Learning at Work Week 2026: Why “Many Ways to Learn” Matters

Learning at Work Week 2026 takes place from 18th to 24th May, with the theme “Many Ways to Learn.” It is a timely invitation for organisations to think more deeply about what learning really means in today’s workplace — not just as a formal activity, but as a culture, a mindset and a strategic necessity.

For many organisations, learning has traditionally been associated with training courses, compliance modules, workshops and e-learning platforms. These still have value. But modern workplace learning is far broader than that.

People learn through conversations, coaching, feedback, reflection, lived experience, observation, mistakes, experimentation, storytelling, mentoring, collaboration and everyday problem-solving. Learning is happening all the time — whether organisations intentionally support it or not.

The real question for employers is no longer simply: What training are we offering?

It is: Are we creating the conditions where people can learn, grow, contribute and adapt in ways that work for them?

Learning Is No Longer a Workplace Extra

In organisations today, learning is not a luxury or a nice-to-have. It is central to resilience, inclusion, innovation and long-term success.

Workplaces are navigating rapid change. Technology is evolving. Artificial intelligence is reshaping roles and tasks. Employee expectations are shifting. Skills gaps are widening. Leaders are being asked to support more complex, diverse and distributed teams.

In that environment, learning cannot sit on the edge of business strategy. It must be built into the way people work.

A strong learning culture helps people respond to change with curiosity rather than fear. It supports confidence, capability and connection. It enables employees to develop new skills, challenge assumptions and contribute ideas. It also helps organisations retain talent by showing people that their growth matters.

When learning is done well, it is not just about knowledge transfer. It is about empowerment.

The Meaning Behind “Many Ways to Learn”

The theme “Many Ways to Learn” challenges organisations to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches.

Not everyone learns in the same way. Not everyone has the same confidence, access, time, learning history, working pattern or support needs. Some people learn best through discussion. Others need time to reflect. Some prefer visual resources, written guidance or practical demonstrations. Others learn through coaching, repetition, peer support or hands-on experience.

This matters deeply for inclusion.

If organisations only design learning around one format, one communication style or one idea of what a “good learner” looks like, they risk excluding people. That exclusion is not always intentional, but it can still be harmful.

Disabled employees, neurodivergent colleagues, shift workers, carers, part-time employees, remote workers, multilingual teams, frontline workers and those with lower confidence may all experience learning differently.

“Many Ways to Learn” is therefore not just about variety. It is about equity, access and belonging.

A Quote from Joanne Lockwood

“Learning at work should never be reserved for the confident, the visible or the already well-connected. If we are serious about inclusion, we must recognise that people learn in many different ways — through conversation, reflection, lived experience, mistakes, mentoring and moments of genuine connection. The opportunity for organisations is to create cultures where everyone feels safe enough to ask, explore, contribute and grow.”
Joanne Lockwood, Founder and CEO of SEE Change Happen

Joanne’s reflection highlights an important truth: learning is not only about skills. It is also about culture.

People are far more likely to learn when they feel safe enough to ask questions, admit uncertainty, challenge ideas and try something new. Without that safety, learning becomes performative. People may attend sessions or complete modules, but they may not feel able to apply, question or grow from what they have learned.

Learning Requires Psychological Safety

Learning requires vulnerability. To learn, people often must acknowledge that they do not know something yet. They may have to ask for help, receive feedback, practise a new behaviour or risk getting something wrong.

That is why psychological safety is so important.

In a psychologically safe workplace, people can speak up, ask questions, share ideas and admit mistakes without fear of humiliation or punishment. This does not mean there is no accountability. Healthy learning cultures combine safety with responsibility. They allow people to grow while also expecting reflection, improvement and care.

When psychological safety is missing, people protect themselves. They stay quiet. They avoid risk. They hide gaps in knowledge. They perform confidence rather than practise curiosity.

For organisations, this is costly. It limits innovation, slows problem-solving and prevents honest conversations.

Learning at Work Week is an opportunity to ask: Do people here feel safe enough to learn openly?

Inclusive Learning Is Better Learning

An inclusive approach to learning recognises that development opportunities are not always distributed fairly.

Often, the most confident employees put themselves forward. The most visible people are noticed. The best-connected colleagues hear about opportunities first. Those already seen as “high potential” may receive more investment.

