The Learning Rep - Summer 08

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learningrep » Summer 08

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“Big yourselves up, unionlearn!”

Lenny Henry stands up for learning www.unionlearn.org.uk

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Second year success story We reported some remarkable successes at the unionlearn conference “Our Second Year”. We have now trained over 20,500 ULRs, and last year alone, more than 200,000 people were trained through the union route. TUC Education also chalked up some major successes last year.

We trained nearly 53,000 union reps.

Incredibly this figure is double the number of union reps trained in 1997.

We were able to tell our conference that DIUS has agreed to continue its commitment to unionlearn and the Union Learning Fund until 2011.

And Secretary of State John Denham recognised the ongoing commitment of the trade union movement to education, saying ULRs “can be, and often are, more effective than anyone else in overcoming all the natural fears that people have in starting again.”

John also used our conference platform to launch the consultation on the proposed new right to ask for time to train, saying: “Unions, and union learning reps in particular, are going to have a really important role to play in realising the potential of time to train.”

We know that one-third of employers don’t train their workforce. It is, therefore, essential that this message gets across to those employers who are not using the funding or advice available through Train to Gain. And John Denham is right, unions and ULRs have a vital role to play.

Liz Smith Director, unionlearn The Learning Rep, summer 08 Editor: Mike Power mpower@tuc.org.uk Writers: Astrid Stubbs, Martin Moriarty Design: Redhouse Lane Communications Print: Ancient House Printing Group Distribution: Cavalier mailing Cover photo: Lenny Henry at unionlearn’s second annual conference photographed by Rod Leon.

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John Denham and Brendan Barber in conference News Lenny Henry stands up Annual conference roundup Focus on learning agreements Liz Smith speaks out TUC Education Business in the Community awards Learning at Work Day regional reports Contacts Jay knows Free resources

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Annual conference « News «

Moving on At unionlearn’s second annual conference this summer, John Denham and Brendan Barber set out the key next steps we need to take to develop workplace learning. lever for bringing about the skills revolution we need.

We need to be clear that this is not a burden on business. The CBI and Institute of Directors know that. The Federation of Small Businesses know that.

I would like to thank you all for your work and your continuing commitment to improving the skills of our country – and in doing so changing the lives of thousands of people, which is a great thing to be able to say about anybody.”

John Denham Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills

I believe we have reached a defining moment here in the UK: learning and skills is now right at the heart of our political debate.

If we are to compete in a global skills race which is becoming more competitive by the year, then all of us have to raise our game.

Our unique contribution has been to take learning to ordinary working people, including – as is widely recognised – to the most disadvantaged sections of the workforce. Through collective action, we have shown that Britain really has got talent.

One of the greatest challenges we face is to make sure union learning is

permanently and irreversibly embedded in British workplaces.

Our latest survey of learning reps shows the best results are achieved when employers negotiate and consult with unions on training; when learning agreements are signed and learning centres developed; when managers value and support the work they do.

And our ULRs also tell us that when they are given the tools to do their job, employers reciprocate by investing more in training. This, then, is the ideal all of us should strive for.”

Brendan Barber General Secretary, TUC More reports: pp11-12

Andrew Wiard

If there ever was a time for Government to back an initiative or idea and give it a try then it was unionlearn – and, goodness, how you have repaid us for that support with your tremendous achievements.

We need a revolution in this country's attitude to skills – and that is why the involvement of trade unions helped and supported by unionlearn is so vital.

We want to consult on a new right at work: the right to ask for time to train. Giving employees the right to a serious dialogue with their employer about their need for training and personal development will be a powerful

Double act: John Denham (left) and Brendan Barber share a joke before the conference gets underway

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National Trust conserves its workforce skills

Professionals’ union Prospect signed its first learning agreement with the National Trust and offered its ULRs the chance to explore all aspects of their well-being at a special oneday event at a Midlands spa hotel this spring.

The agreement comes three years after the union first gained recognition with the charity, and was signed by the trust’s Head of Training and Development Martin Measures and Prospect Assistant General Secretary Dai Hudd.

“The signing of this agreement symbolises a joint working commitment to improve the life

chances of people working within the National Trust, within the south-east region,” commented Prospect Learning Services Officer Rachel Bennett.

After the signing, a series of breakout sessions allowed the 40 delegates to learn how to keep stress at bay with relaxation techniques, find out how colour therapy works, get to grips with the basics of sign language and even improve their golf on the hotel’s driving range with the help of a professional.

As well as updates on the union’s latest learning initiatives and the chance to pick up tips about the ULR role, there

were sessions by the Move On team about literacy and numeracy, the Open University and the Institute of Field Archaeologists.

“We used to have an annual ULR conference following the standard trade union format, where everyone sat down and listened to speakers,” explains Development Worker Nikki Simpson.

“This time we wanted to do something different to energise ULRS, especially some of them who might have been feeling a bit demotivated, and send them home full of ideas of things to try in their own workplaces.”

The overwhelmingly positive feedback from delegates suggests the event did exactly that. Comments from satisfied customers included: ● “Much better than the ULR conference last year.” ● “Really helpful, positive stuff to help with the union role” ● “My least favourite part of the day was having to leave.”

Hilary sees the LOGIK of learning Leeds Central MP, and Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn visited the LOGIK learning centre at Leeds University earlier this year to find out more about how some of his constituents at the institution are benefiting from union-led learning.

Accompanied by unionlearn Regional Manager Alan Roe, and unioinlearn Director Liz Smith, Hilary met learners and learning reps from UCU, UNISON and Unite who explained how they

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had improved their skills at the learning centre.

Originally launched three years ago with support from the Government’s Union Learning Fund (ULF), the centre has been so successful that the employer is now funding its future from its own resources.

By a happy accident, the MP’s visit coincided with his interview in the spring issue of The Learning Rep, when he revealed how he had come up with the idea of the ULF

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News «

Met police go back to school in Barking Metropolitan Police officers and GMB and Unite members from Barking and Dagenham council are taking an NVQ in customer services together – the first time police and local enforcement officers have sat down beside each other in a classroom.

The launch of a pilot NVQ scheme at the Frizlands learning centre in the East London borough has brought together 15 learners in all – police and community support officers, traffic wardens, street wardens and parks police. As it’s rolled out, it aims to reach 120 staff in all.

The course is designed to equip participants with the customer care skills they need when dealing with the public, and the council and the Met hope it will also improve communication between the police and the enforcement agencies on the ground.

With funding from the Government’s Train To Gain programme and the support of unionlearn in the Southern and Eastern Region, the NVQ is delivered by the College of North East London (CONEL).

while working with the then Education Secretary David Blunkett.

“By supporting this union learning centre, Leeds University is opening its doors to a wider range of learners and offering opportunities for more people to change their lives through learning,” Hilary said.

Alan Roe commented: “Leeds University has always been a leader in increasing the skills of the workforce. I am sure that the success of the trade union- led LOGIK Centre will continue and that working people in Leeds will benefit.”

