My Journey into Learning and Development Consulting
My career in Learning and Development started just over seven years ago, in an environment where training was not optional and mistakes carried real consequences. I began on the railway, creating and delivering training for safety-critical roles. This was my first exposure to what effective learning really means. It was not about engagement scores or completion rates. It was about clarity, confidence, and people being able to do their jobs safely and correctly when it mattered most.
Working in safety-critical contexts shaped how I view learning to this day. Training had to be practical, simple, and grounded in reality. There was no space for vague theory or overcomplicated models. If people didn’t understand what was expected of them, or couldn’t apply the learning under pressure, the training had failed. That experience gave me a strong foundation in designing learning that focuses on behaviour and performance, not just knowledge.
As my role developed, I moved beyond delivering individual training sessions and began designing full Learning and Development journeys. I started looking at learning as a progression rather than a one-off event. What does someone need when they join an organisation. What support do they need as they gain responsibility. How do skills, confidence, and decision-making develop over time. This shift marked the point where I moved fully into Learning and Development, rather than training delivery alone.
To strengthen my practice and formalise my expertise, I completed my Learning and Development Level 4 qualification. This gave me a deeper understanding of adult learning principles, organisational development, and how learning connects to performance and outcomes. More importantly, it allowed me to articulate the value of learning in a way that resonates with stakeholders and senior leaders, not just learners.
From there, my career naturally progressed into consulting. Becoming a Learning and Development Consultant with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development marked a significant shift in how I worked. My focus moved from simply creating learning to advising organisations on their wider capability needs. I began working with businesses to diagnose problems properly, rather than defaulting to training as the solution. Sometimes the issue was skill. Sometimes it was confidence, process, leadership, or culture. Learning was often part of the answer, but rarely the whole answer.
As a consultant, I work at the intersection of people, performance, and strategy. I help organisations design Learning and Development that aligns with their goals, supports their people, and delivers measurable impact. That means challenging assumptions, simplifying complex ideas, and ensuring learning initiatives are grounded in real workplace application. I am particularly focused on learning that reduces risk, improves consistency, and supports people in demanding roles.
Looking back, the thread running through my journey is consistency of purpose. Whether working on the railway or advising organisations at a strategic level, my focus has always been on learning that works in the real world. Learning that respects people’s time, reflects the reality of their roles, and helps them perform with confidence. That perspective continues to shape how I work today as a Learning and Development consultant.
Michelle x