Learning and Development course timetable

This programme aims to support participants’ career progression within the University, as well as providing key skills to support further development in the Higher Education Sector. It draws on the expertise of senior colleagues in the University at focussed development workshops where participants will be able to input and take part in discussions.

No previous qualifications are required to take part in this programme. For some this programme will act as a feeder programme for the existing Administrator Development Programme.

This course prepares you to effectively carry out the recruitment and selection process taking you through the stages of producing a person specification, short listing effectively against selection criteria, designing questions, structuring and conducting interviews, and making the final decision. University policies and procedures will also be covered.

If you are looking to update and refresh your understanding of the recruitment and selection processes at the University of Cambridge, it is recommended that you attend the 1/2 day workshop: Recruitment Essentials: Appointing the Right Candidate (Professional Services Appointments).

We all have challenging conversations from time to time that we dread. Wishing it would go away rarely works. Having a clear strategy can make all the difference. This workshop is designed to give you the skills and confidence to have a meaningful, productive conversation at work.

This 90 minute scenario-based training, incorporating forum theatre, aims to entertain and inform. You will be watching a live work based conversation and have the opportunity to give feedback and interact with the ‘characters’ to understand and develop a positive outcome. By the end of this webinar you will have a better understanding of how a difficult conversation can go wrong and how to put it right.

We will explore how the best intentions can sometimes go wrong. We will help you build a solid technique to get it right.

The last two years before retirement are a good time to prepare for personal change in readiness for leaving employment.

This course includes detailed information on finance, planning and tax and legal issues. You will have the opportunity to share information and discuss any concerns about retirement in a relaxed setting.

Legal Advisors from Barr Ellison, Cambridge will explore some of the key legal issues that you may wish to consider when approaching retirement i.e. Wills, Trusts and Lasting Power of Attorney.

A Financial Advisor from Dartington Wealth will give a detailed overview of the different ways in which you may wish to consider managing your retirement income. They will give details of how tax is collected in retirement and answer questions.

HR colleagues will outline the possible options for retirement for Established staff and the processes involved with each option, as well as the actions that need to be taken.

• Representatives from University Pensions Administration will provide details of the occupational pension schemes relevant to those attending the course (CPS and USS). They will also answer individual queries. Benefit statements for participants who are members of the CPS scheme will be provided in advance of the session.
• Learning and Development will lead an informal discussion on how to approach managing your time in retirement.

This highly interactive session will enable you to step back from the ‘day-to-day’ and focus on your career objectives, short and long term. You will have the opportunity to explore what development opportunities you could grasp and what networks might assist you. You will also have the opportunity to consider what’s holding you back and how you can overcome these barriers to fulfill your career aspirations. You will leave the session with a personal career plan in draft format, that you will be able to explore in greater depth.

Discover the potential of AI in your daily work! Join LM CoP community member William Dixon, Information Services Training Lead for Development & Alumni Relations, for an insightful presentation on AI adoption within the department. This engaging one-hour session will cover:

• An introduction to cutting-edge AI tools, including ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, and Perplexity
• Ethical considerations: privacy, bias, transparency
• Practical tips for responsible and effective AI integration in your workflow

The presentation will conclude with an interactive Q&A, allowing you to address your specific AI-related queries.

Whether you're new to AI or interested in understanding its ethical aspects, this session provides a practical overview of how AI is being used at Development & Alumni Relations.

Great team work and individual working relationships are what we all want, but things don’t always run smoothly. We may find ourselves disagreeing with someone over work or behaviours. We may want to tell them how we feel but don’t quite know how to go about it. Sometimes we decide not to have the conversation at all, which can lead to a small problem escalating in to something bigger, more persistent and harder to resolve.

Having honest and open conversations is not always easy and can sometimes lead to a misunderstanding, bad feelings and resentment. On this workshop, using forum theatre with a scenario acted out, we will explore what can go wrong and how to put right. With your interactions, we will help you develop techniques for a constructive conversation that helps to build long-lasting effective relationships and to build trust within the team.

Leadership Essentials is a key programme suitable for those with responsibilities for the work, behaviour and development of others. The programme aims to help managers refresh and build their skills and experience in this area, as well as clarifying key responsibilities of manager and leader. It focuses on critical areas, such as giving and receiving feedback effectively and handling challenging conversations, using leadership styles and models to support individuals and teams. The programme incorporates tutor input; opportunities for discussion, case studies, reflection and sharing of good practice with others with similar responsibilities. It also includes curated e-learning resources to support managers with their ongoing learning and development.

Participants are required to attend both full day sessions.

Values are what makes you you. They are the things that drive and motivate you. Being more aware of them can help you to make better decisions at work, leaving you more fulfilled and happy. They can help you make good choices and provide a guiding force to point you in the right direction at times of uncertainty. This session gives the opportunity to join with a small group of colleagues to explore your values. You will be guided through an exercise by an experienced facilitator from the Organisational Development team.

This is an interactive session, so please join the call from somewhere where you feel comfortable to talk and participate fully in group activities.

Jo’s briefing will provide you with an understanding of the risks associated with undertaking externally funded research projects and how income from research impacts the University finances, particularly in the current climate.

Please note that this session will be recorded and details will follow after the session. There will be an opportunity to discuss points and ask questions once the recording has ended.

