Conference Chairperson & Opening Remarks

Sue McLoughlin MBA, Founder and Managing Director, StriveToThrive.ie

Creating your L&D Framework

Speaker: Laura Barry, Head of HR Services at Insight HR

• What a learning and development strategy is
• Why it matters
• Corporate success stories
• A step-by-step guide to building an L&D strategy

Creating a Culture of Ongoing Learning Through Personalization

Speaker: Belinda Brummer, Founder of Boost Learning

• Leveraging design thinking to integrate the needs of the learners and the business in L&D programs
• Delivering critical skill development through effective learning design and by adapting to different learning preferences
• Integrating micro-learning to achieve continuous skills development while supporting work-life balance and minimizing the impact of training on the work day 
• Understanding the role of AI and LXPs in supporting the needs of each individual learner

Return on Investment - The Kirkpatrick Model and The Phillips Model

Speaker: Niamh Moynihan, Founder, Better Workday

• The Importance of Calculating ROI in Training
• The Challenge of Measuring Training's Impact
• Stakeholders buy-in, justifying L&D budgets, and ensuring that training programs are strategically aligned with organisational objectives.
• The Kirkpatrick Model and the Phillips Model

Employee Engagement Strategies

Speaker: Niamh Moynihan, Founder, Better Workday

• Onboard employees early
• Build a culture of learning
• Have a culture of self-directed learning
• High quality learning resources
• Invest in coaching and mentoring

AI and Digital Learning Technologies – Staying on Top of Rapid Changes

Speaker: Conal Markey, Founder, Optech Consulting

• Aligning your technology platforms with your strategy and culture  
• Evaluating new capabilities: artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality  
• Incorporating gamification strategies to enhance employee engagement  
• Ensuring a comprehensive security and privacy policy
• How digital fits in your wider L&D strategy
• Online learning vs face-to-face learning
• How to create a successful strategy

Mentoring and its Role in Staff Development

Speaker: Sonya Meekel, Lecturer in TU Dublin, MBA, MSc M.A, BScEng, P.G  Dip.Proj Mang, P.G Dip Ed, C.Eng, M.I.E.I

• How can mentoring improve employee performance?
• What most employee development programs have in common
• How to take employee development to the next level with mentorship
• Establishing a formal mentoring program

Training Needs Analysis

Speaker: Fredericka Sheppard, Co-Founder and Managing Director (Joint), Voltedge Management

• What is a training needs analysis?
• What is the purpose of conducting a training needs analysis?
• Training needs analysis best practices
• How to conduct a training needs analysis
• Training needs analysis examples

Learning Management Systems

Speaker: Sean Delaney, Founder, Cobblestone Learning‍

• Next Generation LMS and LXPs
• Off-The-Shelf, Bespoke and AI Content
• Designing Learning Materials for your LMs
• Integration of Social Learning, Micro Learning and Personalisation

Integrating Career Planning, Coaching and Mentoring To Guide L&D Initiatives

Speaker: Julie Ryan, Deputy Managing Director, Harvest Resources Ltd

• An overview of new tools and strategies for training and upskilling talent in times of change
• Connecting development strategies with business priorities to deliver in-demand skillsets
• Taking a skills inventory to identify gaps and determine if positions can be filled in-house
• Harnessing AI to develop personalised career plans for key talent by matching their skills with new projects and career pathways