We are very pleased to announce that in the Learning at Work Week Impact Awards 2019 we have won in two categories ‘Shaping Digital Futures’ and ‘Innovation in Learning & Development’!
Learning at Work Week took place in May and provided staff in Catalyst with an opportunity to not only get to know each other but develop their skills and express their interests.
During Learning at Work Week 28 creative and informative sessions took place, delivered by both internal and external members of staff. These sessions were predominantly delivered by staff within Catalyst, as it gave staff the opportunity to inform colleagues about their services’ developments and an opportunity to share their skills and interests. Sessions included: ‘Creative Card Making’, ‘Rubber Stamp Printing’, ‘Sign Language’, ‘Writing for the web’ and ‘Pocket Photography’
We also added in a range of informative sessions, which allowed staff to learn more about other teams, networking with colleagues and promoting a workplace learning culture. The sessions were very well received with staff commenting on there being ‘plenty of variety’ and ‘something for everyone’.
Alongside face to face activities we also launched DigiQuest 2.0. This year’s quest prompted staff to explore and investigate new pieces of digital technology, allowing them to enhance and develop their digital capabilities. Activities included creating an infographic, learning the basics of Excel, analysing their digital footprint, making online quizzes and participating in Twitter chats. The choice of tasks were described as ‘varied’ and staff relished the opportunity to try out tools they had never explored previously. The theme for DigiQuest 2.0 was around space exploration, selected to coincide with the theme of Learning at Work Week. The exploration of space links to ‘Shaping the Future’ as they both revolve around progression, development and progress. Staff enjoyed the ‘inventive’ space theme and found the opportunity to achieve digital badges ‘motivating’. The variety of sessions on offer and focus on innovative staff development therefore meant that staff had the opportunity to take an active hold of their learning with a blended learning offer.
Learning at Work Week has successfully helped establish a positive learning culture and colleagues are keen to develop their digital skills further by getting involved in professional development initiatives. It has shown that learning and staff development works best when embedded in the culture of the department, so we have recently delivered ‘Learning at Work Week – Halloween Spectacular’ to continue the blended learning approach and further build a culture of learning at work.
For more information about the award please take a look at the following webpage: https://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/news/award-winning-events-shape-future-through-learning
Written by: Laura Riella
Digital Capabilities Coordinator