Making Learning Workfor Local Authorities
Tricia HartleyJoint Chief Executive
Campaign for Learning
What is the Campaign for Learning?
• National charity set up in 1996 to promote lifelong learning
• Working for society in which:
everyone has the right to learn
everyone understands and values learning
everyone has the chance to learn throughout their lives.
• Work in three main fields:
workplace
schools
family & community
Lifelong Learning?
What do we do?
The Campaign for Learning:• runs national awareness campaigns• supports practitioners and professionals• runs, regional and local projects• runs award schemes• acts as a consultant, broker and facilitator• runs seminars & events, bespoke awareness &
‘training the trainer’ sessions• offers event consultancy and management• carries out research and produces publications• lobbies, runs campaigns and seeks to influence
policy
Work with Local Authorities
• ‘Learning Local Authorities’ campaign
• ‘Making Learning Work’ project
• Learning at Work Day support
• Individual consultancy• Regional & local Projects• Work with EOLG & IDeA on
SfL & GO Award promotion
’Making Learning Work’ project
• 3 year ESF action research project
• Partners in UK, Finland, Austria
• 6 Local Authorities & 2 private sector companies
• Trying out what works best in engaging employees - especially people with Skills for Life support needs - in workplace learning
What we learned (1)
Don’t create a ‘problem’
Take a whole organisation approach
Consult with staff Develop learning
championsMake learning
relevant Make it unlike school
What we learned (2)
Use tasters & ‘Trojan horses’
Embed Skills for Life in other training
Start small – but be prepared!
Offer qualifications Provide for backup &
options – eg e-learningSet an example
What worked in engaging learners (1)
Genuine organisational commitment to learning NB importance of staff perceptions – eg Awards Ceremonies
Visible senior level buy-inHow to get it?
Get top-level staff directly involved Terminology – communication/ presentation skills?
budget management? Press the right buttons – Targets? League tables? CPA?
Performance management? Quality? Equal Opps? Use matrix of support at all levels – line managers,
Learning Reps, colleagues Keep profile high & celebrate success!
What worked in engaging learners (2)
Removing practical barriers & providing incentives:
Choice – re what, how, when to learn Making attendance easy - on-site Learning
Centres, provision to fit work patterns, bite-size starters
Relevance of learning/ work-focused approach Coherence – tie-in with work planning &
performance management Opportunities to put learning into practice Incentives – paid learning time, qualifications Compulsion – sometimes!
How will you know when you’ve got there?
• Begin with end in mind – clear objectives, SMART targets
• Get regular feedback – from learners, line managers, senior leadership - & pass it on
• Develop relevant organisational indicators that everyone understands
• Build SfL into overall workforce development planning – part of skills
continuum, not separate issue• Celebrate small improvements -
& go on doing so!
Why bother?
‘People who stop learning stop living. The same is also true of organisations.’
Charles Handy