so what is learning at work week?

Learning at Work Week (LAWW) is an annual event coordinated by the Campaign for Learning, a national charity dedicated to building a love of learning across the UK. It has been running for decades and has grown into one of the most widely recognised workplace learning events in the country.

This week brings together employers, L&D teams, HR professionals, and employees to celebrate the value of continuous learning. Throughout the week, organisaitons host workshops, webinars, talks, and activites, all designed to spark curiosity and strengthen learning cultures.

The most important thing about LAWW is its flexibility. While there are national dates and a national theme, organisations are free to interpret the week in a way that works for them. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, which reflects the spirit of the initiative itself.

when is it in 2026?

Learning at Work Week 2026 takes place from Monday 18th of May to Sunday 24th of May.

The dates were updated this year, originally set for the week before, the dates moved after they fell on a bank holiday week. The week now runs directly after Mental Health Awareness Week, which creates a natural opportunity for organisations to connect the two themes and run activities that support both learning and well-being.

what's the theme for 2026?

This year's theme is Many Ways to Learn.

It is a theme that feels both timely and inclusive. The idea is to explore the different ways people can learn and build skills, not just through formal training or classroom-style courses, but through experience, conversations, mentoring, reflection, and everyday work.

The theme is built around three strands:

Learn to Learn

Building self-awareness, reflection, and the habits that make learning stick. This strand is about becoming a better learner, not just acquiring more knowledge.

Learn for Life

Supporting confidence, resilience, and personal effectiveness that goes beyond the day job. Learning that makes people grow in ways that outlast a single week or a single role.

Learn for Work

Practical skills and development that directly supports performance, adaptability, and future readiness at work.

Together, these three strands reflect something important: learning is not linear, and it doesn't look the same for everyone. The best learning cultures are the ones that make room for all of it.

why does it matter?

It's easy to treat Learning at Work Week as a calendar event, a reason to book a workshop and tick a box. But the organisations that get the most out of it use it as a catalyst.

A learning culture doesn't build itself. It needs attention, investment, and visible commitment from leaders. LAWW gives organisations a national hook to start (or restart) the conversation. It normalises asking,: 'Are we actually helping our people grow?'.

The business case is well established. Organisations with strong learning cultures tend to see higher engagement, better retention, and more adaptability, which is particularly important when the pace of change in most industries is faster than it has ever been. Learning isn't a nice-to-have. It's a strategic advantage.

Beyond the business case, there's something more human here. People want to grow. They want to feel like they're getting better at things, discovering new ideas, and developing as professionals and as people. When organisations support that, it shows. When they don't, people notice that too.

what can you do this week?

You don't need a large L&D team or a big budget to make Learning at Work Week meaningful. Here are a few ideas that work across organisations of any size:

Host a lunch and learn. Invite someone form inside your organisation or outside it to share something they know well. It doesn't have to be formal.

Set a learning goal. Encourage individuals or teams to identify one thing they want to learn or improve on during the week and actually carve out the time to do it.

Celebrate hidden expertise. Ask your team to share something they are brilliant at that people might not know about. Learning happens in both directions.

Open up a conversation. Use the week to ask your people,: 'What do you want to learn?' What's getting in the way? Sometimes the most powerful thing is just asking.



Tap into free resources. The campaign for Learning provides toolkits and ideas on their website. Many organisations and providers also offer free events and webinars during the week.

A final thought

Learning at Work Week is a reminder that growth is an ongoing commitment, not a one-off event. The organisation that takes that seriously all year around, not just this week are the ones building something that lasts.

But every journey starts somewhere. If this week is the moment your organisation has an honest conversation about learning, development, and what it means to genuinley invest in your people, that's a pretty good place to start.

It runs 18-24 May. Find out more and access free resources at learningatworkweek.com.