Making Learning Work for Local Authorities Tricia Hartley Joint 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 champions Make 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-learning Set 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-in How 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