "Googler to Googler" teaching culture, and his honest take on cognitive offloading, cognitive atrophy, and what he calls learning slop. He makes the case that healthy skepticism, not blind trust, is the real skill of the AI era. This conversation goes deeper into human potential than I expected, and I think anyone thinking about their own learning path will find something here worth taking away.   Connect With Marc Ramos Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcsramos/  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcsramos/]   Connect with the Global Skills Podcast * Connect with the Host Vanessa Wainwright LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vwainwright/] * Visit Our Website https://www.globalskillspodcast.com [https://www.globalskillspodcast.com] * Send us an email at editor@globalskillspodcast.com [editor@globalskillspodcast.com]

Skills Aren't Missing - They're Invinsible

In this special solo episode of the Global Skills Podcast, I wanted to step away from my usual guest interviews and explore a question that has been sitting with me for years: if employers say they can’t find skilled people, and job seekers say they can’t find opportunities, what’s really going wrong? Drawing on my experience in recruitment, workforce transformation, and skills intelligence, I share the story of a candidate who faced more than 1,000 job rejections before securing a role with a leading technology company and rapidly progressing in their career. That experience shaped my belief that talent is far more abundant than we think. The real challenge is that our systems often struggle to identify, understand, and connect people’s skills to opportunity. As AI continues to reshape work, I believe we need to rethink how we define, measure, and recognise capability. Throughout this episode, I explore why traditional hiring practices are failing both employers and job seekers, how transferable skills are becoming increasingly valuable, and why a shared skills language could transform the future of work. I also discuss the growing importance of skills-first hiring, lifelong learning, and workforce intelligence, and why making skills visible may be one of the most important challenges facing education, employers, and policymakers today. Connect with the Global Skills Podcast * Connect with the Host Vanessa Wainwright LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vwainwright/] * Visit Our Website https://www.globalskillspodcast.com [https://www.globalskillspodcast.com] * Send us an email at editor@globalskillspodcast.com [editor@globalskillspodcast.com]   #GlobalSkillsPodcast #SkillsGap #SkillsFirstHiring #TalentManagement #AIandWork #TransferableSkills #FutureSkills

Why Learning Agility Is the Most Important Career Skill in the AI Era – with Thom Staight

In this episode, I sit down with Thom Staight, General Manager of Global Talent Acquisition for EMEA and Asia at Microsoft, to explore how AI is reshaping hiring, careers, and the future of work. Thom shares his journey from studying history and philosophy, into recruitment, and eventually leading talent strategy inside one of the world’s biggest tech companies. We talk about the shift from traditional recruitment to skills-first hiring, why learning agility matters more than ever, and how organizations can unlock hidden potential by focusing less on job titles and more on transferable skills. We also dive into how AI is changing early-career opportunities, internal mobility, and workforce planning. Thom shares practical examples of how Microsoft is using AI tools to help entry-level talent solve more complex problems earlier in their careers, while also freeing experienced employees to focus on higher-value work. Throughout the conversation, we discuss growth mindset, the importance of staying curious with new technology, and why the future of talent will depend on organizations connecting skills, learning, and career development more effectively than ever before. Connect With Thom  Staight https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomstaight/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomstaight/] Connect with the Global Skills Podcast * Connect with the Host Vanessa Wainwright LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vwainwright/] * Visit Our Website https://www.globalskillspodcast.com [https://www.globalskillspodcast.com] * Send us an email at editor@globalskillspodcast.com [editor@globalskillspodcast.com]

How AI Is Transforming Learning and Skills Development with Clare Dygert

In this episode, I’m joined by Clare Dygert, a learning systems architect and chief learning strategist at SweetRush, now part of the NIIT group. We explore how AI is transforming learning, why personalized and adaptive learning is becoming essential, and what organizations need to do to truly close the skills gap. Clare shares her incredible career journey from wanting to become a school teacher to designing learning strategies for some of the world’s most complex organizations. We also discuss why employees must take ownership of their own growth, how micro-credentialing could reshape education, and why staying curious is one of the most important career skills anyone can develop. We also dive into the future of work, transferable skills, and why learning design needs to focus on people first. Clare shares practical advice for professionals wanting to future-proof their careers, including her personal strategy of reviewing job descriptions each year to identify new skills to learn. From designing sitcom-style training for learners with cognitive disabilities to using AI as a creative thinking partner, this conversation is packed with fresh ideas on learning, leadership, creativity, and adaptability. Clare also opens up about her passion for art, team cognition, and building learning cultures where people don’t just use AI — they grow with it. Connect With Clare Dygert https://www.linkedin.com/in/claredygert/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claredygert/] Connect with the Global Skills Podcast * Connect with the Host Vanessa Wainwright LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vwainwright/] * Visit Our Website https://www.globalskillspodcast.com [https://www.globalskillspodcast.com] * Send us an email at editor@globalskillspodcast.com [editor@globalskillspodcast.com]