The role of workplace learning in workforce development has grown in emphasis over recent years, as organisations try to better exploit the limited training time and budgets available. Modern literature presents learning as a continuous process, not only ‘added to work’ but also ‘extracted from work’, realising better employee development, increased performance, and more flexible learning opportunities. Organisations are now beginning to recognise the potential benefits of moving to a continuous learning culture (CLC) where the whole workforce is actively engaged in promoting and supporting workplace learning. There are, however, some challenges, particularly in enabling and supporting the less formal elements of the continuous learning process.
This paper draws on the outputs of research undertaken on behalf of UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) by Edif ERA and the University of Leicester during 2014 – 16, investigating the wider benefits of embedding a CLC (also described in the research study as a ‘Workplace Trainer Culture’). Qualitative data were gathered from interviews with 206 UK military personnel and from a literature review of 17 multinational, non-defence case studies with a combined sample of over 2,300 participants. Key findings and conclusions are outlined in this paper, including: a set of characteristics which typify a CLC; associated benefits and barriers; a suggested Workforce Development model; and a conceptual model of a system to embed a CLC across UK MOD.
This research has informed UK MOD policy, processes, and practices to ensure Defence is well prepared to design and deliver learning for an agile force in the future, but the findings have applicability for all organisations looking to broaden learning capability within the workforce and across the organisation as a whole.
Embedding a Continuous Learning Culture across UK Ministry of Defence
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