Work, Learn, Evolve: Conference on Workplace Learning
Save the date for A Nordic Conference on Workplace Learning in a Lifelong Learning Perspective.
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On October 20th, 2026, a Nordic conference on workplace learning will be held in Iceland, bringing together professionals engaged in adult education and lifelong learning across the Nordic region.
Place: Hilton Reykjavik, Suðurlandsbraut 2, 108 Reykjavík
Date: October 20, 2026 from 9 am to 4 pm
The conference is aimed at:
- staff in adult education institutions
- competence policy experts
- training and learning departments within public and private organisations and enterprises
- professionals responsible for organising learning in civil society and the third sector
The primary focus of the conference is workplace learning as a central element of lifelong learning — across both the public and private sectors. The programme explores how organisations develop learning internally, how competencies are supported and renewed in everyday work, and how local and national educational institutions contribute through professional support, partnerships, and innovation.
The conference highlights workplace learning as a key arena where education, working life, and societal change meet.
The conference addresses core aims and priorities for adult education and lifelong learning in the Nordic countries, including:
- Supporting the strategies for lifelong learning and competence development
- Strengthening cooperation, networks, and exchange of experience among professionals in Nordic lifelong learning
- Creating synergies between lifelong learning initiatives and other relevant Nordic and international efforts for competence development
- Contributing to innovations in lifelong learning systems
- Promoting interaction among the key stakeholders from education, research, civil society, and the labour market
Keynote 1: The Benefits of Learning
Two Nordic researchers will introduce and discuss their views on the benefits of learning. They will highlight wide-ranging impact of adult learning at individual, organisational, and societal levels. The keynote speakers will explore learning environments and transformative organisational learning as key drivers for developing effective workplace learning systems. The discussions will be moderated by Professor Jón Torfi Jónasson.
Workshops session one: Competence development and challenges
| Workshop A – in English |
| A Lifetime of Learning – Nordplus project Partners from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden collaborate to examine how skills are developed in workplaces, with focus on healthcare and technology sectors facing acute labour shortages. By analysing workplace cases, the project identifies effective models for work-based learning and supports the development of adaptable, resilient workforces across the region. |
| Workshop B – In Icelandic |
| Lifelong learning in Iceland – Símennt Hvað er símenntun? Hvaða gildi hefur hún fyrir einstaklinginn, atvinnulífið og samfélagið í heild sinni. Hvaða starfsemi fer fram á símenntunarmiðstöðvum landins með áherslu á ráðgjöf og raunfærnimat. Símennt eru samtök fræðslu- og símenntunarmiðstöðva. Markmið samtakanna eru m.a. að vinna að símenntun og framhaldsfræðslu á Íslandi, þar sem lögð er áhersla á að efla þekkingu og hæfni einstaklingsins og að auka vitund fyrirtækja og stofnana á mikilvægi símenntunar starfsfólks í krefjandi og síbreytilegu starfsumhverfi. |
| Workshop C – in English |
| Worklife learning – innovative and practice-oriented competence development in working life – Nordic Network for Lifelong Learning A Nordic initiative that investigates the implementation of the Learning Circle Model at five public-sector workplaces in health and care services in the Nordic countries. The focus is on how employers, managers, union representatives, and employees together can help ensure that learning becomes a natural part of the workplace culture? |
| Workshop D – in English |
| Professional certification in working life – The Education and Training Service Centre In a rapidly changing labour market, it is important that job-related skills are visible and verified. The Professional Certificate in working life makes this possible. Through a competence assessment, employees’ skills are measured against the job’s competence criteria. Training and instruction tailored to the assessment results follow. When all competence criteria for the job have been met, the skills are certified with the Professional Certificate for the Workforce for that occupation. This brings benefits for both employers and employees. |
Keynote 2: From Skills Gaps to Skills Ecosystems
Dr. Lukas Kleine-Rueschkamp, Head of the OECD’s Local Employment and Skills Unit
Dr. Lukas Kleine-Rueschkamp will address the shift from skills gaps to building sustainable skills ecosystems, moving beyond identifying shortages toward comprehensive, system-level solutions.
Workshops session 2: Innovation and regional development
| Workshop A – in English |
| Fostering Innovation and Sustainability in Rural Businesses – Nordplus Project This project identifies emerging competency needs in sparsely populated Nordic regions through structured dialogue with businesses and educational institutions. It maps successful innovation practices, highlights barriers faced by rural SMEs, and offers a framework for strengthening sustainable, future-oriented competencies in rural communities. |
| Workshop B – in English |
| The Future Festival – Reykjavik City Library How to future? What skills do we need to practice? How can we share what we know with each other? The future is often described as a faraway place we have very little control over, but one day, somewhere, someone imagined that we would live the way we live today. The program is created each year in collaboration with many partners and explores diverse forms of learning and collective imagination. We use our hands, brains and whole bodies to form connections and shape the world we want to live in. Libraries have always been places of empowerment—helping people navigate information, ask better questions, and think critically. In today’s age, that mission extends beyond bookshelves. Libraries are vital third spaces that foster knowledge exchange in hybrid formats and provide much needed spaces of encounters. |
| Workshop C – In English and Icelandic |
| Learning Spaces Learning can take place beyond the traditional classroom or workplace. How can NGOs and other none profit organizations support professional development and personal growth? Presentations and discussions from different organization within the third sector in Iceland, including e.g. the Icelandic Red Cross. |
| Workshop D in English |
| Worklife innovation How do we foster innovation in corporate training, support employees in their daily work, and use technology to communicate with staff and customers. Presentation from Icelandic companies from different sectors: Hrafnista Nursing homes, Þingvellir National Park and ISAVIA Airports. |
| Wrap-Up and Reflections – professor Jón Torfi Jónasson |
The conference serves as a meeting place for practice, research, and policy, encouraging shared reflection on how workplace learning can support sustainable working lives, inclusion, and continuous professional development in a rapidly changing world.
Hosted by the University of Iceland, the Nordic Network for Lifelong Learning (NLL), and The Education and Training Service Centre (ETSC), the conference provides a shared Nordic platform for dialogue, exchange, and collaboration on the advancement of lifelong learning systems.
Join us in Reykjavik, Iceland on October 20th, 2026, and take part in shaping the future of workplace learning and lifelong learning in the Nordic region.
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Work, Learn, Evolve: Conference on Workplace Learning
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