Chris’s gone to Iceland!

A study trip to the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik has fired up ASLEF ULR Chris Nutty with lots of new ideas.

“I came away with fresh ideas, not only from looking at the Icelandic model of lifelong learning, but also from conversations with fellow delegates about their countries which have helped broaden my horizons about what can be achieved,” he says.

Organised by the Transversal programme and the University of Iceland, the study visit gave the delegates a chance to look at how Iceland organises its education system, with a focus on non-formal and informal learning.

“Iceland’s education system has clear routes of progression, from kindergarten to university, and it’s made it easy for adults to re-engage in education by providing colleges and nine Vocational Learning Centres, jointly owned by the Icelandic Federation of Labour and the Confederation of Icelandic Employers,” Chris says.

But although the country places heavy emphasis on lifelong learning, there were two areas where it remains behind the UK, according to Chris, lead ULR at East Midlands Trains, based in Derby.

“The first is that they have no provision for Skills for Life delivery as we know it and the second is that there is no such thing as a Union Learning Rep in Iceland. In both cases they already know they have a problem and are currently looking at the UK model for answers, so it’s nice to know we do get some things right!” ● For more information about Educational Study Visits check out the Transversal website at: www.transversal.org.uk

We’re definitely not in Derby any more: English ULRs admire a geyser on their study trip to Iceland

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First class of ‘08 graduate from migrant workers project The first 50-plus City of London cleaners to complete English, maths and IT courses through Unite the union’s new Learning for Organising Migrant Workers project picked up their certificates at an open day in Transport House in May. And dozens more of their colleagues at the same event signed up to take the same courses themselves, as word of mouth has spread through the union’s Justice for Cleaners campaign.

“Our biggest problem at the moment is finding enough tutors and rooms,” says Unite Union Learning Organiser Andy Gilchrist. “By the time we finished our two open days at the end of June, we had around 200 people wanting to learn.

And with another 16 ULRs about to join the seven learning reps already in place, demand is set to increase even further, he points out.

In addition to the courses at Transport House, the union has set up pilot English and maths courses through learndirect in Orpington,

ESOL plans could divide, not unite

Migrant workers enjoy the Open Day

Kent, for workers who can’t make it into central London.

As well as taking the chance to improve their skills, a number of the cleaners are volunteering to become shop stewards and safety reps, especially those with union experience in the countries they’ve left to come to the UK. “We’re unashamedly seeking to increase the membership of the union, and being able to offer free courses to improve IT skills, for example, helps to show people what joining the union can do for them,” Andy says.

Government plans to make local community cohesion the focus for funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses would in fact undermine social inclusion, the TUC argued in its submission to the consultation on the changes in the spring.

“The proposals would afford one group of very vulnerable people with ESOL priority status, primarily the non-working poor, while denying it to another very vulnerable group – the working poor – which would run counter to the ambition to boost community cohesion,” Congress House argued.

The new Government policy also argues that employers who benefit from migration should bear some of the costs of training their workforce to the standard needed for safe and inclusive working.

“The implication of the funding changes is that the burden of paying for ESOL has shifted to vulnerable workers, particularly as most employers will not pay for English language training,” the TUC argued.

The Government’s response to the consultation is expected later this summer. ● Download the TUC response from: http://tinyurl.com/6at6mp

USDAW mobile union learning rep Vicky Nelson has won a national Learning Works award from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) for the series of events she ran at Tesco’s Portobello branch in West London during Adult Learners’ Week last year.

“I felt very happy to have been picked and to have what I’ve done recognised, although I felt humble at the ceremony with some of the people there who’d started with no qualifications and were now getting degrees,” she said.

Brighton street-sweeper Martin Vince, who became a GMB union learning rep after taking adult literacy classes at Brighton’s Cityclean depot, won the NIACE

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Photo: Jess Hurd

ULRs carry off ALW awards

Vicky Nelson happy to win

Outstanding Regional Learner of the Year Award, as well as the union learner in the South-East award.

“By taking the classes, I’ve proved something to myself, and by becoming a ULR, I’ve been able to help people in the same position as

me – I was very excited when I heard I’d got the two awards,” he said.

And the Brighton Cityclean learning centre itself won one of the National Opening Doors to Adult Learners Awards from NIACE as well.

“This really recognises the success of partnership working and all the hard work put into the learning centre at Cityclean by the employer – Brighton and Hove City Council – the GMB union and all the learners,” commented Learning and Development Officer Elaine Sweetman.

Martin Vince (right) gets SEEDA award from Bruce Cavalier

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News « News in brief It’s an honour Newcastle City Council Senior Learning and Development Officer and UNISON ULR Felicity Mendelson received an MBE for services to skills training in local government in the Queen’s honours list this summer. “While this is a personal honour for me, I see it as recognition of the positive contribution made by ULRs across the country to the skills agenda and to the personal development of their colleagues at the workplace,” she says.

Unions get together to help freelancers

ULRs from the FEU got together (below) to launch new support for freelancers (above)

Who goes there?

Unionlearn hosted the first virtual launch of a Quick Read book when Terrance Dicks unveiled his Dr Who title Revenge of the Judoon on Union Island, the online community for trade unionists across the globe in the virtual world of Second Life. “It’s often said that unionlearn reaches learners that others can’t reach and now we’re even reaching into virtual worlds too,” commented Director Liz Smith.

t digital

networking and marketing; IT skills; professional development; and copyright and rates.

As a result of the project, the four unions will continue to collaborate to provide information, advice and guidance and create the right training opportunities for their freelance members.

“The project has demonstrated that we can collaborate successfully to benefit our freelance learning reps and members,” says NUJ Education and Training Officer Linda King.

“We intend to build on the positive outcomes of this first stage to further assist our freelancers with the skills development opportunities that they need to ensure long-term employability and success.” ● Freelance learning rep from BECTU, Equity, MU or NUJ wanting more information about the FEU training hub can email frances.dredge@ntlworld.com or lindak@nuj.org.uk

Photo: Stefano Cagnoni/re por

The Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) launched a new information, advice and guidance website and manual for their freelance union learning reps and advisers this summer.

The broadcasting union BECTU, actors’ Equity, the National Union of Journalists and the Musicians’ Union originally got together last year to run a joint project examining the challenges freelancers face and the advice, guidance and training they most need.

It was this work that led to the launch of the training hub www.feutraining.org.uk (an extension of the NUJ training website) and the new manual at a highly successful event for freelance learning reps and advisers in London in June.

“The training hub, the manual and the event itself were all very well received as freelance learning reps and members certainly appreciate help and support with career development as well as the opportunity to get together and discuss common problems and possible solutions,” says Project Manager Frances Dredge.

Project research showed that on a multi-union basis, freelancers most needed a range of business skills to facilitate and support their careers, including help with: calculating tax and VAT;

All aboard!

