The Pakistan Society for Training and Development hosted its third Annual Learning Conference today at the Movenpick Hotel Karachi. The theme of this conference was ‘Building a Sustainable Learning Culture’; the objective was to highlight the importance of learning and development on a personal level as part of organizational strategy, as well as to discuss how learning and teaching can help build a new generation of leaders. There was also a focus on behavioral profiling as a tool to boost efficiency. Various industry leaders along with Organizational Development professionals, trainers and consultants were present at the conference to provide their valuable experience and knowledge, and to create a platform to connect.
‘Give time and importance to helping people achieve what they want. Time management, learning and strategy are just a cog in the machine. Having a culture in an organization which is cyclical in nature [means] the learning never ends. A deep seated learning culture then becomes second nature to us.’ Said Faisal Farooq Khan, the Group HR Head of Bank Alfalah and the Keynote Speaker of the event. Various case studies, panel discussions and syndicate sessions on preparing Learning Strategy and unleashing Leadership Potential were also on the agenda. Topics such as instructional design and performance management, among others, were thoroughly tackled by training professionals. The conference also included a debate on training effectiveness.
The Executive Panel on successful top-down knowledge transfer comprised of noted CEOs and the Vice President HR of Aga Khan University. The panel was very well received, and the discussion centered on the current concerns of how to handle a youthful population and build them professionally in a way that encourages critical thinking. Mr. Sirajuddin Aziz, President of Habib Metropolitan Bank, spoke about the need to start the learning process early, and then to continue it consistently: ‘Interested parents, interested teachers and interested managers; any learning and experience you acquire is because of the encouragement of a combination of the three.’
In conclusion, the conference covered learning strategies through tried and tested methods, with case studies and personal experiences to back them up. Engaging speakers and activity scenarios as well as question answer sessions encouraged constant interaction, creating very culture of learning that the conference is hoping to promote in the corporate environment.
Pakistan Society for Training and Development (PSTD) is an independent, non-profit and non-government institution, founded on May 21st, 1996 and over the past 47 years has organized numerous talks and training sessions actively encouraging national and multinational organizations to share and enhance their professional expertise from the society’s platform. Its Board of Governors comprises of Senior Executives and Human Resource Professionals from leading organizations in Pakistan.