Fairbairn Private Bank is the first organisation in the Isle of Man to participate in the ‘Campaign for Learning’, which is a charity that promotes workplace training across the UK. The bank recently held a ‘Learning at Work Day’ and, worked closely with the human resources, training and development company, People Matters, to deliver a series of staff workshops designed to develop and maintain workplace learning and skills. Lynn Kelly, senior training executive, said: “People Matters is one of a number of training companies that work with us to produce a diverse selection of training and learning courses for our employees. We are delighted to offer a new type of learning, ‘self-direct learning’, which encourages staff to choose which work-related subjects are important to them. At Fairbairn Private Bank, we place great value on ongoing development of our staff and this was recently recognised when we were once again listed in the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2010, ranking very impressively at number eight.” Each year, thousands of organisations take part in the Campaign for Learning, which helps individuals to learn new skills they can use in the workplace. Fairbairn Private Bank supported this campaign by asking its employees to choose which areas they wanted more training in, and the bank then offered fun, business-related workshops on the subjects they had selected. Subjects included emotional intelligence, negotiation skills, mental toughness, interpersonal effectiveness, influencing and assertive skills. Pauline McGee, managing director of People Matters, said: “It is encouraging to see companies that continue to invest in their staff training, despite the current economic environment. At People Matters, we work with organisations every step of the way, offering guidance and support as and when a business needs it. Fairbairn Private Bank has recognised that people are its most valuable asset and is committed to developing its workforce.” Ends