Building a Culture of Continuous Learning

In an ever-changing industry, skills that are important now may become outdated in the near future. This is where continuous learning comes in. When employees are equipped with up to date skills and knowledge, they are more prepared to adapt to new situations and have a competitive advantage in their line of work. It can also help maintain competency in a job role and help employees to learn new skills to enable career development.

So how can you build a culture of continuous learning?

One simple way to achieve this is to utilise a learning management system. This will give employees an easy way to track their learning and discover courses that are beneficial to their career.

Employees are more willing to learn if they are offered new opportunities. This could be a promotion, a change in job role or involvement in new projects. It has been found that people learn best when they have to learn; employees may feel more inclined to develop their skills when the knowledge that they will acquire has relevance and is essential when carrying out their work.

A workplace that fosters curiosity and exploration will help employees discover different methods of working. Giving them a chance to be creative or work outside of their comfort zone can lead to uncovering new knowledge and prospects within your firm. There may be mistakes along the way, but this should not deter anyone, as mistakes are still a valuable learning tool; it encourages employees to reflect on their progress and motivates them to improve.

It is also important to identify any gaps in skill or knowledge within your team and research what skillsets are valuable in your industry. Assess your employees and find out what parts of their job interests them and what skills they wish to work on. By providing regular training sessions, apprenticeships or personal learning plans, for both hard and soft skills, employees can build competency and confidence.

When an employee has dedicated a significant amount of time expanding their learning or has received a qualification, give them recognition and praise. This will have a positive effect on morale and may inspire other employees to follow suit.

Looking for a learning management system that can help with your continuous learning? The Development Zone’s content catalogue is full of modules on various topics such as the Consumer Duty, IDD and Business Skills.

For those not currently using the system, you can find out more and request a free 14-day trial here: https://mydevelopment.zone/#getStarted