If we want to help unlock the potential of workplaces as learning venues, we must broaden our perspective on learning by looking at workers’ personal goals, interests, attitudes and preferences, according to a company survey conducted by EU agencies Cedefop and Eurofound.

To contribute to the ongoing upskilling and reskilling discussion, the two agencies surveyed companies across the EU, both before and during the coronavirus pandemic; they examined how broader pro-employee workplace practices – including skill development – can promote workers’ autonomy and wellbeing, as well as company modernisation.

As Europe is overcoming the pandemic and its prolonged lockdowns, we need to focus on how the interplay between work and learning is taking shape in the post-coronavirus world. While meeting skill needs has long been on employers’ and policy-makers’ agendas, investing in people in a more holistic way is becoming urgent. As European economies are picking up speed, the hunt for talent is open.

Workplace learning is an important part of the overall effort to equip Europeans with the skills they need, and companies with innovation capacity. As employees grow, deepening and widening their knowledge, they make more of their tasks, which in turn makes their jobs more interesting and motivating.

Read more on new approaches to workplace learning in our latest briefing note featured below and attached for your convenience.