Tue 26 Aug 2025
By Alice McDavid
Last month, we were proud to welcome nearly 100 public sector learning and development leaders to our flagship event: Transforming L&D in the Public Sector. Set in the beautiful Royal Society of Chemistry, the day brought together forward-thinking professionals to explore how we can reshape and re-energise learning for a fast-changing world.
From AI and strategic skills to creativity and impact measurement, the conversations were rich, practical, and inspiring. The day opened with a warm welcome from myself and my colleague Tina Seth, followed by a thought-provoking keynote from Jonathan Marshall and Thembi Watt (FCIPD) of the Cabinet Office. Together, we explored how the L&D profession is evolving, and how we can meet the moment with energy and purpose.
It was lovely to hear the positive feedback afterwards. As Louise Scott-Worrall, Head of Learning Services at KPMG, shared on LinkedIn:
“It was a great event! Loved the session with Thembi Watt (FCIPD).”
A Glimpse into Our Offer
Mid-morning, delegates joined one of four expert-led taster sessions, short, impactful workshops offering a hands-on introduction to the kind of practical, high-impact training Dods Training delivers year-round:
- Strategic Thinking – Katie Driver
- Tools to help delegates adopt a long-term, strategic lens in policy, operations, and leadership.
- AI & Prompt Engineering – Sam Isaacson
- A practical guide to using ChatGPT and other AI tools effectively in L&D settings.
- Creativity & Innovation – Kate Sturdy
- Techniques to unlock innovation in policymaking and problem-solving.
- Communication & Influencing – Jo Henwood
- Skills to boost personal impact and influence diverse stakeholders.
While these were just short sessions, each forms the foundation of a tailored full-day course, designed around the needs of your organisation and delegates in the room.
Looking Ahead
In the afternoon, Andy Lancaster (Chief Learning Officer, Reimagine People Development) delivered a powerful keynote on the future of L&D, urging a shift from courses to learning pathways, content to community, and input to impact.
We closed the day with Andrew Jacobs, who challenged us to rethink how we measure learning success, moving beyond attendance and surveys to truly understanding long-term impact.
Feedback from the day said it best:
"A really good event – thank you. Great location, clear info, excellent speakers.”
"A day of connection, insight and impact. First-class facilitation."
We’re excited to continue supporting public sector L&D through bespoke training, consultancy, and strategic learning programmes.
Thank you to all our speakers, facilitators, and attendees — and we look forward to seeing you at the next event!
Watch the highlights video here.
View all news