First Bus and Unite opened a new learning centre at the company’s depot in Hayes, West London, this summer, offering the 200-plus staff the chance to improve their skills with courses run by Uxbridge College. “Unite the union believes in the progression and enhancement of its members through learning: by working in partnership with employers and learning providers, we can develop sustainable workplace learning,” says Unite Senior Union Learning Organiser Norman Murray.

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» Interview » Lenny Henry

By Martin Moriarty

will do

A major hit at the unionlearn second annual conference, Lenny Henry reveals what it was like tackling a degree in his 40s, and hints that his learning journey won’t be finishing anytime soon.

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ummer season, 1980 and Lenny Henry’s coming to terms with having to do the same show, twice a day, for six months.

In Blackpool. With Cannon and Ball.

Tough break: the kind of thing that could drive a young comedian to drink or drugs.

But not Lenny. The brute reality of working at the lessthan-completely-glamorous end of showbusiness is about to send him back to school.

“I’d never thought: ‘I don’t need an education’ – my brain was turning to mush and I knew I needed something else,” he recalls.

So he contacted WR Tuson College (now Preston College) to ask about taking his GCE O Levels at the age of 22: he’d originally left school with seven CSEs, back in the day when there were still separate leaving qualifications for so-called “non-academic” children.

“At school, particularly in my day, it was either sink or swim: if you swam, great; if you didn’t, somebody might give you a hand-up if you were lucky – but you’d better pray you’d get some luck,” he says.

When it came to the 11-Plus, Lenny and his classmates got no luck – the sum total of their preparation for the exam that would seal their educational fate was one day’s notice that they’d be taking it.

Almost inevitably, the future graduate student failed, going on to Bluecoat Secondary Modern, which he left five years later with seven CSEs to get apprenticed at British Federal Welding in Dudley.

A winning streak as a comedian on ITV’s New Faces talent show in 1975 took him out of the factory to begin a showbusiness career that’s now lasted 33 years and counting, but back in 1980 there was still the urgent

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matter of getting a new challenge.

Enter David Emery, “a brilliant bloke” who worked at WR Tuson College and helped Lenny with the O Level course.

“We studied all the way through the summer season – Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part One, Tam o’Shanter by Robbie Burns and Alan Paton’s Cry The Beloved Country,” he says.

“I’d finish the show, come home, read a chapter before bed, wake up in the morning and do some more reading and I really did it myself with this guy once a week tutoring me – so I would say my real education began in Blackpool.”

He passed the exams as the summer season came to an end, but his education came to a halt again when David showed him the A Level English syllabus.

“It seemed immense, there seemed to be so many subjects and I just I freaked out,” he says.

“And that must happen with older people learning through their unions or unionlearn – but you mustn’t be daunted: it’s like someone said to me: ‘How do you eat an elephant? You don’t eat it all at once, you do it a little bit at a time’.”

It was his mother’s death eight years later that made him think about return to learning once more.

“I thought to myself ‘I’m 40, my mum’s dead, I’m going to do something I’ve always been frightened of’. What’s the main thing I’ve been frightened of in my life? Doing a degree. And what’s the main thing I’ve been intimidated by? That everybody’s got a degree except me.”

The obvious route was the Open University, so he sent

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Lenny Henry « Interview «

Photo: Rod Leon

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Lenny Henry CV Born in Dudley in the We st Midlands in 1958, Lenny first appeared on TV as a com ic on the New Faces talent show in 1975, and then began appearing on the anarchic Saturday morni ng children’s TV show, Tiswa s.

Beginning on BBC TV com edy programme Three of a Kin d in the early 1980s and later on his ow n shows, Lenny developed a string of memorable comic charac ters, including Brixton wideboy Delbert Wilkins, Guinness-supping Grandpa Deakus and one-man sex machine Theophilus P. Wildebeest e.

In the 1990s, he ran his ow n production company, Cru cial Films, acted in “straight” roles inc luding a drug dealer in Alive and Kic king and a headteacher in Hope an d Glory, presented documentaries on funk for The South Bank Show an d soul music for Channel 4 as well as con tinuing to produce his own comedy shows live and on TV and becoming one of the faces of Comic Relief.

Since completing his Open University degree in Englis h last year he has moved on to an MA in Screenwriting.

Lenny lives with his wife, Dawn French, daughter Billie an d dog in Berkshire.

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off for a brochure. “Within a day they’d sent me back the syllabus and they said: ‘Don’t worry, it is like doing your A Levels, and we’ll hold your hand through the first year’ and they were brilliant – really, really good,” he says.

He freely admits to being riven by self-doubt when confronted by the first assignment on the BA course – the First World War poets. “Then I thought: these guys wrote some of the best poetry of the 20th century while being shelled by heavy artillery – I think I can do one day a week in Reading Library!”

The entire six years remained something of a challenge.

“It was hard combining four hours of study a day with going onstage, writing scripts, appearing on television shows, doing radio, doing tours,” he says.

But it wasn’t all that different from studying for his O Levels before and after shows back in Blackpool. “You’d have to read all these textbooks before you’d go onstage at some gig – people would be doing the soundcheck and I’d be reading a feminist literary theory textbook.”

Having a mentor (first David Emery again and later novelist Neil Gaiman) definitely helped. “I would say to anybody thinking about learning – find somebody who’s going to help you through the process, who’s going to mentor you – I’m big on mentoring: I think that’s how it works with ULRs.” And learning about learning itself also paid off.

“I don’t think a lot of us were taught how to learn at school – it was only when I began my Open University course that I began to investigate learning strategies by people like Tony Buzan (who invented Mind Mapping) and Dominic O’Brien (the memory expert),” he says.

Completing the degree has already begun to make a difference to his professional life, he says. Take his widelyreported speech to the Royal Television Society earlier this year calling for action to improve diversity in broadcasting.

Photos: PA

» Interview » Lenny henry

The many faces of Lenny Henry (from the top): celebrating an award for Three Of A Kind with fellow performers David Copperfield and Tracey Ullman; promoting Red Nose Day; collecting his BA at The Barbican

Minority ethnic programming on specialist channels wasn’t the answer, he argued. “I’ve never wanted to live in the ghetto. I don’t know anybody who does. You never meet people from the Home Counties going: ‘I’m thinking of relocating to the ghetto, there are some marvellous opportunities there, apparently – one can purchase crack cocaine and set fire to a police car: what larks!’”

Affirmative action had to be the name of the game, he argued (cue prolonged and stormy applause from his own general secretary, Equity’s Christine Payne).

And he even name-checked broadcasting union BECTU’s Move On Up networking initiative as one of the reasons why BBC news has achieved onscreen diversity, although probably no one else would think of describing it as “like speed dating but with a career at the end, not a shag.”

What made the massive media coverage even sweeter was that the speech was all his own work – something he couldn’t have done before getting his degree. “I wrote it myself – I had a script editor called John Irvine who helped me shape it, but all those words are mine, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I hadn’t got my BA,” he says.

