Learning at Work Week takes place on the 13th to the 19th of May each year. It is a national event designed to spotlight the value of lifelong learning in the workplace. It’s a chance for organisations across industries to promote upskilling, support career growth, and build stronger, more agile teams.
Whether your focus is leadership development, digital literacy, or team wellbeing, Learning at Work Week provides the perfect opportunity to create impactful learning experiences for employees at all levels.
What is learning at work week?
First launched in 1999, Learning at Work Week was created to draw attention to the benefits of continued professional development. It has evolved from a niche initiative into a nationwide campaign adopted by organisations of all sizes.
Run by the Campaign for Learning, it aims to encourage workplace cultures that prioritise ongoing development. It highlights the importance of building skills and capabilities that benefit both individual employees and the organisation as a whole.
Each year, a central theme guides the activities. For 2025, the theme is “Learning Power: Recharge, Reflect, Redesign,” which encourages businesses to rethink how learning can empower employees to grow, adapt, and thrive in a fast-changing world.
How businesses can take part
- Host Interactive Learning Events: Arrange short, dynamic sessions such as workshops, software tutorials, or problem-solving exercises. These could be in person or virtual, depending on your setup. Focus on practical takeaways and interactive formats to keep employees engaged.
- Launch a Learning Challenge: Set a five-day learning goal or gamified quiz with small rewards to motivate participation. For example, encourage staff to spend 30 minutes a day on a topic of their choice, then share insights with the team.
- Bring in Guest Experts: External speakers can offer fresh perspectives, whether it’s a leadership coach, tech innovator, or wellbeing expert. Their insights can inspire staff and provide high-value takeaways.
- Create Learning Hubs or Resource Libraries: Provide access to curated content relevant to different departments or skill sets , think videos, podcasts, or eLearning tools.
- Celebrate Learning Success: Recognise employee milestones, such as completing a course or mentoring a colleague. This reinforces a culture where growth is valued.
How different industries can take part in learning at work week
Not every industry has the time or resources to take part in something like this on top of annual training, however here are some ideas how each industry can take part:
Healthcare Industry
Healthcare providers can take this time to focus on compliance training, mental health awareness, and emerging clinical technologies. Hospitals and trusts can use the week to run interactive workshops on safeguarding, patient care simulations, or digital health records training.
In addition, the week provides a valuable opportunity to address burnout and workplace wellbeing, particularly for frontline staff. Investing in learning also boosts patient outcomes by ensuring teams stay up to date with the latest medical and operational protocols.
Creative & Marketing Industry
For creative agencies and marketing teams, this is an opportunity to experiment with skill-sharing and innovation. Workshops could cover emerging trends such as AI in content production, storytelling for brand growth, or new tools like Adobe Firefly or Midjourney.
Hosting creative critiques or cross-team brainstorming sessions can also help break silos and generate new campaign ideas. Encouraging self-led courses on SEO, design thinking, or UX design empowers teams to stay competitive and inspired in a rapidly evolving industry.
Education Sector
While educators are constantly learning, Learning at Work Week is a time to focus on the staff’s development, not just students’. Schools, colleges, and training providers can organise CPD events on inclusive teaching practices, neurodiversity in the classroom, or edtech integration.
Peer learning activities such as lesson observations or teaching method showcases also foster a strong collaborative environment. For support staff and leadership teams, sessions on people management, safeguarding, or digital literacy offer relevant development opportunities.
Manufacturing Industry
In the manufacturing sector, Learning at Work Week can drive engagement in health and safety training, technical upskilling, and lean production methods. Businesses can run on-the-floor demonstrations, upskilling bootcamps, or bite-sized sessions on sustainability practices and automation technologies.
Hands-on, practical learning is especially effective in this industry. Leadership teams can also take this opportunity to explore employee development pathways that reduce turnover and support internal promotion.
Finance and Accounting
For finance professionals, this provides time to focus on new compliance regulations, automation in accounting, and fraud detection. Offering certified micro-courses in risk management, anti-money laundering, or Excel modelling can deliver tangible value.
Sessions can also cover soft skills such as stakeholder communication or strategic thinking. Peer discussions on financial forecasting or audit processes encourage knowledge-sharing and consistency across teams.
Hospitality Industry
Customer experience is central to hospitality, this allows a chance to develop soft skills, upselling techniques, and food safety standards. Hotels and restaurants can offer real-time coaching, scenario-based training, or modules on inclusive service.
Career mapping sessions or mentoring for junior staff can improve retention and motivation in an industry known for high staff turnover. Upskilling in digital tools like POS systems and booking management software is also key.
Retail
Retail businesses can use Learning at Work Week to train staff on inventory technology, customer service etiquette, and loss prevention. This could include daily product knowledge sessions, role-playing scenarios, or training on sustainability in retail.
Mobile learning apps and in-store training booths are effective ways to reach dispersed or shift-based staff. Management can also focus on upskilling for data-driven decision-making or staff scheduling software.
Logistics and Transport
In logistics, learning initiatives could include route optimisation, warehouse safety, or supply chain management. Driver wellbeing and fatigue management are also crucial topics.
Learning at Work Week is an ideal time to review training compliance and introduce tools like route planning apps or automated inventory systems. Short, focused training can reduce errors and improve delivery efficiency, directly impacting customer satisfaction.
How HR supports organisational learning
HR professionals play a strategic role in ensuring that learning is not just a one-off event, but a continuous, embedded part of the employee experience. Here’s how:
Leadership and Development Management
HR teams that invest in their own leadership training are better placed to create impactful L&D strategies, influence company culture, and coach managers to become learning advocates across departments.
People Planning and Costing
Using workforce data, HR can identify skill gaps, model future needs, and build learning programmes that are cost-effective and aligned with long-term growth. This makes learning investment more targeted and measurable.
Business Change Management
HR teams skilled in change management can embed learning into transformation initiatives , such as tech rollouts or mergers , ensuring employees are supported, confident, and capable of adapting quickly.
How PayEscape are celebrating learning at work week
At PayEscape, we’re proud to support continuous learning and development. During Learning at Work Week, we’ll be running a series of internal knowledge-sharing sessions, focusing on the latest trends in payroll, HR, and time management software.
Our teams will explore automation tools, compliance changes, and how AI is shaping HR operations. We’re also encouraging team members to take part in short learning bursts through online platforms, giving them the flexibility to learn in ways that work for them. At PayEscape, we believe that investing in our people is the best way to ensure we continue delivering exceptional service to our clients.
