WorkED

The justice system is filled with institutions that are both revered and steeped in tradition. But is this proud history a barrier or an enabler to access and innovation? Michael Talbot has devoted much of his career to innovating and challenging new ways of thinking in the justice sector. As former NSW Deputy Secretary Courts & Tribunals, he led a successful agenda of change and transformation in the state's administration functions within this space.  In today's episode of The Ready Podcast, Michael and Marc Washbourne explore how legal institutions can marry up deep tradition with effective change and digital transformation, and innovate so that every member of our community –  no matter their station or location – can access justice whenever they need it.  They also:  Uncover the key principles guiding the adoption of new technology within the sector – and draw on best-practice examples to help institutions apply these principles to their own change and transformation journeys. Delve into the ways that organisations and leaders within other sectors, too, can apply these insights to drive their own effective digital transformation journeys, and build trust and access with their stakeholders and communities. 

Surfacing, engaging and retaining talent in a time of critical skills shortages is a front-of-mind concern for many of us. It certainly is for Dr Jo Ingold, who has dedicated decades of her life to researching employability and connecting employers with under-leveraged talent. And Jo isn't stopping anytime soon. ​ In this episode of the Ready Podcast, we caught up with Jo for a timely discussion on how to cast your recruitment net wider, and adopt a more inclusive approach to talent acquisition. ​ Tune in for Jo's thought-provoking and inspiring conversation with ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne. You'll also learn: ​ Why ‘right now' is the moment to rethink our approach to the makeup of our workforce ​ Why inclusive recruitment is good for business​ How we can think and work towards a better business and fairer society. 

Emma Weston's journey to success wasn't a linear one.   From her fresh-out-of-uni career in law, to her time as an agribusiness executive and director of various industry associations, Emma's ‘patchwork quilt' of experiences has led her to where she is today: staking her claim as CEO and co-founder of AgriDigital, one of Australia's emerging agtech and fintech companies.   In this episode, Emma sits down with ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne to share her inspiring story, and explore how we can proactively:  Address the digital skills shortage Improve access to tech roles for women and regional talent Navigate disruption, and Rethink diversity. How can we build more mean meaningful careers, companies, and teams of people ready to innovate and make a dent in the world? Join Marc Washbourne with Emma Weston, as they show you how.  

Digital transformation still confuses leaders and organisations. But ask W3.Digital CEO Mark Cameron what it is and how to do it, and you can expect to strap in for an illuminating tour through decades of digital experience and evolution, to ‘connect the dots' and turn a complex challenge into something simple you can act on in your organisation today.  And that's just what you get in this episode of The Ready Podcast (formerly WorkED).  In this special Mini Digital Transformation Masterclass (based on the real Masterclass content Mark teaches on Digital Transformation Leadership at Deakin University), Mark helps us understand the what and why of transformation, what great strategy looks like, how to overcome investment hurdles and how to lead a program that actually works.  Stepping through three stages – before, during and after (spoiler alert: there is no real end point!) – Mark shares his learnings on the role of leadership and culture, how to navigate change management and overwhelm, whether you should choose incremental steps or a ‘big bang' approach in 2022, what talent you'll need along the way, and much more.  Why is the change we're living through now ‘orders of magnitude' greater than the GFC? Is successful transformation about technology or people? What does a digitally transformed future actually mean for leadership decision making and automation? And which does Mark think will promote genuine human flourishing – Facebook's metaverse or Apple's Siri?  Join our Mini Digital Transformation Masterclass – and let your transformation begin! 

Atlassian is Australia's big global technology success story. It's also a tech firm known for straight-talking leadership, going all-in on innovative approaches to work and backing its purpose and values with real-world actions that it says are now expected by Aussie employees and the wider community.   And it professes to do it all with no BS and a deep commitment to its purpose.   We sat down with Atlassian's Director of Global Public Policy, David Masters to discuss the ways in which the tech titan is working with government to foster Australia's tech future and talent pipelines, how vocational training can play a big role in meeting our digital skills needs and why, ultimately, purpose and culture are the secret sauce for every business.   In this episode Marc and David explore:   The big issues Atlassian is focusing on and vocal about, from global data regimes to local innovation and talent Why higher ed and vocational providers should focus on what they do best (and doubled down on digital skills) The natural disconnect between industry and government, how to find common ground and improve collaboration, and Why perseverance, culture and legacy are the keys to Atlassian's growth and success.  

