Workplaces fail the learning test
Workplaces fail the learning test
Keywords: Learning, Employee development, United Kingdom
The UK has been slower than many of its international competitors to embrace high-performance working practices and the high-performance learning on which these are based, according to a report by the Institute of Personnel and Development and the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations. Such practices include a mixture of learning through experience,improving the design of work systems, employee development and flexible learning.
The report highlights the close links that Germany has developed between education and employment - links which will provide the foundations for Germany's recovery.
Singapore and Canada are also cited as countries from which the UK has much to learn. They have succeeded in developing and encouraging cultures which have moved away from a narrowly-focused educational approach and towards continuous learning. This focuses as much on "soft" skills as on hard qualifications.
The report contends that the development of core skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership will provide the foundations for future competitive success. But far too many UK workplaces are stuck in a low-skill,low-quality equilibrium. Despite this, the report shows that some UK companies are responding to market stimuli and developing new approaches to learning. Many are team-based, with an emphasis on continual on-the-job improvement. They involve the whole workforce in education and learning centres.
Workplace Learning, Culture and Performance can be ordered from Plymbridge Distributors, on 01752 202301.
