Search Results for: education

The role of local businesses in promoting mental health and wellbeing

The role of local businesses in promoting mental health and wellbeing

by • Company news, Wellbeing

Once seen as an individual responsibility, mental health is now recognised as a shared, community wide issue.Across the UK and over recent years, there has a change in how the general public views mental health and wellbeing. Once seen as an individual responsibility, mental health is now recognised as a shared, community wide issue. Our mental health is both our individual and collective responsibility and requires effort from family members, workplaces and organisations. For many, the workplace is where they spend most of their time. For others, local cafés, gyms, hairdressers, or local shops are their daily social spaces. These are the places that people connect, relax, and interact with other people. It’s in these spaces that local businesses have a unique power to influence how people think and feel as well as their mental health. (more…)

A new study suggests that GenAI really is addling your brain

A new study suggests that GenAI really is addling your brain

by • AI, News, Wellbeing

A new study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has raised questions about the potential impact of artificial intelligence tools on critical thinking and learning, particularly when GenAI is used as substitutes for cognitive effort rather than as supports for it.A new study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has raised questions about the potential impact of artificial intelligence tools on critical thinking and learning, particularly when GenAI is used as a substitute for cognitive effort rather than as an assistant. The researchers examined how the use of large language models affects brain activity, memory and skill development over time. Although the findings have yet to undergo peer review and are based on a relatively small sample, the authors say they chose to release the results early because of the speed with which AI tools are being adopted in education and knowledge work. (more…)

Why writing by hand still matters for learning and thinking

Why writing by hand still matters for learning and thinking

by • News, Technology

The steady shift from pens and pencils to keyboards has led many schools to play down writing by hand and other fine motor activities. But a major new review of research suggests that may be a mistakeThe steady shift from pens and pencils to keyboards has led many schools to play down writing by hand and other fine motor activities. But a major new review of research suggests that may be a mistake. The study, published in Educational Research Review, brings together evidence from 118 previous studies involving almost 80,000 children and adolescents. Taken together, it shows a clear and consistent link between children’s fine motor skills and how well they perform at school, across reading, writing, mathematics and broader cognitive measures. In other words, writing may be thinking in both a physical and cognitive sense. (more…)

BCO calls for paradigm shift as regional cities fall behind on sustainable offices

BCO calls for paradigm shift as regional cities fall behind on sustainable offices

by • Environment, News, Property

A widening gap in the availability of highly sustainable offices across the UK is putting the economic prospects of smaller regional cities at risk and could undermine national net-zero goalsA widening gap in the availability of highly sustainable offices across the UK is putting the economic prospects of smaller regional cities at risk and could undermine national net-zero goals, according to new research from the British Council for Offices. The report, Viability and Sustainability in the Regions, warns that a large share of office space outside major centres may become economically obsolete if current trends continue. It suggests this could lead to what it describes as “sustainability gentrification”, with organisations unable to find space that meets their ESG commitments in cities such as Exeter, Newcastle and Sheffield. (more…)

Student AI use doubles while confidence amongst university educators slips

Student AI use doubles while confidence amongst university educators slips

by • News, Technology

New research suggests a widening gap between how UK university students and academic staff view the growing influence of artificial intelligence in higher education. AINew research suggests a widening gap between how UK university students and academic staff view the growing influence of artificial intelligence in higher education. The annual Coursera study reports a sharp rise in student use and approval of AI tools, contrasted with declining confidence among educators. The findings indicate that students now use AI for almost half of their study activities, up from a quarter last year. They also report strong benefits: four in five say their grades have improved since adopting the technology, and most believe it is enhancing the overall quality of higher education. Confidence has risen markedly since 2024, with 85 percent now saying the technology has a positive impact, compared with 67 percent a year ago. (more…)

Call for accessible design for laboratories to make sure organisations don’t miss out on talent

Call for accessible design for laboratories to make sure organisations don’t miss out on talent

by • News, Workplace design

The Royal Society of Chemistry has called for urgent changes to the accessible design and culture of laboratory spaces after a new report revealed widespread barriers facing disabled researchers.The Royal Society of Chemistry has called for urgent changes to the design and culture of laboratory spaces after a new report revealed widespread barriers facing disabled researchers. The organisation warns that the chemical sciences could lose out on major discoveries unless universities, industry and policymakers act to create more inclusive environments. The Disability-Inclusive Laboratories in the Chemical Sciences report draws on contributions from more than 400 chemists and sets out a detailed picture of the physical, cultural and organisational obstacles that shape disabled scientists’ careers. According to the findings, almost a third of disabled chemists have experienced bullying or discrimination linked to disability, while more than a quarter say they do not feel a sense of belonging at work. Three-quarters report a lack of awareness among colleagues about their support needs. (more…)

Are you a leader of the first workplace?

