We encourage UQ staff to identify skills and development needs and undertake development opportunities with the help of your supervisor. 

Staff Development recognises that learning takes place in a number of different environments, and has adopted the 70:20:10 learning framework as a rational for how staff can explore different learning environments and experiences.

The 70:20:10 learning framework outlines:

70% comes from on-the-job experiences, such as:

Stretch tasks, cross-functional projects and coaching/teaching others 

20% comes from our relationship with other people, such as:

Supervisor or mentoring relationships, shadowing a person in their role and requesting feedback

10% comes from a formal training environment, such as:

Workshops, seminars and courses

Deciding what to learn 

To work out the best approach for your personal professional development:

  • Reflect on those skills and knowledge you need to perform to a high standard in your current role and the next step in your career. Consider not only what you want to do, but also what is changing in your field or your environment and feedback you may have received from others.
  • Consider your strengths and what your development areas (gaps) are, and how you may address the development needs.
  • Have regular feedback conversations with your supervisor throughout the year about your job, your skills and your development needs.
  • If you would like more feedback, ask your supervisor, peers or people you work with regularly.

Identify how to learn 

Once you have identified the skills and knowledge you are interested in developing, it is important to consider how you prefer to learn but there are some key reflection points that can support in narrowing down how to start:

  • Choose no more than 3 areas to focus on improving.
  • Identify the method of learning that will best suit you. Consider the type of knowledge or skills you want to learn, as well as your own preferences, time or resource constraints.
  • Plan to undertake development at a time that will enable you to start using the new information or skills as soon as possible.

Planning with your supervisor 

Talk with your supervisor about what development activity you would like to do and why. Let them know what support you will need from them, whether it's help finding a mentor, funding or time off to attend a course, or feedback on your new skills.

What to do next 

Once you have outlined a plan for your professional development and discussed it with your supervisor, find the most suitable option for you by: