Learning at Work Week 2022: How Bruntwood Support Professional Development

16th-20th May 2022 is Learning at Work Week! This annual event shines a light on the importance of adopting a growth mindset to continually learn and grow throughout your career. 

2022’s Learning at Work Week theme is ‘learning uncovered’. As we’re living in a time that’s been dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’, it’s perhaps no surprise that employers are placing greater emphasis on their organisation’s learning and development offering. 

Ensuring everyone has access to rich learning opportunities for them to excel in their career goes hand-in-hand with Bruntwood’s mission to create thriving cities. After all, you can’t have vibrant places without ambitious, engaged people to bring them to life! 

Learning & Development at Bruntwood

Learning and development is a vital part of today’s employee experience. LinkedIn Learning’s 2022 Workplace Learning report found that 72% of L&D leaders surveyed agree that L&D has become a more strategic function at their organisation. Taking a holistic approach to learning and development is an important way for employers to build their employees’ skills, promote internal mobility, and improve employee retention. 

Continuous professional development requires a strong learning culture in the workplace. From formal qualifications to mentorship and social learning, there’s a whole host of ways to learn at work. Our Head of Talent, Maddi Burns-Hunt says, “At Bruntwood, we encourage learning in a variety of ways - even if it isn’t always directly related to your role. This is because we can see the value of ‘learning for learning’s sake’, and of pursuing your passions. We recognise how all development can help our colleagues to learn, grow, and take their career in new directions by challenging themselves to develop new skills and expertise.”

To uncover how we learn at Bruntwood, we’re revealing some of the ways in which our colleagues are driving their professional development. 

Learning Loans 

Bruntwood colleagues have a strong passion for learning. So we strive to make it as easy as possible for them to develop. One of the ways that we do this is by removing some of the financial pressures that can come with learning activities. This is where our learning loans come in. From MCIOB qualifications to eyelash technician courses, we’re empowering colleagues to pursue their learning passions. Bruntwood Customer Operations Manager, Kelly McNair shares her experience using a Bruntwood learning loan to complete a pilates qualification. 

Kelly says, “I’d been attending regular pilates sessions for a few years. My pilates trainer asked me why I hadn’t considered a teaching qualification for fitness. For someone who had only relatively recently 'found' exercise, a qualification initially seemed a bit absurd. But then I looked into the qualification further and discussed the learning loan options with Bruntwood Learning & Development Advisor, Jade Gates. I thought it wouldn't be approved because it's entirely unrelated to my role in Bruntwood, but I was pleasantly surprised! 

“My qualification took around eight months to complete and included: sitting a number of exams; attending physical training weekends; and achieving a set amount of teaching hours. I've been qualified for about six months now, and I'm fortunate that I get to deliver sessions to Bruntwood Works customers at The Plaza, whilst also providing classes elsewhere.

“The learning loan scheme was instrumental for me. I'm not sure I would have pursued the qualification without the learning loan and study leave which I made use of for exam revision. I’m now looking at my next challenge for 2023, and planning to develop my knowledge of nutrition, muscle structure, and human anatomy ever further."

Mentor Scheme 

SAP’s HR 'Why Mentors Matter' report which examines 43 studies from the last 30 years found a positive correlation with the career outcomes of mentored vs. non-mentored employees. A two-way mentoring relationship builds a sense of connection and purpose for both mentors and mentees. 

Bruntwood Social Impact Project Manager, Emily Mathew says of her experience being mentored: “In the past, I felt that asking for help could be a sign of weakness, so it’s been good to have a ‘safe space’ to talk honestly to my mentor about things I’m finding difficult. Also, talking to someone who might approach situations differently than me has been really useful. This allows me to consider alternative ways of working which may not come naturally to me. 

“Thanks to my mentorship at Bruntwood, I'm now more inclined to ask for feedback and to think more carefully about the best course of action or approach to a situation. The opportunity to reflect on that with someone else has been really helpful!”

Apprenticeships 

Bruntwood is passionate about supporting and retaining talent through apprenticeships. We know that everyone learns differently, so offering a wide range of learning options is important to ensure we champion the development of talent from all backgrounds. 

Apprenticeships offer a more hands-on approach to learning, combining theory with practical application. Apprentices benefit from a wide support network from the training provider and the business, making for a holistic learning experience. We’re pleased to have expanded the breadth of Bruntwood apprenticeships in recent years. 

Bruntwood Finance Apprentice, Joe Ridgewell says: “I’m massively enjoying my time at Bruntwood! I’ve learnt so much in a short period of time and I honestly look forward to going into work every morning. So far, the aspects of my apprenticeship that I’ve enjoyed most are having autonomy over my workload and working closely with the Finance team to understand their processes, getting insight on the bigger picture in the department."

We hope these examples of ways to learn at work inspire you to take charge of your own learning journey! 

Learn more about working at Bruntwood here.