National Grid, the utility company that runs the electricity transmission network in England and Wales, is leading the way with a company wide learning extravaganza on national Learning at Work Day. Activities for their 3600 employees range from non-executive director Richard Reynolds and other office-based staff climbing an 150 foot high power tower to a chance to win a ride in National Grid’s helicopter by completing a National Grid focused general knowledge quiz. The national awareness day is being organised by the Campaign for Learning as part of Adult Learners’ Week.
The national launch of Learning at Work Day will take place at the company’s Coventry headquarters. Other National Grid sites planning activities include Leatherhead, Wokingham, Eakring, Bishops Wood, Bramley Firth, Penwortham, Skelton Grange and Guildford.
National Grid Human Resources Director, Bryan Hall, believes that learning at work is a vital vehicle for change and asserts: ‘ The business case for developing an employee-company partnership approach to learning is a strong one. By sharing our learning experiences we will continue to grow as individuals, teams and as a company.’
At the Department for Education and Employment the Director General for Employment, Lifelong Learning and International, Nick Stuart, will be staffing the reception desk and permanent secretary Michael Bichard will be job swapping with Microsoft Europe Chairman, David Svendsen.
In Blackburn a teacher will be turning the tables on the local education authority when he chairs a senior management meeting for the authority. The circle will be completed when Darlington Director of Education Geoff Pennington teaches a class in one of his authority’s schools. Derby University Chancellor Sir Christopher Ball will be swapping roles with the university’s student union president to get a student’s eye view of his institution.
Employees hoping to get to grips with the Worldwide Web have a choice of two Internet learning activities. The UK information service, Know UK, will be available free of charge on Learning at Work Day.
The service, normally only available for a fee, allows users to search quickly and simply for information on all aspects of life in the UK. Anything from Hugh Grant’s middle name to the favourite pastime of the head of the secret service can be found using Know UK. Employees will be able to explore Know UK using a fun Tea Time Quiz that will be released on Learning at Work Day. The Quiz will be available at the Know UK site at http://www.knowuk.co.uk
The BBC’s Internet awareness campaign, Webwise, also provides many resources to help people get on the Web. The Webwise site is http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/webwise/ Workplaces that don’t have access to the Internet can phone Learning Direct on 0800 100 900 to get details of their nearest Web Wise taster.
Employees who are inspired to find out how they can become more effective learners can obtain a copy of the Smarter Learning Guide from Learning Direct on 0800 100 900. The Guide is stresses that we can all become more effective learners through understanding how we learn. A questionnaire that diagnoses learning styles can be obtained from the Campaign for Learning’s web site at http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk.
Employees who get a taste for learning on May 20 can follow up their interest at the Personal Development Show at Olympia, London, from 4-6 June.
