1. Refresh Learning in the Workplace
Learning and development should be part of the fabric of your workplace. However, all too often organizations fall out of the habit.
Learning at Work Week is a national event that can work as a catalyst to refresh your commitment to learning – why not grasp the opportunity of a fun-packed week of training, provided voluntarily, to normalize learning and acquaint employees with courses and workshops as part of their working life?
The goal is to sustain a culture of learning beyond the week, however participating in LAWW is a great way to kick-start your efforts.
2. Stimulate Employee Interest in Learning
LAWW is not only a chance for you as an organization to reintroduce learning to working life, it is a chance to change employee perceptions of learning, making it something that people want to do. Organizing vibrant, creative campaigns is encouraged – the aim is to capture employees’ imagination and ignite their interest.
LAWW also aims to convince employees of the value of learning to stimulate interest. Last year, Essex Council reported the objective of ‘helping staff to help themselves’ and through the training provided during LAWW managed to successfully demonstrate the benefits of staff participation in learning.
3. Rebrand Learning in the Workplace
Learning at Work Week can be more than a catalyst for refreshment, it can be a catalyst for change. Perhaps existent methods of training have become unproductive, staff have become disengaged or a different approach is simply needed.
Last year, for example, Islington Council reported the concern that ‘returning to learning means returning to the classroom’ as a factor that made staff reluctant to engage in training, and the freedom of LAWW allowed them to demonstrate that this is not always the case. Why not take the opportunity of providers offering courses on a voluntary basis to try something new?
4. Learn About New Types of Training
LAWW is a stress-free, obligation-free, cost-free opportunity for businesses to learn about up and coming ways to deliver training. Collate feedback to inform future planning for learning and development – you might find great value in a type of training you had never considered.
Companies who have taken this opportunity to try new types of training feed back enthusiastically about experimental learning, general lifestyle training and the use of digital tools. Last LAWW, Essex Council reported a new company initiative to try learning methods ‘that have shifted away from traditional associations’ in light of the hugely successful Virtual Dementia Tour, for instance.
5. Improve Your Business
A bit of training never goes amiss, and providing learning linked to business objectives will enhance your employees’ skillsets. LAWW can help you to grow your own talent, discover internal talent and identify skill gaps.
However, the benefits of development training at work go so much further than this. LAWW can help to create positive associations with learning, provide employees with constructive, hands-on experiences and most of all, allow them to socialize, collaborate and have fun!
Participating in LAWW will go towards building a trained, happy workforce for your organization.
About the Author
Abby works as the Communications Team Lead for findcourses.co.uk with a mission of connecting learning leaders with the data and information they need to provide the best training possible for their people.
Originally from Indianapolis in the U.S., Abby studied her bachelor’s at Hanover College in Business and Literature and has worked for findcourses since 2015. She is passionate about corporate learning and works internally to help organise Learning at Work Week within findcourses.co.uk's company of 165 team members, and provide and source external training in content creation as an in-house expert.
Abby is also the creator and editor of the UK L&D Report which interviews and surveys L&D leaders from top UK companies to help uncover data-driven best practice and easy-to-implement advice.
