Learning at Work Day

[Donald H Taylor]

It's that time of year again in the UK - Learing at Work Day is tomorrow (20 May).

 

The idea is to get organisations to focus on learning for the day, trying out new ways of learning and raising the profile of learning in general.

 

What - if anything - are your plans for the day? Do you participate actively? Or do you let the day go by without marking it? Or are you irritated at the thought that we need such a day at all?

 

Please post your comments up, and I'll pass them on to the Campaign for Learning, which organises the event.

 

 

[Karen Spillane]

I think it does help promote learning and just gets it on the agenda again for those guys that are just at work busy doing the job day in day out.

For us in L&D we know it is supposed to be a continous learning journey but for others it is still seen a formal "teach me" event that is done to them.

I have supported the event both at my old and new company.

[Jay Cross]

"Learning at Work Day" is a terrible concept because it suggests there are days when no learning occurs. Might as well have "Make a Profit Day" or "Remember to Breathe Day."

jay

[Charles Gould]

Of course we learn every day. But like many things we do subconsciously, it's valuable occasionally to stop, reflect and celebrate it.

I think the Learning at Work day is also a helpful reminder that learning doesn't stop when we leave education. It might take the form of formal training but it might just be a trigger for people to think about what they've learned at work that day!

Charles

[Cheryl Clemons]

It's also worth noting that National Learning at Work Day is part of Adult Learners Week (http://www.alw.org.uk/) which has a much wider agenda. Creating learning opportunities and empowering individuals to give learning a go surely has to be a good thing.

There are lots of special training sessions to celebrate the day: http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/cfl/workplacelearning/lawda...

LiveTime Learning, the new interactive learning channel from Brightwave, is running a special free live online training session on 20th May at 2pm entitled 'Maximise Your Impact at Work'. If you're interested you can register here: http://www.brightwave.co.uk/livetime-learning/

[Jane Hart]

Everyday IS learning at work day - whether we realise it or not ;) ie we are learning whilst we work in whatever we are doing; we don't have to be in a training or classroom to learn. However, having said that, I do like the idea of a Learning at Work Day when you can learn about something OTHER than your job. Google and other forward-thinking organisations offer such opportunities - and on a far more frequent basis than once a year - as they recognise this stimulates creativity and innovative thinking in the organisation.

[Katherine Chapman]

Deja vu...this question is asked on an annual and we tend to run to similar corners each year with the responses we give. My opinion, if it's worth anything, is that it can bring a bit of a boost to an office when 'times are 'ard'. Learning and training are not synonymous for many people no matter how much we'd like to think they are. Here, LAW day means they can take an hour out to choose to participate in something that isn't necessarily or specifically work-based - what's wrong with reminding people that learning can be about choice and looking beyond the 'being done to'. I say let it pass. Creative activities outside the normal 'training offfer' make people smile!

[Mark Berthelemy]

Did you know it's also World Metrology Day? Perhaps this means we ought to measure the learning that takes place today? ;-)

Mark

[Alison Brown]

I'm part of the training and development team and we had great learning at work day yesterday by simply being together as a team and working away from the office in a different environment. I agree with some of the other comments that learning takes place everyday and therefore shouldn't need a specific day (I'm not fond of the title either really and may be barrier to involvement) however any campaign that raises the profile of informal learning and allows people to recognise what and how they learn can only be beneficial in the long term.

I don't know how many other teams participated across our organistion and if they did I doubt there will be any internal communication between groups about the benefits of doing something different - this is in my eyes is the missing link. It may benefit the individual but if it isn't shown to also benefit the organisation, how will you get widespread support or acknowledgement of learning at work?