REPORT - Learning at Work Day 2011

22 Jun 2011

People in work across Sussex got a taste of what they could learn about fundraising for schools and charities, professsional practice and graphic communication, search engine optimisation, person-centred dementia care. A vital online community of practice was also launched for people working in youth services. These were some of the contributions of the Centre for Work and Learning on Learning at Work Day on 19 May 2011.

The University of Brighton, in collaboration with the Greenpower Centre in Fontwell, organised an event to provide participants with a basic knowledge and skills to identify funders and sponsors for charities, schools and not for profit organisations.

Business managers, company directors, teachers, head and deputy head teachers from schools, businesses and charities across Sussex learnt how to:

• assess the legal requirements needed to access external funding

• identify the 11 funding streams available to voluntary organisations and access the most appropriate funding stream for the project

• prioritise projects and formulate a successful funding strategy

• Understand the priorities of funders and access funders’ inclusion and exclusion criteria against a project proposal

• better understand organisational risk and implement mitigation strategies

• assess need and develop fundable interventions

• Understand the importance of restricted and unrestricted funding

• Avoid the common pitfalls in the application process

For more information contact Nick Rodgers on 07983 443 556.

Sussex Coast College Hastings and the University of Brighton ran two free taster workshops.

The first, Professional Practice and Graphic Communication, took place in a state-of-the-art design studio in the new college premises in Station Approach for creative practitioners, particularly design professionals and designers in the local printing industry, along with local employers large enough to have their own dedicated designers such as the Borough Council.

Richard De Pesando (left), practising graphic designer and lecturer at SCCH led the Professional Practice and Concepts in Graphic Communication workshop held at SCCH design studio. Participants learnt good and bad brand designs and saw some highlights higher-level accredited CPD in Graphic Communication which the college offers. 

A second free taster workshop entitled Search Marketing Strategy was provided by the University of Brighton who are investigating the possibility of building a Graduate Certificate for Creatives around modules in IT and Design. This was led by Simon Golledge, of local company interactive3.

50% who attended the Professional Practice and Concepts in Graphic Communication taster said they were interested in enrolling on a Graphic Communication HE course, and 40% said they were interested in a Personal/Professional Development HE Course. One participant said, "I already have a degree but a refresh would be appreciated".

For more information contact Sarah Watson on 01424 458 560.

Northbrook College Sussex ran three events across the week in partnership with the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust at the hospitals in Chichester, Worthing and Shoreham. Activities included taster sessions on Person Centred Care for those Living with Dementia, and Infection Control.

The session were extremely popular, with 17 people going through the Dementia taster, and 7 through the Infection short course.  Additional interest on the day came from 8 employers, all of whom are keen to engage further with the College.

For more information contact Anne Feldberg

The University of Brighton’s School of Education launched a Youth Services Virtual Forum for employers and youth work practitioners. The forum will allow the School of Education to remain in close touch with its key collaborators and clients who used to be part of the now-defunct South Coast Consortium.

For more information, contact Jo Havers on 01273 641 812.

Learning at Work Day is an annual awareness campaign organised by the Campaign for Learning since 1999 as part of Adult Learners' Week. LAW Day promotes and supports workplace learning events across the country. It aims to draw attention to the importance of workplace learning and skills. It encourages people to offer learning to all employees especially to those that may not participate in current learning opportunities.