In this episode, David James is joined by Larry Durham, President of St. Charles Consulting Group, and Jonathan Eighteen, Global Head of Consulting and Advisory Services at NIIT, to explore the findings of the 2026 Learning Transformation Benchmark. Together, they examine why L&D is entering a period of structural rebuild as the environment it was originally designed for ceases to exist.
Larry and Jonathan reflect on the growing gap between organizational ambition and actual system readiness, highlighting how AI intensifies the need for learning to operate as enterprise infrastructure. They discuss the shift toward "invisible L&D," the necessity of moving skills from static taxonomies to active tools for workforce planning, and how L&D must evolve from a delivery engine into a strategic architect of performance to have a real business impact in an AI-accelerated world.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
· Currently, the real gap is misaligned systems, governance, and funding.
· As AI takes over declarative and procedural work, L&D must shift from compliance and content to performance, judgement, and stakeholder capability.
· AI collapses design and development effort; the opportunity is to reinvest at the edges in performance consulting, measurement, and capability architecture. It gives us more impact.
· Owning the organisation’s capability operating system is L&D’s path to lasting relevance in an AI‑driven workplace.
BEST MOMENTS
“The ambition is really clear. It's just the execution, the systems, and the governance that are holding people back.”
“I think it (AI) inverts it, and it maybe even flattens the bell curve.”
“If we don't have a seat going forward, it's because we didn't either take it or we didn't show up.”
Read the 2026 Learning Transformation Benchmark report for yourself, here: https://www.niit.com/en/learning-outsourcing/news-details/niitmts-stcharles-announce-2026-global-learning-transformation-benchmark-survey-report/
Larry Durham Bio
Larry Durham has spent 30 years helping organizations strengthen talent development, partnering with global professional services firms and Fortune 500 companies to deliver measurable business outcomes. He has worked in more than 30 countries as a consultant, facilitator, and speaker. Larry is President of St. Charles Consulting Group and previously led PwC's Learning Practice within Human Capital Advisory Services.
His recent work includes developing AI strategies for learning organizations, redesigning learning operating models, and aligning learning with business, diversity, and performance goals. Larry hosts The HIVE podcast, co-authored The Talent-Fueled Enterprise, and is currently co-authoring The Judgment Void: How AI is Dismantling the One Human Capability It Cannot Replace.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrydurham
Jonathan Eighteen Bio
Jonathan Eighteen is a transformation expert who helps leading organizations evolve learning, leadership, and talent strategies to improve performance. He has worked across complex public and private sector organizations in the UK, US, and globally, with deep expertise in learning operating models and organizational transformation.
He has led large-scale learning function transformations, including strategy, governance, restructuring, technology modernization, and managed services transitions. Jonathan also helped lead Deloitte's research on skills-based organizations and later commissioned NIIT research on skills. He has since advised multiple organizations on designing and implementing skills-based talent strategies.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-eighteen-5293396/
VALUABLE RESOURCES
· https://twitter.com/davidinlearning
· https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin
· https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective
· L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
