It’s the UK's biggest festival of workplace learning
It will help to increase productivity
It will enhance staff motivation
It will help you get on famously as an organisation
Can you afford to miss out?
Learning @ work day is on 24 May, during Adult Learners’ Week — the national festival of learning that is taking place all over Wales and across the UK.
From 19 to 26 May, thousands of people will be able to take part in short, fun learning sessions all over Wales… in halls, shopping centres, pubs and clubs. Last year, a staggering 17,000 people took part in Adult Learners’ Week and Learning @ work day gives businesses, large and small, the chance to join in the fun as well!
Get on famously as a team Doing something different at work can be so invigorating. It can break the routine. It can encourage staff to interact better with each other. And it can bring your team together. Learning @ work day is a simple and easy way to treat your staff to some fun and lift spirits.
Why should your organisation take part? Because you can’t afford not to! Gaining new skills at work has been proven to make us all more enthusiastic and positive about our jobs. So this is your chance to enhance team spirit and motivation within your organisation by bringing everyone together to have fun with learning.
By encouraging staff to improve their skills, you’ll also be showing them how they can aim higher and achieve more in their working lives.
With workplace learning you can:
Improve quality and reduce errors
Reduce staff turnover and absenteeism
Improve internal communication and reporting
Enhance staff recruitment and induction
Increase internal promotion releasing the potential of existing staff.
More workplaces than ever before are recognising the business benefits of learning. Learning @ work day is a great way to celebrate workplace learning and give all employees the chance to try their hand at something new.
How much does it cost? The beauty of Learning @ work day is that there is no fee for participating organisations. Costs may be incurred if you commission outside resources to organise your event or deliver the learning sessions, but many businesses simply appoint a member of staff to become their Learning @ work co-ordinator instead.
After all, giving staff ownership and allowing them to manage their own event is another way to motivate your team.
But whichever way you plan your event, you’ll be amazed at how enthusiastic people can become about learning.
How much is involved? This really all depends on what your organisation is planning to do for Learning @ work day.
But one thing’s for sure, whether you are a large organisation arranging a series of events throughout the day or a small business setting up a learning activity at lunchtime, the level of support you can get from us is the same.
It's our job to make sure that Learning @ work day is a huge success in Wales, so we are determined to do all that we can to help you have a great day. We can advise you on the learning sessions most appropriate for your organisation, and we can provide loads of online advice, tips and ideas for you to download. We call these information packs ‘toolkits’ and they really will help you to stage your event. They cover all you need to know about organising your event, from suggestions on how to plan your schedule in the run up to Learning @ work day, to ideas on how to promote your event to staff in order to encourage participation.
Learning @ work day: Proven to work for employers Learning @ work day is not new. It’s a tried and trusted formula that many businesses are convinced helps them to improve the way they work and enhances the quality of the service they offer their customers. Here are three companies in Wales who took part in Learning @ work day last year. We think their rave reviews say more than we ever could about why you should come on board! So read on and if you want to find out more about how these companies took part, you can download the full press releases.
Faber Maunsell: Healthy Eating Taster sessions Staff at Consultant Engineers and Planners Faber Maunsell in Cardiff were able to learn more about healthy eating in the workplace with a series of ‘taster sessions’ and they also found out more about Ty Hafan, a local children’s hospice charity for which staff have been fundraising for some time.
“We always try to give staff opportunities to learn broader life skills whenever we can, and Learning @ work day is the ideal occasion to showcase this.” Chris Lynn, Director
Legal and General: From head to heart Staff at Legal & General participated in a range of activities to stimulate mind and body. They ran sessions such as ‘Learning How to Learn’ for those studying for exams; ‘Tai Chi’ for improved concentration and relaxation; ‘Heartstart’ to teach people what to do in a life-threatening emergency; Neuro Linguistic Programming to help improve communication; and ‘Indian Head Massage’ for pure relaxation.
“Learning @ work day has been a great success. It is fantastic to see so many of our staff taking part in different activities and being so enthusiastic about learning new skills. It proves that learning can be fun!” Adrian Clark, Location Director
HSBC: Learning… and all that Jazz HSBC staff took part in a musical workshop which demonstrated the value of teamwork and good communication, and showed how learning can boost morale. The day concluded with an ensemble piece performed by the HSBC musicians!
“Learning @ work day was a great opportunity for staff to expand their horizons and foster a great team spirit. We would certainly encourage businesses to get involved in Learning @ Work day to enhance the skills of their workforce – and have a lot of fun in the process.” Sue Farthing, Community Manager
Stories of learners turning their lives around are always inspiring for others. So we think they should be recognised and rewarded. That’s why we hold the annual Inspire! Adult Learner of the year awards. This prestigious awards ceremony takes place in Cardiff on Thursday 24 May and we are now accepting nominations for this year’s Workplace Learner Award. The category recognises the achievements of adults learning at, or through, their place of work. So do you know someone who can inspire others by their example? If so, give them the recognition they deserve and nominate them now!
Nomination deadline looming! Don’t miss the deadline — applications must be received by 23 March. You can download a nomination form at www.alweek.org or contact Kate Brown on 029 2037 0900 (kate@niacedc.org.uk).
Learning transforms lives. It can help people achieve things in all walks of life that they previously thought were impossible. In work, people also perform far better if they have the skills to perform. We have hundreds of examples of people getting on ‘famously’ in work thanks to learning, so we thought it would be fun to talk to learners with famous names about their experiences, as part of the advertising campaign set up to promote Learning @ work.
Don’t forget that if some of your staff also get the learning bug like these have, and start achieving more for themselves, they will also be getting on famously for your organisation!
Jason Donovan
“I’ve done courses before but they were really hobbies. This is different, because this is a real career move for me. Sometimes it’s been a bit of a juggling act to fit study in with shift work and the family, but it’s worth it.”
Julia Roberts
“I became a mature student and haven’t looked back. I would urge anyone to follow their dreams, and use adult learning to gain the skills they need to get where they want to be.”
If you’d like to run an event on Learning @ work day, then we can help. We’ve got free planning toolkits and event ideas, plus fantastic free promotional items to make your event a real success.
OK, I’m interested. What next? To register your interest and receive a FREE event organiser’s pack contact us on 029 2037 0900, e-mail learnatwork@niacedc.org.uk, or fill in the form below:
Learning at Work day, Adult Learners’ Week, Sign Up Season and Taking Control are funded by The European Social Fund and the Welsh Assembly Government, and co-ordinated by NIACE Dysgu Cymru.
NIACE Dysgu Cymru is a membership organisation, run by an elected management group, representing all sectors bonded by a common focus on adult learners. A wide range of work is undertaken; advocacy, research and development, influencing policy, conferences, publications and staff development. For further information, visit our website.
Get on famously as a team
How much is involved?
Faber Maunsell: Healthy Eating Taster sessions
Legal and General: From head to heart 
HSBC: Learning… and all that Jazz
If you’d like to run an event on Learning @ work day, then we can help. We’ve got free planning toolkits and event ideas, plus fantastic free promotional items to make your event a real success.
