Themes

Prosperity, employment and work

The views represented here are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Commission

Call for evidence on workplace learning
Closing date for evidence was 27 November 2007.

Workplace Learning: a summary of discussions at the expert seminar and Commissioner's meeting
This paper is a summary of the key issues raised during rich and wide ranging discussions at the Workplace Learning Expert Seminar on 21 November and the Commissioners’ meeting on 27 November. It is inevitably selective, but seeks to identify some of the main messages and challenges from the discussion and to highlight pointers for further research.

Papers presented at Thematic Seminar

Adult Learning and Unions
The TUC’s submission to the NIACE inquiry focuses on the role of learning and skills at work and how developments in this area can best lead to an adult learning strategy that supports economic success, social justice and personal fulfilment.

Adult Learning in the Workplace - explaining current patterns and their outcomes
This submission argues that the ‘skills crisis’ that the Skills Strategy and the Leitch Review aim to resolve in reality does not exist (at least in the terms that public policy currently describes it). Despite this, or perhaps because of it, there is very little sign from the government that either the policy or the analysis that supports it is open for discussion and amendment.

Learning at work: towards more 'expansive' opportunities
Workplaces have always been sites of learning and every workplace creates its own unique version of a learning environment. In these environments, learning takes place in a range of different ways along a continuum that stretches from formalised activity at one end, through to a group of employees discovering the answer to a problem by informal discussion round the water cooler. This paper discusses the ways in which learning at work might be better organised and facilitated for the benefit of individuals and organisations, and as a contribution to lifelong learning.

Learning, Communities and Performance
This Report presents the main results to emerge from an innovative survey of the social context in which learning takes place and its impact on performance (known as the Communities of Practice Survey, CoPS). It is based on a survey of 1,899 employees interviewed about their relationships at work, their learning experiences and how they rate their own work performance.

Skills in Context (opens a new window)
The paper reviews the importance of skills in terms of explaining the moderate productivity performance of the UK.