This research activity had a two-fold objective:
- to identify the attitude of employers and employees towards learning in the workplace.
- to identify possible activities and tools that could be implemented/used in the workplace to support learning.
For this to be achieved, 10 focus group discussions have been conducted in the 5 countries of the consortium, with 79 participants (34 employers and 43 employees). The research results are presented in a report collecting and collating the data from the focus groups.
In the “Conclusions” section of this report, it appears that a “Learning Workplace” is linked to designing, applying, and managing an effective and
efficient learning methodology in the workplace, and implementing a skills’ development plan within the context of a holistic learning culture, which helps employees (and employers) increase their motivation and sense of usefulness. Therefore, organisations should ensure that they attain their learning goals by implementing a monitored and employee-centred learning strategy.
According to the report, the views of the participants regarding workplace learning can be divided into 5 major categories, comprising key elements of workplace transformation, as follows:
- Learning methodology
- Motivation, feedback, and collaboration
- The “learning houses” strategy (the development of a learning philosophy and identity within the organisation)
- Investment in learning and consequences
- Learning “handicaps”
Also, the learning activities that an organisation should implement to gradually become a “Learning Workplace” should be aligned with the 4 categories of Building Blocks of effective adult learning policies, as suggested in the Final Report of the ET 2020 Working Group 2016-2018 “Promotion of Adult Learning in the Workplace”, as follows:
- The Vision of Adult Learning in the Workplace
- Commitment, Governance, and Coordination
- Planning and Ensuring Relevance of Adult Learning in Workplace
- Monitoring and Evaluation