He’s also learned a lot about the writing process itself.

“What I’ve realised is that writing is re-writing: the essays you really thought about, worked really hard on and cut down to the right word count – those are the ones that make an impact,” he says.

He was even making cuts to his unionlearn conference speech just before he went on – and “it really helped actually” (he certainly went down a storm with the delegates).

“I’ve learnt so much from doing the BA and I’m learning so much from doing the MA that I think when I get my MA at the end of it next year I’ll be thinking ‘What next?’ So the journey has only just begun.”

Photo: Rod Leon

“I would like to say a big thank you to unionlearn for helping people to help themselves”

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Annual conference « Roundup «

Building

learning projects L

ondon bus company Metroline signed a learning agreement with the union side just days before the unionlearn second annual conference, Unite the union ULR Tom O’Callaghan told the 400 delegates in the hall and another 1,000 watching the live webcast.

Six years since the Learning on the Move project started, with help from the Union Learning Fund, the company and the College of North East London (CONEL), it’s now financially selfsustaining.

“After the ULF funding ended, Metroline picked up the tab – it recognised that the project benefits both the company and the

employee; and the workers still retain ownership of it – to trade unionists like me that seems a good deal.”

Leeds University LOGIK centre manager Jo Westerman said she was very proud that the learning centre picked up a unionlearn Quality Award at the conference.

“It gives us official recognition that we have met the good practice criteria for our work with unions in addition to maintaining high standards in teaching and learning,” she said.

Like Learning on the Move, LOGIK benefited from early ULF support to set up the centre in 2005 and is now thriving with backing from the university.

“Now that the ULF project has ended, the university has made a commitment to continue to

Photos: Andrew Wiard

Closer ties with NIACE, more Quality Awards, new publications: our second annual conference had it all.

that last

support the centre, and a learning agreement has been signed between the three campus unions and the university,” Jo said. ● Unionlearn Quality Awards also went to: City College Norwich TUC Education Unit, Lewisham College TUC Education Unit, Solihull College TUC Education Unit, Workers’ Educational Association (Cumbria), CWU’s Charlie Elliot Learning Centre at Pudsey, Strode College, Filton College, Sellafield Union Learning Centre, Gilfillan Associates, Riverside College and Warrington Collegiate Partnership (their second).

ULF support has helped launch sustainable projects, say Tom O’Callaghan (left) and Jo Westerman (above)

Catch up online You can watch the whole conference on the web. Just visit: http://tinyurl.com/6l7jgt

Get yourself organised

We can do anything, says Val

Unionlearn launched a new pack, Organising for Learning, at the conference, with seven case studies showing how the learning and organising agendas can help build the movement.

The case studies show how: ● Learning has become a key part of union organising campaigns, (eg, Unite the union’s Justice for Cleaners campaign). ● Unions are integrating learning into wider union structures. ● Unions are developing a vision of learning for personal development. ● Learning is offering a new route into union activism.

The pack also includes the A5 booklet Organising for Learning, a resources designed to help ULRs build their organisation in the workplace.

Crime novelist Val McDermid said it was “amazing” that unions had “stepped into the breach” to ensure that their members could take up learning opportunities they had been denied earlier in life.

“The notion of expanding the horizons of our members just wasn’t there when I was active in the union,” she said (she was an NUJ activist while working in the newspaper industry).

“I look forward to the time when ‘People like us don’t do that sort of thing’ becomes ‘people like us can do anything’,” she said. ● Val signed 500 copies of her novel Union Jack (about the murder of a general secretary at a union conference) for delegates.

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» Roundup » Annual conference This is why we do what we do

TV presenter Robin Ross pops the questions to ULRs Conrad, Kanta, Clive and Elizabeth

TV presenter Robin Ross asked a group of ULRs: what’s the best thing about being a ULR? This is what they said.

Kanta Patel, BFAWU ULR at RF Brookes, Leicester: “For me personally, it’s getting to do more courses, training, and learning more!”

Conrad Gayle, PCS ULR at the Crown Prosecution Service: “Engaging with people, finding out what their aspirations are and helping them reach their goals – that’s a good feeling.”

Elizabeth Bullen, UNISON ULR at Blackpool Council: “Watching people, seeing them develop from having no aspirations to having real aspirations and saying things like: ‘I don’t just want a job anymore, I want a career’.”

Clive Burge, Unite ULR at Horstmann’s Group, Bristol: “Providing your members with a valuable service and seeing the joy and delight they get in gaining certificates and collecting awards and passing tests – that gives you a terrific buzz.”

NIACE to see you …

Adding electronics to the ULR toolbox Unionlearn launched a new booklet aimed at encouraging more ULRs, companies and Sector Skills Councils to use the Climbing Frame electronic tool at the conference.

With its characteristic “Blockbusters” style grid, the Climbing Frame has already been piloted by PCS, Prospect and USDAW – and the case studies of ULRs who have tried it out show just how much potential it has to help.

“If I want to arrange an interview with a new learner to look at their future learning, that’s the tool I would use,” says PCS ULR Colin Turner. “If we didn’t have the Climbing Frame, we’d have to invent something else!”

“If you’re a ULR working on your own, or covering several different workplaces without support we have, or a new ULR without a background in training, I think the Climbing Frame is going to be a great resource,” says Prospect ULR Val Marshall.

Photos: Andrew Wiard

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber and NIACE Director Alan Tuckett signed a new Memorandum of Understanding setting out how the organisations will work together to further extend workplace learning opportunities in the years ahead just before the conference got underway.

“ULRs are more effective than anyone else in encouraging people to take part in learning,” commented NIACE Director for Lifelong Learning Carol Taylor.

Bosses must value ULR work Only one-third of ULRs feel their managers value their work, and under half have regular discussions with the boss about training, according to the latest ULR survey, launched at the conference.

“Our latest survey of learning reps – with responses from 1,400 reps right across the country – offers real food for thought,” commented TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber.

“The results show what needs to happen if the full potential of our work on learning and skills is to be realised, if the government is to maximise the return on its investment in us.”

The survey says the best results are achieved when: ● Employers negotiate and consult with unions on training. ● Managers value and support the work ULRs do. ● Both sides sign learning agreements and develop learning centres in partnership.

We’re training more ULRs

...and starting more learners

The number of ULRs is up from 18,000 last year to over 20,500 today.

The number of union learners is now well over 200,000, up from 150,000 last year.

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Learning agreements « Focus «

When unions and management sign a learning agreement in the workplace, they can help each other scale new heights. Over the next five pages, we showcase some of the best practice around the country.

We can do it

together

By Astrid Stubbs

A

in revitalising branch structures and sample of learning developing new organising strategies agreements from with learning and skills at the fore. companies large and “Learning agreements are a very small, public and private, positive tool in the toolkit for demonstrates just how learning organisers and officers. All union is being embedded into members know that skills as well as mainstream union business.

