"Life long learning is not just a strong concept - it's an economic imperative"

Cheryl Clemons, Brightwave's Communications Director, reports on the National Learning at Work Day Launch

Last week's 12th National Learning at Work Day - as part of 20th Adult Learning Week - was the biggest yet featuring more than 500 participant organisations hosting a wide range of activities in conjunction with Campaign for Learning to support this year's theme 'Future Matters'.

Brightwave - actively involved with two events in partnership with British Airways and The Co-operative this year - was the only e-learning company in attendance at the launch, hosted by Pearsons, overlooking the Thames. Considering the topic this was perhaps a surprise.

Tricia Hartley, Chief Executive for the Campaign for Learning, gave a warm welcome to everyone and made an appreciated effort to reference all the fantastic work and support dedicated to making the day a success.

Acknowledging the true worth of National Learning at Work Day Tricia talked about the day as a profile-raiser, as a hook on which to hang positive learning activity relevant to your organisation. For instance, a launch (SERCO launched a new Learning Management System with a wealth of training content), a change in direction or simply an opportunity to champion and celebrate a learning initiative that is already happening.

Next up was Shadow Minister for Further Education and Skills Gordon Marsden MP, who gave a presentation about the role of the workplace in life-long learning.

He said that instrumental skills are essential but one of the reasons that the UK has fallen behind is the ever-increasing demand on up-skilling / life-skilling which perhaps hasn't been adequately addressed in the UK. There are many ways, he added, of engaging and promoting employee skills that aren't related to a particular, defined skillset.

Mr Marsden continued: "Life-long learning is not just a strong concept - it's an economic imperative." The business case for UK PLC may be clear, the benefits of doing so still need to be effectively articulated to individual organisations with pragmatic examples.

The minister spoke about the online revolution and work / life balance as drivers of change. How the "vagaries of 9 - 5 are no longer there", and asked the question: "How can we use our offices, our buildings 24 / 7?" to support life-long learning and development. He talked about the need for a central policy to support small businesses to do this.

James Reed, Chair of Reed Learning, spoke about the challenges that are facing job seekers now, the current skills that businesses want and what they will need in 10 years time.

He quoted from a recent survey they undertook:

• 96% of employers think that mindset is more important than skillset

• 98% of employers think that if you have the right mindset you can develop the right skillset

• Commitment is the no.1 essential quality sought in an employee

He stated that individuals who demonstrate the 'right' mindset and give life and colour to examples in interviews are much more successful than those who do not. He also sensibly conceded that we don't know what skills we are going to need in ten years time - we need to help develop children that can turn their hands to anything.

The final speaker was Simon Howard, Chair of Work Group, who said the gap has never been greater between what graduates can give and what employers need.

He argued only 35% of graduates studied a numeracy-related degree - the most required skillset by employers, and this couldn't be a good thing. He added that if he was graduating now, he'd be protesting on a balcony at Fortnum and Masons and questioning the long term value that higher education was providing. In a difficult time, he concluded, with resources being squeezed, and the gap increasing between graduate skills available and those required by business, it's time to ask some difficult questions.

I couldn't help speculating as I listened to both perspectives [one presenting on the hierarchical importance of mindset and one presenting the importance of a particular skillset]: "How many graduates are leaving university with the right mindset?" I didn't expect an answer, and incidentally didn't get one, but perhaps this is one of the difficult questions we should be asking.

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