The SkillsWave Podcast

In this episode of the SkillsWave Podcast, we sit down with Marci Paino, Chief Learning Officer at Cisco. A leading voice in workforce transformation and skills-first strategy, Marci shares a front-line perspective on how organizations—and their people—can thrive in a world defined by rapid change. Drawing from her work driving forward skills-first enablement in a large, global enterprise, Marci e...

In this episode, author and education expert Michael Horn shares practical advice on how individuals can stay ahead in a world where skills are constantly evolving. Drawing from his work on innovation and career development, Michael explains why upskilling is no longer a one-time activity but a continuous process tied closely to personal growth, energy, and purpose. He introduces the concept of a...

In this episode, we sit down with Denise Leaser, President of MyInnerGenius®, to explore how organizations can unlock hidden potential in job candidates, employees, and students. Together, we unpack what it takes to improve workforce readiness, drive internal mobility, and build more engaged, agile teams. Our conversation focuses on the power of aligning individual strengths, interests, and aptitu...

In this episode, we sit down with Delia van Heerden, a thought leader whose journey spans continents and industries - from founding a corporate training company in South Africa to shaping data-driven cultures in Canada. As VP of People Operations at Fast-Loop, a data consulting firm, Delia brings a unique perspective on integrating data literacy into the fabric of an organization. We’ll explore ho...

In this episode of The SkillsWave Podcast , Kathleen Carr sits down with renowned strategy professor and author Scott Anthony to explore the seismic shifts reshaping education and the workforce. They dive into the parallels between disruption in media and learning, discuss the rise of AI-driven content creation, and question the traditional degree model in a world demanding continuous upskilling....

In today's evolving workplace, employee development is challenging traditional compensation like salaries and bonuses. In the second part of this episode, guest Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn’s first CHRO and founder of Cadigan Talent Ventures, shares more insights on how investing in professional advancement is proving essential. Cadigan dives into his thoughts on remote work, the challenges of emp...

Our workforce is experiencing a rapid pace of change. The tactics and expectations that worked last year, week or even yesterday might not be the answers we need today. In this episode, guest Steve Cadigan , LinkedIn's first CHRO and founder of Cadigan Talent Ventures, provides insights on the importance of learning in this new evolution of the workplace.  Cadigan covers how employee expectat...

Organizations across industries and U.S. states are facing challenges in finding skilled workers. In this episode of The Skill Shift, guest Amanda Winters, program director at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices , shares how her organization is working on projects that focus on building talent pipelines, economic growth and skills-based hiring.   Amanda highlights the impo...

During this episode of The SkillsWave Podcast catch up with guest Chike Aguh, Fulbright Scholar, educator, business leader, award winning non-profit CEO, and Biden presidential appointee.   You can look forward to an engaging conversation connecting the dots between open roles and communities where workers need work, the importance of timeless skills for businesses and how employers can start usin...

This week we talked with Tom Whelan, director of corporate research at Training Industry. Tom is an organizational scientist and research professional with over 15 years of experience working with companies to improve enterprise and employee outcomes.  In this episode, we dig into some of Tom’s recent research, Redefining the ROI of Corporate Learning. Tom discusses more modern approaches and mode...

This week we welcome two guests from Jobs for the Future (JFF): Meena Naik, director, skills-first design, and Cat Ward, vice president, employer mobilization. In their roles at JFF, our guests work to drive transformation of the education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all.  In this episode, we talk about what defines a quality job, and how JFF is striving to...

This week we chat with our guest Jackie Barker, global director of the VMware IT Academy, which partners with governments, educational institutions and non-profits to offer courses that create a pipeline of much-needed talent in the IT industry. Jackie is passionate about creating change through education as well as upskilling and reskilling in an era of what she calls the skills evolution.  Liste...

This week, we're joined by guest Matt Sigelman, president at The Burning Glass Institute and chairman at Lightcast. He’s dedicated his career to unlocking new avenues for mobility, opportunity and equity through skills. He's a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and holds an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard. We discuss how companies can anticipate skill dema...