Digital transformation in the TAFE sector has become more important than ever before.   With rising demands on TAFEs to deliver job-relevant skills as well as the fast-paced change being caused by innovation in technology, the TAFE and wider Vocational Education and Training (VET) industry is under pressure to transition to a digital world.    We sat down with TAFE Directors Association (TDA) CEO, Craig Robertson, who has been both a critical conduit between sector leaders for more than 30 years and a champion of the critical role that TAFEs play in tertiary education in Australia.   In this episode, Marc and Craig discuss:  Digital transformation and technology’s role in creating new business models to attract students and achieve profitability. How training for adaptable skills and not jobs will future proof Australia in a digital economy, and The challenge of training for the old-world vs preparing for the digital world.

Why should businesses make decisions holistically around technology? How has HR, CRM and ERP evolved? And where are they heading, especially with the sudden impact of COVID-19?   In the latest WorkED episode, Marc Washbourne sits down with vSure’s Managing Director and veteran of the business technology industry in Australia and New Zealand, Matt Paff to understand the latest developments in the business tech industry.   Renowned for his regular commentary on key business technology players and trends, Matt shares his insights from over two decades of experience across a vast array of tech projects, companies and roles.   The universe of business technology is a complex one, so it's essential that businesses know how to keep it simple when it matters most.  

Tom Moore is a man on a mission – and it’s not about making you comfortable. A self-described ‘monster’ since childhood, he has put his confrontational character to work for good as the founder of WithYouWithMe, which supports veterans transition back into work. His approach has been so successful that Tom’s squad have turned their minds to the wider skills and workforce ecosystem.   What can we learn from the military about transitioning young people to a fast-changing workforce? How can we better use data to match candidate potential and capabilities with workforce skills gaps? And what’s possible when an individual decides to accept responsibility, stand up, and ‘be fierce’? Listen to Tom’s captivating and confronting take on these questions in conversation with ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne.

Payroll is a vitally important business function, yet it is often treated as an afterthought. Thanks to the vast challenges of the year 2020 – both regulatory and economic – there is now a transformational journey underway in the way employers think about payroll’s role in the future of work. Australian Payroll Association CEO Tracy Angwin is a leading local thinker on payroll. In this special webcast with ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne, Tracy will share her views on payroll's 'new normal', from the underpayment crisis and compliance, to workplace flexibility, culture and the role of technology.    

Mariam Mohammed is no stranger to hope.As a young migrant who came to Australia from Pakistan with just $300, she has been an eye-witness to how education and financial security can transform lives on her journey to found financial education business MoneyGirl and become an AFR Woman of Influence in 2019.In this special podcast recording of a live interview with ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne, Mariam shares her insights on everything from supporting staff and students financially after COVID-19 to her views on financial health, entrepreneurship, careers, women in work and hope.   How can educators and employers better support those students and employees affected by the economic downturn? How can financial education for women play a role in the future of our workplaces and society? And why should we hold on to hope eve in tough times?   Join Marc Washbourne and Mariam Mohammed as they discuss the role of education, work, financial security, community – and hope – post-COVID-19.

The world of online and digital learning has taken on new importance during COVID-19. With the need for educators and organisations to migrate learning offerings from face-to-face to online, there’s been a rush to understand the ‘how’ of getting content to students to keep businesses running.   ​​But what about the ‘why’? Where does online delivery fit in the future of work beyond the immediate needs of now?​​   ​​GO1’s Daniel Fish has spent years working at the nexus of learning and work. As Strategy Director at online learning platform GO1 (after gaining a privileged view of the learning imperative at jobs platform SEEK), Dan has experienced how learning and the future of work can co-exist in online content technology. ​​ ​​What if you had the learning you need at any stage of your career when you needed it?  ​​What if this learning technology knew your interests and career aspirations as well as you do, and could filter a world of offerings to bring you the optimal learning to upskill and reskill? ​​What if learning and work were connected as part of a natural ‘flow’? ​​ ​​Join Marc Washbourne and Dan Fish on WorkED as they explore the intelligent future of online learning beyond COVID-19. ​

Master-servant-style employer-employee relationships are a hangover from times past. Though many employers hold on to the vestiges of traditional workplace cultures, the reality is they are fast being replaced by a much closer and more fruitful partnership between employers and employees. Will the future see what co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman has termed The Alliance? CEO of Flare HR, Dan Cohen, certainly thinks so. A leading thinker and practitioner in the world of employee engagement, he sits down with Marc Washbourne on WorkED to define the alliance and explore the potential of this partnership model for employers and employees alike in the future of work. Tackling the vanishing borders between work and life, the death of lifetime employment in favour of shorter term ‘tours of duty’ and the growing role of employers in areas as diverse as financial and mental health, as well as skills development, Dan explains why future careers are a ‘drunkard’s walk’. Will future employees be more like the free agents we know today in soccer or baseball? How can they be engaged in one – or multiple - tours of duty for the mutual benefit of the employer and the employee? And how can we ensure we’re being ‘cool, not creepy’ in our use of employee data? This fascinating reimagining of the employer-employee relationship is essential listening for business leaders and managers.