Are you a leader of the first workplace?

by • Company news

If you work with young people, whether you’re in the classroom, in district leadership, or pursuing an educational doctorate degree, you’re already shaping how they’ll experience work for the rest of their lives. The first real workplace they know isn’t a cubicle or a Zoom call, it’s the classroom, and when leaders get the learning culture right, students become more hopeful, more engaged and more ready for what comes next. You’re effectively running their first organisation, with norms, expectations and feedback loops that feel very similar to what they’ll encounter later in their careers. (more…)

Four built environment projects named the winners of the 2025 ULI Europe Awards for Excellence

Four built environment projects named the winners of the 2025 ULI Europe Awards for Excellence

by • News, Property

This week, four real estate projects were named the overall winners of the 2025 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Europe Awards for Excellence from this year’s ten finalists. The winning projects include a social housing project in Milan situated on an abandoned office development site, a new secondary school in Brussels developed in a former brewery, a new flexible life sciences hub in Stockholm, and an acute healthcare facility in Birmingham which is intended as a catalyst for community regeneration. (more…)

Industry charity holding third online Christmas charity auction this December

Industry charity holding third online Christmas charity auction this December

by • News

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is organising a third annual Online Christmas Charity Auction, with the hope of raising £10,000 to support its education, training, and welfare programmes.The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is organising a third annual Online Christmas Charity Auction, with the hope of raising £10,000 to support its education, training, and welfare programmes. This year’s auction, running from 1–12 December, features over 25 lots, generously donated by companies and individuals from across the furnishing industry. From premium mattresses and luxury bedding bundles to iconic designer chairs, cultural experiences, and exclusive workshops, bidders will have the chance to secure exceptional items while supporting their industry charity at a key time of year. (more…)

Shift to a low carbon economy could create millions of jobs but risks widening global divides

Shift to a low carbon economy could create millions of jobs but risks widening global divides

by • Environment, News

The shift to a low carbon economy is expected to reshape labour markets across the world over the next five years, with almost 14.4 million jobs set to be affected by 2030The shift to a low carbon economy is expected to reshape labour markets across the world over the next five years, with almost 14.4 million jobs set to be affected by 2030, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. The research suggests that while 2.4 million roles will be phased out, the emergence of new industries and technologies will generate around 12 million new positions, resulting in a net gain of 9.6 million jobs. Yet the report warns that the scale of disruption, combined with persistent economic and geopolitical pressures, could deepen existing inequalities both within and between countries. (more…)

Most daily behaviours are driven by habits, rather than conscious decisions

Most daily behaviours are driven by habits, rather than conscious decisions

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new study suggests that a significant majority of daily behaviours are driven by habit rather than conscious decision-making, raising important questions for organisations about how routines form and how workplace environments shape behaviourA new study suggests that a significant majority of daily behaviours are driven by habit rather than conscious decision-making, raising important questions for organisations about how routines form and how workplace environments shape behaviour. The research, published in the journal Psychology & Health, was conducted by Amanda L. Rebar of the University of South Carolina alongside colleagues from the University of Surrey and Central Queensland University. The team sought to measure the extent to which people’s daily behaviours are initiated and carried out automatically, rather than deliberately, and how often those behaviours align with personal intentions. (more…)

Employers increasingly see AI as a way of reducing headcount

Employers increasingly see AI as a way of reducing headcount

by • News, Technology, Workplace

UK firms are bullish about the use of GenAI but their employees are not so certain, according to a new pollOne in six (17 percent) employers expect AI to shrink their workforce over the next year, with junior roles most at risk, according to the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook which surveyed over 2,000 employers on their hiring, redundancy and pay plans.  Of those, almost two thirds (62 percent) believe that clerical, junior managerial, professional or administrative roles are most likely to be lost because of AI. The risk is highest in large private sector firms, where one in four (26 percent) expect headcount to fall, compared with 17 percent in the private sector overall and 20 percent in the public sector. (more…)

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