Learning at Work Day allows employees to gain wider skills

Today (Thursday 14 May) is National Learning at Work Day, the biggest annual celebration of workplace learning. The Day aims to draw attention to the importance of workplace learning and skills. Each year, thousands of organisations take part in LAW Day and stage fun and business-related learning activities to help their staff learn new skills that they can put into action at work.

Learning at Work Day has been run by the Campaign for Learning since 1999 as part of Adult Learners Week (11 – 15 May). The Campaign for Learning believes that it is more important than ever that workplaces and individuals maintain and develop their skills levels in order to adapt and thrive in the economic downturn.

This year’s theme is 'Skilled for Success' – the focus on skills has already sharpened with the changing economic circumstances, and the Government has announced more money and increased flexibility for training through Train to Gain, for example. During this unsettling time for workplaces, maintaining the ability and motivation to learn and adapt quickly to change will be essential – we should all be reflecting on our skills needs both at an individual and a business level, and taking action where needed.

The Campaign for Learning offers support for organisations wishing to run Learning at Work Day, including planning guides, activity ideas, promotional materials and special offers. Last year, thousands of organisations took part including large corporations, SMEs, public sector organisations and government departments.

Hundreds of companies and organisations around the country have today opened their doors to members of the public to experience free information and educational sessions, from McVities in Scotland teaching English as a second language to learning how to create a webpage with Hastings Borough Council. At Lloyds TSB in Cardiff employees can brush up on their grammar skills and at Suffolk Constabulary the focus is on attaining a successful work–life balance.

As part of Workplace Law Group’s commitment to providing more online resources and information to its members, this morning we hosted a free webinar on immigration, in association with Davidson Morris Solicitors. Anne Morris, a solicitor with 15 years’ experience in immigration, talked viewers through the changing world of immigration issues, and explained what employers need to be doing if they hire employees from outside of the UK.

If you missed the webinar this morning you can now watch it in full here. Clicking on this link will stream the webinar directly in your media player. Alternatively, if you would like to save the webinar to your computer, click here. 

This webinar is the first in a series of interactive seminars that Workplace Law will be hosting over the coming year – look out for further announcements.