The working world we all inhabit is more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous than ever, something that can be particularly challenging when we reach our 40s and 50s. Could career reinvention through finding our ‘second-half hero’ be the answer for us and our organisations? On this episode of WorkED Marc Washbourne sits down with one of his personal mentors, Mark Hodgson, for a bracing look at the risks we take as individuals and organisations by sitting still – as well as the hope, happiness and sense of opportunity we can all rekindle by committing to career and self-reinvention. From the role that self-awareness, curiosity and courage can play in turning disengaged managers into leaders that inspire change, to what it takes to make it as a solopreneur outside the confines of the corporate and institutional world, Mark offers deep insights he argues will be more relevant than ever in 2020. How can we avoid turning into the ‘grumpy old person in the corner’? How can our essence and humanity marry with our hard-earned experience and expertise to propel us into a greater career flourishing? Most importantly, can we all choose to become our own ‘second-half hero’?

Digital credentials or ‘badging’ promises to transform education and training by turning the knowledge and skills we possess into a digital form that is more relevant to modern employers. But what does this mean for educators and are digital credentials about to explode? On this episode of WorkED Marc Washbourne sits down with self-confessed digital credentials evangelist David Kinsella of Everitas (an affiliate of US-based Credly in Australia) for an exclusive insider’s view of the digital credential revolution about to shake up Australian education. From what digital credentials are (and what they’re not) to how leading brands like IBM and RMIT are using them to run better businesses, Marc and David reveal the secrets of digital credentialing success and how savvy educators can begin to unlock their power today. What are the ‘10 Commandments of Digital Credentialing’? What will a future with digital credentials look like in five to ten years? And what will the coming explosion mean for the way educators, students and employers will interact to create lifelong learning? Find out the answers to these question and more on this episode of WorkED.   The views expressed in this podcast are entirely those of the guests only.

What do we really know about meaning and purpose? Why do we feel like we have less of them than ever? Is there any way we can bring more meaning and purpose into everyday education and work? On this episode of WorkED Marc Washbourne sits down with behavioural science extraordinaire Darren Coppin from Esher House to enter the realm of meaning and purpose and come back with new understandings of their importance in our working lives and the health of society as a whole. From the modern day existential vacuum and its causes, the components of meaning and how using our character strengths can help get us closer to it, we explore subjects as diverse as philosophy, evolutionary psychology and social media to take the pulse of meaning in Australia in 2019. Does work make us miserable - or does it actually give us meaning and purpose? Could happiness ever be as easy as popping a pill? And what can death teach us about living in the here and now?  Find out the answers to these questions and more on this episode of WorkED.

A university education used to be about higher learning rather than getting a job. That conversation has turned upside down, with universities now caught in the eye of a new employability ‘hurricane’. ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne sits down with the founder of education consultancy Edified, Mark Pettitt, to unpack the state of employability and discuss how educators can up their employability game – across higher education and vocational education and training (VET).  From the viability of teaching experiential learning and soft skills at university, to the brave new world of virtual internships, WorkED looks at the past, present and future of student readiness for work. Do employers think today’s students are employable? Should universities double down on teaching employability, and how? Or is employability a part of the higher education lexicon that is destined to disappear? Listen to this episode of the WorkED Podcast to find out.

The gig economy once promised to set workers free from office cubicles and give businesses a way to engage flexible workforces at will. But is the reality short-changing employees and employers? ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne sits down with the co-founder of app-based job platform Found, Andrew Joyce, for an investigation of the gig economy reality, open plan offices and remote work. Is the gig (economy) up? Are we right to question the open plan office? Is remote work still the future? Listen to this episode of the WorkED Podcast to find out.    

What do millennials really think about education and work and are we failing to support their success? In this episode of WorkED, ReadyTech CEO Marc Washbourne sits down with Year 13 co-founder Saxon Phipps for a challenging conversation about millennials, meaning and the future of work. Exploring the school-to-tertiary education transition, as well as the way our culture and systems could better frame career choices at this formative time, Saxon draws on deep insights from eight years working with young people to build new connections between work and individual purpose. Want to understand the millennial worker and the generations that follow them? Listen now!

In WorkED’s first podcast, we sit down with leading workforce skills and education thinker Sara Caplan, the current national skills lead at PwC, and take on higher ed around the world, the resurgence of vocational education, and her call for employers to get busy playing a role as the reskillers of the future.

Introducing the #WorkEDpodcast featuring ReadyTech's very own CEO, Marc Washbourne. Listen in as leading thinkers in the fields of education, employment and technology come together to share their personal work stories and challenge current work and education models.