“We’re finding that where learning industrial muscle are the key to higher pay or a better job.” is a core part of union business, the As most ULRs know, future for union organising workplaces with union looks extremely bright,” recognition report higher says unionlearn levels of training, and Organising Officer are more likely to have Anna Burton.

ULRs with facility time In 2007/8, over talking to people about 216 such agreements what the union is doing were signed – and and getting more people that’s just the tip of the engaged in learning. iceberg, she reckons.

And because women are “We have fantastic examples of best practice, and Anna Burton more likely to take part in learning than men, learning draft legislation on time off agreements offer unions a way to presents an excellent opportunity for building a bargaining strategy which union officers and representatives to appeals equally to everyone. put learning high up on the “Having a learning agreement in bargaining agenda,” she says.

In turn, the learning agreements place means more reps, more facility time and, hopefully, another offer greater organising potential opportunity to promote the union both in terms of positively reengaging with management and also presence in workplaces,” adds Anna.

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» Focus » Learning agreements

It’s a criminally good agreement

T

he Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have signed one of the best learning agreements in the country.

It enables ULRs to carry out their functions with management support and allows for one ULR per 50 members.

In addition, the union can appoint Branch Learning Co-ordinators, who will receive extra facility time in addition to their statutory right to carry out branch ULR duties.

“This agreement has been recognised nationally as one of the best in the country and has been flagged up to be used as an example in the justice sector,” explains CPS Group ULR Coordinator Conrad Gayle.

Although the ULR role was first launched in the CPS four years ago as part of a Government initiative, learning reps originally found it difficult to get management to recognise the importance of their work.

Last year, the CPS signed the Skills Pledge, which undertakes to address essential skills, and promises relevant, valuable qualifications, up to at least Level 2, to meet the sector skills needs.

The CPS will have access to a skills broker, through whom it can access free literacy, numeracy and first full Level 2 qualification courses. This will tie in with the Move On project, which addresses skills.

Meetings are taking place with the Leadership and Learning Department to devise a work plan to carry out the Skills Pledge. The agreement reinforces this and will provide additional benefits for members in the justice sector through a coordinated approach to skills issues.

“Learning is something that attracts many of us and when we can

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CPS Group ULR Coordinator Conrad Gayle (top) is delighted his members can improve their skills at work (below)

gain this privilege from our place of work, it’s imperative that there’s a structure whereby employees become learners to carry forward this culture,” says Conrad.

“And our employers must be seen to invest in this same culture and give a commitment to help achieve this success. Our agreement not only states what the union wants to get out of this but links in with the employer the full benefit of working together to achieve a greater aim.”

Conrad urges fellow ULRs to be persistent in getting an agreement.

“You must show the employer how it benefits them and there must be a conduit to link in with the employer’s learning agenda,” he says.

“Stay focused and enthusiastic: the employer will see that and want to buy in to it, to create better industrial relations.”

“Employers will buy into the learning agenda to improve industrial relations”

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Learning agreements « Focus «

Getting a pizza the action N

orthern Foods, which makes pizzas, ready meals, salads and sandwiches, has signed a multi-union national learning agreement combining a range of ingredients from existing deals which will benefit thousands of employees.

A number of local agreements were in place when learning got underway at the company, which employs staff in sites across the North West and the Midlands.

The agreement is down to the hard work of partners Northern Foods, USDAW, BFAWU and Unite the union.

Dorban Ippoma, National Project Manager for BFAWU, says it aims to make learning and development opportunities accessible to all by supporting the development of a learning culture in the workplace and by building on the successful development of onsite learning centres.

Northern Foods has five onsite learning centres with a further three under development. In addition, the company pledges to make best use of Government and union learning Initiatives, such as Skills for Life and work with organisations like unionlearn, college providers and Sector Skills Councils to ensure that the agreement is a success.

The agreement was developed by a national learning committee, a group initiated by Northern Foods and made up of key ULRs.

Jim Mowatt, Director of Education at Unite the union, commented: “This is one of the biggest learning agreements we have ever signed, covering 20,000 workers in 36 sites across the country. It will open up wide-ranging opportunities for workers to improve their skills in areas from literacy to languages, and gives members the chance to build their confidence in learning for the needs of the changing workplace.”

Added James Rees, Head of Education and Training at Usdaw: “It has consolidated a workplace learning committee and a workplace learning fund. It’s been a great help in making learning accessible and affordable for our members.”

A major spin-off of the deal has been an improvement in industrial relations resulting from unions engaging regularly with the workforce.

“This has been productive at the company’s inductions of new employees, by including the union’s structure and learning agenda into the inductions criteria. This gives the lay officials a more constructive route when engaging new employees and promoting the union benefits in a more positive light,” explains Dorban.

The agreement helps to negotiate paid release for ULRs and learners and gives the ULR a more structured approach to learning. Union officials have clearly stated that a structured and productive learning agenda

ULRs Gilbert Greene, Debbie Loy, Andrew Scrivens, Luqman Brown and Lee Barringer (below) and the Northern Foods Moore Learning Centre and library (above)

enables the union to engage nonmembers through adult education in the workplace.

“It’s very clear that the agenda gives the union a catalyst to build a recruitment campaign using such a positive tool as the learning agenda.

“This can and will be a fantastic recruitment and organising tool for unions and enhance the quality of the business unit in terms of productivity, efficiency and staff development for employers and employees,” he adds.

Norman Pickavance, Northern Foods’ former Corporate Services Director, says that succeeding with the learning agreement forms a vital part of the company’s wider productivity agenda.

“Providing access to knowledge, learning and development is a key strand of our corporate responsibility commitment to build a good place to work for our employees,” he says.

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» Focus » Learning agreements

Reach for the skies W

hen aerospace giant Rolls-Royce officially opened its £85 million state-of-the-art production facility in Inchinnan, Glasgow, in 2006, it was only a matter of time before a similarly highclass commitment to learning would follow.

And two years later, a learning agreement covering the 1,000 plus staff on site was signed and has now been deployed as a model for the company’s other three Scottish sites.

Pat McIlvogue, Unite ULR at Inchinnan, explains that there had been a previous attempt to introduce learning.

“At that time the company wasn’t keen on a formal agreement and preferred an ad hoc arrangement but ad hoc arrangements don’t work – faces change and memories fade and custom and practice gets forgotten, so getting an agreement has got to be a good thing.”

Putting his signature to the new learning agreement on behalf of the company, Operations Manager Les Carey agreed.

“The development of our people is seen as the foundation for the future success and the trade union ULR process is a crucial enabler in

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overall employee engagement and the development of our site. The ULR is a key facilitator in this journey.”

In practice, this means that the agreement commits the company to have a ULR in each business of the Inchinnan plant, giving it 20 ULRs, with members having access to a ULR on each of its six different shifts.

This agreement has now been rolled out to the company’s other sites in Scotland, the most recent signed in June at the Dunfermline plant, where membership is much lower at 45 per cent than at its traditionally highlyorganised sister sites.

