Learning at Work Week: Taking a Positive Approach to Lifelong Learning

Learning at Work Week

In today’s ever-evolving workplace, organisations need to build effective learning environments. That’s why organisations across the UK are coming together from May 13th to 19th to celebrate Learning at Work Week. Learning at Work Week (LAWW) isn’t about encouraging employees to attend a few workshops; it’s about cultivating a culture of continuous growth and development. As employees understand the value of their development, they will continue to grow and make an impact, becoming real contributors to the business’s long-term success.

This year’s theme for Learning at Work Week is the Learning Power. It explores how lifelong learning gives us the potential to grow and achieve our individual and organisational goals. Learning Power includes:

• Power to grow
• Power to connect
• Power to engage

Each of those categories has a specific objective linked to it; each of the three combined would create the ultimate learning power for any business or individual.

Power to grow

The Power to grow involves building the right mindset for lifelong learning. This highlights questions such as how can we identify learning that will help us grow? What are the building blocks which enable us to learn through life? How can we build positive attitudes towards learning?

Power to connect

This involves creating opportunities which bring people and organisations together to share and learn. This highlights the questions; how can we bring people together to share and learn? What can we learn from people, processes, and perspectives from outside our normal working lives?

Power to engage

Creating opportunities which explore the affect of global shifts on life and work is the aim of Power to Engage. It considers questions such as how can we use learning to put changes into perspective and promote positive responses? How can we use learning to build confidence and encourage action in the face of change?

Becoming a Better Learner

Continuous learning helps us lead health, happy and productive lives. However, it can be challenging and often overwhelming to learn something new. Discover LAWW’s guide on becoming a better learner, where you can access tips, advice and tools to support your learning ability.

Leading on Learning

Building a learning culture within your team doesn’t need to take up a lot of time and money. If you’re a line manager unsure how to prioritise learning and development, some great resources are available to help you. Firstly, it is key to remember that Employee development is crucial for several reasons.

They include:

1. Skill Enhancement: Developing employees’ skills ensures they stay updated with industry standards, technological advancements, and best practices. Making them more competent in their roles.
2. Retention: Investing in employees’ growth demonstrates that the organisation values them, which fosters loyalty and reduces turnover rates. Employees are more likely to stay with a company that supports their career progression.
3. Increased Productivity: Well-trained employees are more efficient and effective in their roles. As they become more skilled, they can accomplish tasks more quickly and with higher quality. Leading to increased productivity for the organisation.
4. Innovation and Adaptability: Continuous learning encourages employees to think creatively and adapt to changes in the business environment. It fosters a culture of innovation where employees feel empowered to propose new ideas and solutions.
5. Succession Planning: Developing employees prepares them for future leadership roles. Succession planning ensures a smooth transition when key positions become vacant and minimises the disruption to business operations.
6. Employee Engagement: Providing opportunities for growth and development keeps employees engaged and motivated. They feel challenged and fulfilled, leading to higher job satisfaction and morale.
7. Competitive Advantage: Organisations that invest in employee development gain a competitive edge in the market. Well-trained and skilled employees contribute to the company’s success by delivering superior products or services and driving innovation.

“Employee Development is Essential for organisational growth and success”

Overall, employee development is essential for the individual and organisation’s growth and success. It fosters a positive work environment where employees continuously learn, grow, and contribute to the company’s goals. Understanding why your team may have objections to learning and finding ways to overcome those obstacles is a positive step towards changing the mindset and culture within the business to one which embraces learning at work.

The IoSCM Employee Development Guide is a great tool to help you open the conversation around training, learning and development with individuals and full teams. Download your copy HERE.

The Learning at Work Week Campaign was designed as an excellent reminder of the importance and value of ongoing learning within the workplace. Take the first steps to a positive change within your workplace this week!

The IoSCM Corporate Team have worked with businesses of all shapes and sizes to introduce a culture of learning within their workplace, increase employee morale, reduce turnover and have a positive impact on their bottom line. With resources, bite-size training packages, qualifications, and corporate support, we can help you meet your strategic objectives efficiently and effectively. Call 0800 1422 522 (option 2) Email corporateteam@ioscm.com or Visit our Corporate Page to find out how we can help your business this Learning at Work Week.