Meanwhile, others may be overlooked — not because they lack ability or ambition, but because the system has not been designed with them in mind.

Inclusive learning asks:

• Who has access to learning?
• Who feels encouraged to participate?
• Who is missing from the conversation?
• Whose knowledge is valued?
• Whose potential is being recognised?
• What barriers are we unintentionally creating?

These are not just HR questions. They are business-critical questions.

A workplace that only develops some of its people is limiting its own potential.

From Training Events to Learning Culture

One of the biggest opportunities for organisations is to move from thinking about learning as a series of events to thinking about learning as an everyday culture.

Training events can be useful, but culture is what determines whether learning is applied, shared and sustained.

A learning culture shows up when managers make time for development conversations. It shows up when teams reflect after projects. It shows up when feedback is constructive rather than feared. It shows up when mistakes are explored rather than punished. It shows up when leaders are willing to say, “I am still learning too.”

This is where Learning at Work Week can have real impact. It can act as a catalyst for wider change.

The aim should not be to fill a calendar with activity and then move on. The aim should be to start better conversations about how people grow, what support they need, and how learning can become part of the organisation’s everyday rhythm.

Practical Ways to Bring “Many Ways to Learn” to Life

Organisations do not need huge budgets to make Learning at Work Week meaningful. The most effective ideas are often simple, human and connected to real work.

They might include:

• Peer-led learning sessions where colleagues share practical knowledge and lived experience
• Reverse mentoring to help senior leaders learn from employees with different perspectives
• Reflection sessions after projects, campaigns or organisational change
• Skills swaps between teams and colleagues
• Coaching conversations that support confidence and growth
• Inclusive leadership discussions
• Accessible resources offered in different formats

The key is to offer choice.

Some people will engage through live discussion. Others may prefer recordings, written resources, podcasts, toolkits or smaller group conversations. The more routes into learning an organisation creates, the more people it can reach.

Managers also have a vital role. They can make learning part of everyday conversations by asking:

• What have we learned from this?
• What would we do differently next time?
• What support would help you grow?
• What are you curious about?

These simple questions help learning become part of normal working life.

Learning at Work Week Should Lead Somewhere

The true value of Learning at Work Week is not measured by how many sessions are delivered. It is measured by what changes afterwards.

Organisations can ask:

• Do employees feel more confident?
• Do managers have better conversations?
• Are barriers to learning better understood?
• Are more people accessing development?
• Are teams applying what they have learned?
• Are leaders listening differently?

Learning at Work Week 2026 is an opportunity to do more than celebrate learning. It is a chance to redesign how learning happens.

The theme “Many Ways to Learn” reminds us that people are not all the same — and effective learning cultures should not expect them to be.

When people are supported to learn in ways that work for them, organisations become more adaptable, more inclusive and more capable of change. They unlock talent that may otherwise remain hidden. They create space for better conversations, stronger relationships and smarter decisions.

This week should not be treated as a one-week campaign. It should be used as a springboard for a deeper question:

How do we create a workplace where everyone has the opportunity, safety and support to keep learning — in many ways?

Why Learning at Work Week Matters to Me

As a previous trainer in a call centre environment, I have seen first-hand that we are all individuals. We all learn differently, at different speeds, and in different ways. That understanding has shaped how I view learning in the workplace and why Learning at Work Week is something I feel genuinely passionate about.

Learning at work is not just about training sessions, courses, or ticking a development box. It is about creating an environment where people feel supported, included and able to grow. When organisations recognise that everyone has different learning needs, they help build a culture of belonging where people feel valued for who they are and what they can bring.

I strongly believe that when people are given the opportunity to learn, they become more confident, more engaged and more connected to their workplace. Learning supports inclusion because it gives people access to knowledge, skills and opportunities that can help them thrive. It also shows employees that their development matters.

We also know that happy, supported staff are more likely to stay. Investing in learning can lead to better retention, stronger morale and a more positive working environment. When people feel that their organisation is investing in them, it creates trust, motivation and a sense of shared progress.

This kind of culture does not happen by accident. It comes from intentional leadership choices, supportive HR teams and organisations that place real value on learning and development. When learning is treated as part of everyday workplace culture, people are more likely to come to work feeling empowered, encouraged and able to succeed.