Unite Regional Learning Organiser Lyn Turner now hopes to use the new agreement to organise the office staff.

Roll-Royce management and unions at Inchinnan (below) agree that workplace learning will help develop the workforce at the plant (top left).

An agreement has also been signed at Dunfermline (top right)

“Traditionally they use IT but they don’t have a recognised qualification like the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and we’re hoping we can offer that qualification to new members through the union and organise in that way,” he explains.

Pat says that while membership of the union is already high at Inchinnan, the agreement has promoted activism among members and given them a greater desire to get involved.

The plant’s first woman shop steward Edith Kidd became so enamoured of learning on a basic computer course that she has now stood for, and been elected, shop steward and trained as a ULR, Pat points out.

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Learning agreements « Focus «

Retail therapy The learning committee at a Midlands site of shopping giant Argos is using the national learning agreement to help agency staff improve their skills.

P

artners in learning at the Argos site in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, are using a national learning agreement to improve rights for local agency staff.

The result is increased local membership and greater organisation for Unite the union at the company.

The partnership provides a national forum where senior stewards from Unite can meet management, with a learning agreement outlining the responsibility of the union, ULRs and the company.

“It’s pretty straightforward, stating who does what and making a commitment to lifelong learning from those key parties,” explains ULR, shop steward and health and safety rep Larry McGlinchey.

But what makes the agreement unusual is how the local onsite learning committee, made up of union and management reps, has chosen to use it to give agency workers the same equal opportunities as permanent staff.

“It wasn’t hard to organise with management – they could also see that there was a bit of divide,” Larry says.

“Because there are a number of Eastern European agency workers, we concentrated initially on courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and the classes were tailored to fit both company and the union’s values.”

And the result? “Now there is more interaction between different groups of people and some have now got permanent jobs,” he says.

“There was a little bit of divide between people before and through ESOL and helping break down the language barrier there has been a change in the way people treat each other: they didn’t treat each other

badly but now there are no separate groups anymore.”

Following the success of the ESOL courses, Larry says the union is now looking at essential skills for agency staff.

The classes have also had the added bonus of improving union organisation, with membership of the union on the rise.

“People see a friendly face, someone from the union in the classroom, and know they can speak to us about learning or anything else,” he says.

“Being on the spot means we can tell people what we are doing for them and show them the benefits of the union. Because they know a face and have spoken to us in class, they know they can approach us if they have a problem.”

Larry stresses that it’s important to have a learning agreement in place to ensure the continuity of the work.

“The thing about a learning agreement is that if it’s good, it doesn’t matter whether management or reps change – it’s there and everyone knows there’s a responsibility to work within it: if there are problems, we can always refer back to the agreement and everyone has to abide by it,” he says.

“To me, a learning agreement is the foundation of what we do – if you don’t have one, you don’t have any guarantees.”

ESOL classes have helped break down barriers between agency and permanent staff at Argos

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» Interview » Liz Smith

Putting

learning on the map Unionlearn Director Liz Smith explains how we’re shaping the debate about the future of workplace learning inside and outside the trade union movement.

By Martin Moriarty What makes you happiest about what unionlearn has achieved in the two years since it was launched?

In a very short space of time, unionlearn’s put what unions are doing on learning on the map in a big way: the new brand, the new framework, have built enthusiasm and recognition for learning from unions, from learners, from employers and from the Government.

The fact that we’ve taken over responsibility for the Union Learning Fund (ULF) lock, stock and barrel is a great tribute, really. And I was really glad to hear John Denham launch the Government’s consultation on the new right to request time off for training at our conference: that was, in part at least, a reflection of the work unionlearn and ULRs have been doing and something we played a part in.

I’m also delighted that we’ve managed to keep on course with our main targets for recruiting ULRs and learners by 2010 and that despite the difficult climate, trade union education and reps’ training is still growing.

And I’m pleased that unionlearn is now backed up with really good quality publications, briefings and the website – all of those outward-

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facing elements – because I think that was a real weakness of where we were before. With them we’ve been able to spread the message that what happens at the workplace is important, that there’s lots of people out there who want to learn, and I’ve got no doubt that raising awareness, raising the profile, getting the message out, is a key part of what we do – and do pretty well.

What do you think unionlearn has got to do better?

I think the big challenge is with employers because although we’ve got increasing numbers of learning agreements, and we’re making inroads with good employers, our latest survey of ULRs emphasises that a lot of them don’t really have the backing and support of their employers – and these are just the ones that we hear about.

So I think employer engagement is really the big challenge and because obviously we don’t negotiate directly with employers, we’re putting a lot of thought into how we can best help unions with that.

What can unionlearn offer unions beyond what they can do for themselves?

I think we can do a lot to make lifelong learning feel a lot less daunting: we can demystify complex jargon-ridden material that their reps need to be able to

understand to know what they can negotiate about, or what they can get funding for, or what materials are already available.

Take the Quality Award, for example, which means that unions and ULRs have got something that tells them in a straightforward way what a good practice college or provider should be able to do – and they can use that information to help them get a good deal.

Or look at the Climbing Frame, which is still work in progress: we’re giving unions and ULRs user-friendly tools to help their members look at what they want to do and what they’ve got to do to get there, so we try to provide them with the tools really – that’s one of our key roles.

We can provide model agreements, case studies, good practice – there’s a hell of a lot we can do which it would be difficult for any one individual union to do.

When the TUC launched Learning Services (one of the forerunners of unionlearn), some union voices argued the learning agenda was a soft option or even a distraction from the “real work” of collective bargaining.

Is that still going on?

Yes, it’s still going on but not really on the ground

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Liz Smith « Interview « Photos by Mike Thompson

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where you’ve got union reps involved with learning, because they just see it as part of what the union does at work – it’s more the case the further you get away from the workplace, and I think that’s an argument for really trying to increase the engagement of industrial officers with learning and skills as part of the whole package of things they do.

After all, how long did very similar arguments rage when unions started electing health and safety reps? I was a tutor at that point and can still remember the arguments some people raised at the time – safety reps weren’t real reps, they were management lackeys, they were doing what the health and safety department should do, the stewards should carry out that role anyway, and so on.

All these things were out there but gradually unions worked their way through and adopted approaches that work for them. There are different approaches between unions, nevertheless there’s a general commitment to health and safety as a union issue for example.

Our whole approach has got to be that ULRs are representatives of the union, and that what we’re continued on page 20 >

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» Interview » Liz Smith

about is not doing the work of the training department on the cheap – it’s a trade union approach to learning and skills.

How do you think the new right to request time off to train should work?

Obviously there’ll be a process involving unions on that, but the things we’ll be looking at will be: making sure there’s a right to be accompanied by a union rep or ULR; looking at the parameters in terms of what kind of training it might cover – we’ll obviously want it to be framed more broadly than this skill for that job; and ensuring that there’s a process that’s sufficiently robust if the employer says No. Equally important from our point of view is that we will be working with the unions to use the new right as a lever to persuade more employers to open up dialogue and set up machinery in the workplace that looks after learning and skills.