Click here to view the full Leadership Briefing Series

Mentoring can be a really effective tool in helping people to develop their professional lives and careers, in both roles of mentor and mentee.

This interactive workshop is designed to give an overview and introduction to mentoring, informing participants about what mentoring is and giving them the opportunity to explore the key benefits for mentors and mentees. There will be the opportunity to learn some key skills needed to both mentor and be mentored effectively, and to become familiar with some simple models, tools and techniques to support the mentoring partnership to maximise its value and impact.

This interactive session aims to support our mentees to find a mentor. A selection of our currently available mentors will introduce themselves and share a little bit about their background, knowledge, and experience. It offers the opportunity for mentees to get to know some of our available mentors and consider whether they may be a good potential match. There will then be time for questions so that you can consider which potential mentors could best support your growth, learning, and career development.

Please take advantage of this chance to connect with mentors willing to share their experiences and assist you in achieving your goals. Sign up now and start your mentorship journey!

This full day specialist bespoke training equips Wellbeing Advocates to be powerful champions for wellbeing. The training is designed to establish the roles and responsibilities of a Wellbeing Advocate and to support you with the knowledge, skills, and experience to develop in your role.

Training Outcomes:  

• The fundamentals of physical, psychological and social wellbeing 
• The role of the Wellbeing Advocate 
• The importance of healthy boundaries 
• Interpersonal skills for Wellbeing Champions 
• How to lead effective wellbeing and health campaign 

Please Note: Once you have booked on the course, click on Add to Calendar to start the process to import the course appointment into your calendar. This contains the link to the MS Teams course meeting under Joining Instructions that you will use to join on the day of the course.

Please note these are stand-alone training sessions and participants should only attend one session.

This webinar will explain what mental health is, support you to recognise causes and signs of poor mental wellbeing, and give tips on how to start a supportive conversation.

Please Note: Once you have booked on the course, click on Add to Calendar to start the process to import the course appointment into your calendar. This contains the link to the MS Teams course meeting under Joining Instructions that you will use to join on the day of the course.

This workshop provides an opportunity for academic staff to understand the recruitment and selection process and how to create the conditions where you can recruit the best candidate and avoid common pitfalls. It includes an overview of the recruitment and selection process and identifies the key principles to ensure practice is fair to all candidates at each stage.

The course is primarily aimed at academic staff involved in making selection decisions for academic roles and those with responsibility for coordinating academic recruitment procedures.

You've heard of a book group, but how about one for podcasts? In these sessions we will focus on a different episode from the wonderful Squiggly Careers Amazing If podcasts, which includes over 300 episodes on career based topics ranging from coaching and confidence, to strength and values.

Before each session you will be sent a link to a podcast episode to listen to and reflect upon. During the session you will be led through a selection of tasks/exercises recommended in the episode Pod Sheet. You will have the opportunity to work on these individually and then reflect back as a group.

Session 17: How to make the most of your 121's

121s are a common way to connect with your manager and your colleagues at work. However, they can sometimes feel more like a hindrance than a help! In this episode podcast hosts talk about how to make the most out of your 121 and share lots of practical ideas for action you can experiment with at work.

This session will set the scene for those moving in to a role with professional responsibility for other members of staff at the University, supporting their work, behavior and development. As we all know from our personal and professional experience, leaders and managers play a critical role in ensuring a productive, motivating and inclusive working environment.

This interactive session will explore the responsibilities of a manager or leader at the University, introduce tools to support the performance of your team, and provide pointers to where to find important information and further development as needed.

It is aimed at staff across all areas, disciplines, staff groups and levels of responsibility, including staff who are:

• new to managing one or more others
• new to leading a service or research area
• new to Cambridge, either as a new manager or with previous experience

This course is recommended for those responsible for the recruitment and selection of staff, particularly if you are new to the University but also for existing staff seeking a refresher.

In January 2021 the government launched a new immigration system applicable to new arrivals of EU and non-EU nationals on an equal basis. The new system is loosely based on the previous immigration system (Tier 2 etc.), but with some changes.

The course will outline the two key visa routes used by the University in its recruitment of international staff – the Skilled Worker Visa and the Global Talent Visa. The aim of this course is to help those involved with recruitment and selection to navigate the rules which regulate the recruitment of individuals via these two visa routes, whilst ensuring full compliance.

Please note that this session will be recorded and details will follow after the session.

The Briefing aims to address key information required for Heads of Institution with regard to finance. Daniel Benham, Director of Finance will cover the following topics:

• Planning, budgeting and investment decision making (today and tomorrow)
• Introduction to key Financial Regulations and operational procedures
• Current key transformational initiatives
• Where to go for help and support

Please note that this session will be recorded and details will follow after the session. There will be an opportunity to discuss points and ask questions once the recording has ended.

Click here to view the full Leadership Briefing Series

Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025!

Are you interested in apprenticeship programmes and keen to learn more? Would you like to explore how they can benefit you or your department, or do you have specific questions you’d like answered?

Join our webinar, hosted by Apprenticeship Manager Colin Long, for expert guidance on all things apprenticeships. This session will address key topics such as: • How to enrol existing staff in apprenticeship programs. • Understanding apprenticeship funding.

Apprenticeships offer valuable opportunities for individuals of all ages and career levels (including postgraduate qualifications) to develop the skills and knowledge needed for a fulfilling career.

A link to join the webinar will be sent with the joining instructions when your booking is confirmed.