What you can expect from us

Learning is about commitment on all sides: the individual, their manager/supervisor and whoever provides any agreed learning opportunity. This is what you can expect from us as a learning provider and this is what we need from you:

You can expect us as a learning provider to:

  • work with leaders and managers to understand learning and development priorities 
  • align resources where possible to deliver these in accordance with agreed strategic learning and development plans 
  • advise on appropriate learning solutions at the strategic level 
  • advise on alternatives to formal learning and development opportunities 
  • deliver or commission agreed learning and development solutions 
  • ensure that learning and development is of an appropriate quality 
  • ensure equality of access to agreed learning and development priorities 
  • enable a diverse workforce in every aspect of provision 
  • review and evaluate all formal learning with a view to meeting expectations and continuous improvement 

We expect individual learners to:

  • reflect on their achievement in their current roles and their future career aspirations on a regular basis 
  • feed that reflection into routine one to one conversations with managers/supervisors/mentors and into PDR 
  • identify in those discussions, their learning and development priorities in relation to department/faculty/divisional priorities and the University’s strategy 
  • agree the most appropriate learning solution with their manager/supervisor/mentor 
  • take responsibility, as agreed, for the organisation of appropriate learning 
  • apply learning in their roles, seeking support as appropriate from managers/supervisors/mentors 

We expect managers and supervisors of individuals and teams to:

  • identify and continually review strategic learning and development needs for their department/faculty/division based on existing and emerging priorities
  • feed that contextual understanding into their regular communications with their staff/colleagues
  • ensure that one to one conversations and PDR enable constructive discussion about initial, continuing and career development needs 
  • diagnose and agree development needs with individuals according to established priorities 
  • identify cost effective development options, bearing in mind the range of learning opportunities available and the value of promoting self-directed learning 
  • agree how agreed learning solutions will be delivered with the individual and take responsibility for their part 
  • encourage and enable the individual to embed learning in the role or to apply learning in terms of the individual’s career development as appropriate 
  • ensure equal access to appropriate learning and development 
  • release staff to attend agreed formal learning and development opportunities and to undertake agreed self-directed learning 
  • having had learning and development opportunities themselves, volunteer to mentor others