Do you think the new right represents a significant shift away from an approach that’s been mostly employer-led approach to one that’s employment-led?

I think an attempt to rebalance things is where we come in. We’ve always felt the system should be employment-led, not employer-led and should be a social partnership approach. While we’ve got other things we’d like to see the Government legislating for, this is a step in the right direction.

Is there a degree of political consensus about the scale of the skills challenge and the mechanisms to tackle it?

Certainly there’s a degree of agreement about the skills challenge, the productivity challenge, the need to address lowskilled workers, the impact of poor education and the need to be working towards a society which increasingly needs high-level skills.

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Liz Smith CV Liz Smith began her working life in adult, community and further education, schools and anti-poverty programmes, before starting work for the TUC in 1989.

As the person responsible for TUC training and education in the North West, she set up the pioneering Bargaining for Skills project in the region.

Since 1998, Liz has been responsible for the TUC’s work on Learning and Skills and coordinating the union contribution to workforce development and lifelong learning.

She led the development of plans for unionlearn and was made Director in December 2005.

There’s been some difference of views about the right machinery to make that work (such as the future of the Learning and Skills Council), and there may be some different opinions on priorities, but I don’t think it’s the most highly contested area in the political arena right now.

Judging by what I’ve seen from all the political parties, there’s not going to be any move away from developing a skilled workforce –

I would have thought that’s pretty much a common purpose that any government would hold to. How different parties would move that forward is another matter.

Three successive Labour election victories by large majorities have helped develop the learning agenda. How is unionlearn preparing for the next general election?

We would hope and expect that any government would recognise that the resources that we’ve had access to have enabled unions to contribute to government strategy and policy in the area of skills.

I would hope that any government would see that unions can deliver things, can reach disadvantaged groups, can reach people who haven’t had access to learning in the past for a whole host of reasons, in a way that nobody else can – and that in itself is an investment in society as a whole and certainly in the economy.

Like everyone else, we work in a political framework that changes from time to time and we’ve been keen to show the work that’s going on at the workplace to parliamentarians to see for themselves how learning can change lives for the better.

We need to keep our eyes on the ball and continue to do what we’ve been doing but hopefully more of it!

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TUC Education with unionlearn « Feature «

Is there a union rep in the house?

O

ver the next year, the TUC hopes around 15,000 workplace safety reps can be trained using the new educational workbook, Occupational Health: Dealing with the Issues.

The reps will be able to use the guide to assess the extent of ill health in their workplaces and work with their employers to find the best ways of making the business a healthier place to work.

Apart from the huge personal cost to individuals when they become ill as a result of their work, 175 million working days were lost as a result of sickness absence in 2006, costing firms £650 per poorly employee.

TUC Education with unionlearn will use the workbook to train 800 more experienced safety reps taking the TUC Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety every year.

And some 500 reps are expected to go through a new Occupational Health short course. The workbook will be used across the trade union education curriculum as well as for meetings, seminars and other trade union events.

Speaking at the launch, Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie of Luton said training by the TUC and individual unions was essential in ensuring safety representatives were equipped for their role.

“This workbook will mean that ‘safety representatives’ truly become

Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie (above right) says the new workbook (above) will help tackle crucial workplace health issues

‘health and safety representatives’ so ensuring the workplaces they work in are not only safe but also healthy,” he said.

“The development of new skills and knowledge will enable representatives to work with their employers in dealing with important health issues including the prevention of occupational ill-health and diseases, sickness absence and access to rehabilitation and occupational health services.”

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber argued that union safety reps help workplaces become both safer and healthier.

“The UK is currently facing an epidemic of occupational ill-health.

Many people are ill and in pain as a result of lifting injuries, slips and trips, stress and noise-induced hearing loss suffered either at, or caused by, their work,” he said.

“Using this workbook, union reps can learn about all the aspects of occupational health and can use it to encourage their employers to do much more to make employees feel they’re getting a decent level of support from work when they’re ill and again when they’re on the road towards a full recovery.”

Download the workbook from www.unionlearn.org.uk/index.cfm/raot/

“Workplaces with union safety reps tend to be healthier and safer” Workbook author Graham Petersen (far left) and SERTUC unionlearn Education Officer Rob Hancock (fourth right) join safety reps at the launch

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» Feature » TUC Education with unionlearn

What do you do when you can’t fit learning round work and home commitments? Turn on a computer, says TUC Online Learning Officer Craig Hawkins.

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UC Education is holding true to the organisation’s collective approach in its online learning provision.

The service has been running for eight years and the original handful of learners has now increased to over 1,000 taking part in 12 courses.

“We realised quite a while ago that accessing learning on a regular basis was difficult due to time pressures through work and home commitments,” explains Online Learning Officer Craig Hawkins.

“We also found that while people could get paid release for early Stage 1 courses, such as health and safety, they had problems when they wanted to go further with their knowledge and gain experience.

“And even though they are entitled to time off, some individuals feel more comfortable learning this way because they don’t like putting pressure on their employers or colleagues and can learn at a time to suit their company,” says Craig.

Online learning is not replacing

“We don’t offer online as most people perceive it, using a self- study CD: our courses offer a collective approach – after all, that’s what trade unions are about!”

The courses are run very much classroom learning but giving along classroom lines with a reps new opportunities to class tutor facilitating, access learning. “It takes prompting and guiding a set them past that barrier and activity with the larger class set means a lot more reps are to work in smaller groups, able to do a lot more completing set activities and courses,” he says. discussing findings using the Another benefit of online Open University-endorsed learning has been to allow access Moodle online discussion forum. to people otherwise excluded from “There is still the element of shared traditional classroom learning – people Craig Hawkins, experience and knowledge, which we try with dyslexia and those with disabilities TUC Online and foster as much as possible and we Learning which might prevent them getting to a have the same tutor team although they Officer classroom. have an additional online qualification,” And because learning is not says Craig. constrained to a single region, specialist As technology improves so the courses courses such as Countering the Far Right can develop, says Craig, who looks pull in far greater numbers because they forward to seeing more video content – are put on nationally. This, in turn, for instance, on a ULR course, video enables them to be run more frequently, might show film of an existing class, says Craig. which would be used as role-play for While flexibility is a major positive of online learners to comment on. online learning, Craig admits that its Craig says there’s been a sea-change downside is in not being able to get reps together to exchange experiences and knowledge with fellow union reps.

That’s why it has been so important to maintain the collective approach to learning even while online, he says.

E-learners get to take disability course Birmingham Council UNISON rep Lisa Taylor decided to do the Disability Champions@Work online course after completing another online course in health and safety.

“From week one, it was apparent how much we were going to learn when we went straight to learning about models of disability – it was a level of thinking you don’t do every day – you tend to be practical and not analyse why you are doing what you are doing,” she says.

“It’s already made me realise that I’m not putting an emphasis on things despite the fact that I have a disability and I’m learning how society and language affect the way we view disability.”

While Lisa misses her real life class colleagues, she believes there

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is a place for both class and e-learning.

“On this course people are really interactive and respond to each other – there are pros and cons to both kinds of learning,” she says.

DisabilityChampions@Work Project Worker Dave Parr says the online course provides an invaluable way for people to access this training.

“It’s allowed us to bring suitable numbers of people together to train and overcome barriers to learning,” he says.

“The work produced by learners online is consistently of a very high quality and their feedback is very positive.

“Online learning isn’t for everyone, but that’s what equalities is all about; providing options, not a one-size-fitsall policy.”

By Astrid Stubbs

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TUC Education with unionlearn « Feature «

Log on Online courses include: ● Countering the Far Right ● Disability Champions@Work ● Finding a Work/Life Balance ● Going Global: Trade Unions and International Development ● Health and Safety 1 ● Introduction to Occupational Pensions ● Organise! A Voice In Every Workplace ● Union Learning Representatives ● Union Representatives Stage 1 ● Tackling Racism ● TUC Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety ● Trade Unions and the Environment

in the perception of online learning.

“Some tutors were very negative to begin with and saw online learning as a threat to classroom-based learning or were worried whether it could work,” he says.

“Because we’ve shown that it can work online, those same people who were sceptical are now championing online learning themselves – it’s got people thinking online!”

What do you think of online learning so far?

Online learning has proved to be a positive learning experience and TUC Education’s online programme has clearly established itself as a genuine alternative to class-based courses.

That’s the finding of a survey of online learners carried out by TUC Education included in a new report TUC Education Online – The Learners Perspective.

Demand for online learning is strong and the flexibility and convenience that this form of learning offers is a huge positive for trade union reps, says the survey.

The survey shows that attitudes towards the concept of online learning have changed markedly and in a positive way. Reps value the benefit of an accessible and convenient offer with high quality course materials and effective technical and social support from tutors and fellow learners when needed.

● 85 percent of students felt that online knowledge and skills development is very strong ● 95 percent of students said that online courses have developed their proficiency as union reps and increased their workplace effectivenes in the work place. ● Download report from http://tinyurl.com/3hrqwj

It’s Taylor-made for Robbie Robbie Taylor, a full-time UNISON rep at the University of Cumbria, recently completed the TUC Health and Safety Stage 1 course online.

“Online learning with TUC Education has been really good for me because it means I can make the best use of my time,” she says.

“When travelling to a face-toface course, the time it takes to get there is always an issue; with online learning, you can participate as soon as you switch on your PC.” The online approach to learning has also helped Robbie fit learning into the rest of her

life without having to take time out from anything else in her schedule.

“I don’t have to compromise my family or free time – and often women have family responsibilities which prevent us doing face-to-face courses,” she says.

And there has also been the added bonus of meeting other learners online.

“The course I took had members from all walks of life and from all over the UK. You can meet others online when it is convenient for you to talk over issues and complete collaborative work. You never feel as though you are working in isolation.”

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» Roundup » TUC Education with unionlearn

Meet the Welsh winners (from left): Rhian Jones, Lynwen Sly, Sara Laws with Rhodri Morgan and Jill Richards

Four of the best Introducing the four union reps who won the top awards in Wales this year.

Four trade union reps selected for their exceptional contributions to improving workplace practices were awarded Workplace Representative Awards, presented by Welsh First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, during the Wales TUC Conference in May. ● Rhian Jones (USDAW) won the Union Rep of the Year award for delivering better terms and conditions for workers. ● Lynwen Sly (UNISON) won the ULR of the Year award for improving learning opportunities at the NHS Trust where she works. ● Sara Laws (PCS) won the Health and Safety Rep of the Year award for driving forward the health and safety agenda in Wales.

Spreading the written word in Wales The Wales TUC, in partnership with the Welsh Books Council, held two free events for ULRs during the summer to celebrate the National Year of Reading.

Give A Book Days aimed to promote the gift of reading via book-swaps, discussion workshops and inspirational speakers aimed at motivating ULRs to set up book-swaps in their own workplace.

A representative from Quick Reads attended along with Basic Skills Cymru and the Welsh Books Council.

ULRS also brought along a book they would like to pass on and held their own book-swap.

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Julie Cook

● Jill Richards (GMB) won the Equality award (the first time it’s been made) for her tireless and broad campaigns across the equalities agenda.

Wales TUC Education and Training Officer Julie Cook said the awards were a way of recognising the contribution made by workplace reps.

“Workplace reps are the cornerstone of our union activity and translate our values into on-the-ground benefits for working people across Wales,” she said.

“They work tirelessly defending members’ rights, negotiating better pay and conditions with employers, securing workplace learning, ensuring safer and fairer working environments for Welsh workers, and more often than not, do not get the recognition they deserve for their efforts.”

How Noel came to know he’s got no limits Noel Evans is a site estate representative at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency at Llanngennech in west Wales. He is also the union representative and a part-time lay tutor for the Wales TUC. He’s been a union member for 16 years and first got involved with unions as the treasurer in his local PCS branch. He then went on to become the union rep.

Noel’s interest in adult learning can be traced back directly to those initial TUC courses he

undertook several years ago.

“I found the TUC Occupational Health and Safety certificate hard work but interesting and enjoyable.

“Achieving it made me realise that the only limits I’d had in the past were those I’d imagined or because I’d listened to other people’s negative opinions of me: now I realise there are no limits and I no longer listen to the people dragging me down.

“I got a lot of encouragement from my tutor on the course and he suggested I should do the training to become a lay tutor. I was

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TUC Education with unionlearn « Roundup «

Taking charge of equality Theresa Daly has been appointed the new TUC Equality Reps project coordinator.

“I’m very excited to be involved in this pioneering project which is a chance for equality reps to make a real difference in the workplace,” she says.

Formerly UCU’s West Midlands Regional Secretary and Training Officer, Theresa has held positions at all levels in NATFHE. Her background is in TUC and union training. She ran the TUC education centre in Birmingham, which carried the regional training programme for USDAW, PCS, RMT, UNISON, ASLEF and UCU for 15 years.

In addition Theresa has worked on a variety of TUC projects, including putting Equal Pay materials online.

She will spearhead the Equality Reps Project, which is a one-year project to develop the role of equality reps. It involves writing a set of training materials for equality reps, running tutor training and seminars for full-time union officials.

“Equality issues are increasing in the workplace and existing reps often haven’t got the time, expertise or confidence to take them up with the employer,” Theresa says.

“The equality reps project, which is organising a three-day training course in all the regions for the new role of equality rep, will equip them to be able to take up these issues.”

Theresa Daly

“These awards are a small token recognising the contribution like Rhian, