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Global economic restructuring and the increasing freedom to trade are key factors affecting company growth and success and national economic success. In this paper it is suggested that the current policy agenda in the UK has 'learning' central to social, economic and technological development. The development of skills is seen as an important factor in productivity levels but the effectiveness of training interventions is contested. The paper explores the impact of a Learning Centre on the development of organisational learning by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by means of a case study developed to investigate aspects of lifelong learning in the workplace. The authors conclude that the research suggests that not only is there a divide between learning in large organisations and SMEs but that SMEs are not a homogenous group. The key factor is to encourage SMEs to engage in and with individualised training and development.