Learning at Work Week 2026: A Record‑Breaking Week of Skills, Insight and Sector Collaboration

Learning at Work Week 2026 has officially wrapped, and what a week it was for the UK food and drink sector. Across five days, NSAFD brought together employers, providers and practitioners from across the network for a programme designed to spark curiosity, build capability and strengthen the skills that keep our industry moving forward.

This year’s programme was our biggest yet. We hosted 13 live sessions and offered one online Project Management programme, delivered by 11 expert providers specialising in leadership, behavioural science, wellbeing, coaching, AI readiness, performance management and more. The response from the network was exceptional, with over 500 attendees representing more than 42 businesses.

From the shop floor to senior leadership teams, engagement came from every corner of the sector - a clear sign that businesses are prioritising learning, development and the long‑term capability of their people.

A Week Built Around Real Workplace Needs

The sessions reflected the challenges and opportunities facing food and drink manufacturing today. Highlights included:

• Behavioural Science for Leadership in Safety: exploring how to shift teams from compliance to genuine safety ownership.
• Branding and Sales: helping businesses sharpen their proposition and stand out in competitive markets.
• Supervisor Performance Management: giving frontline leaders the tools to tackle issues early and reduce escalation.
• Healthy Boundaries at Work: supporting wellbeing in high‑pressure environments.
• Negotiation and Persuasion: improving outcomes without damaging relationships.
• Leading Through Change: helping managers guide teams through uncertainty.
• AI‑Ready Leadership: exploring the £400b opportunity for UK manufacturing and the leadership skills needed to unlock it.
• Coaching & Mentoring Basics: strengthening everyday conversations that build capability.
• Emerging Adulthood & Career FlightPlan: two sessions from Chartered Coaching Psychologist Jacqueline Weeks, supporting younger employees and personal career resilience.
• Process Leader Skills: a practical look at data‑driven decision‑making and cross‑team communication.

Each session was designed to be practical, relevant and immediately applicable, and the feedback we’ve received so far shows just how valuable this approach has been for businesses across the network.

A Sector That Shows Up for Learning

One of the standout successes of the week was the breadth of participation. Businesses of all sizes, from large manufacturers to smaller producers, made time for their teams to learn, reflect and build new skills. Many organisations attended multiple sessions, using the week as a springboard for wider development conversations internally.

This level of engagement demonstrates something powerful: our sector is hungry for growth, connection and capability‑building. Learning at Work Week has become more than a calendar event - it’s a catalyst for ongoing development.

Thank You to Everyone Involved

We want to extend a huge thank you to:

• The 11 providers who delivered high‑quality, high‑impact sessions
• The hundreds of attendees who joined us throughout the week
• The 43 businesses who invested in their people and made learning a priority

Your energy, curiosity and commitment made this week a real success.

What’s Next?

We’re already hearing the same question from across the network: “Are we doing this again next year?”

Based on the enthusiasm, the engagement and the impact, the simple answer is, "Yes!".

If your business would like to stay involved in future training opportunities, or if you’d like to explore tailored support for your teams, contact us at [email protected].

Here’s to keeping the momentum going, and to building a stronger, more skilled food and drink workforce all year round.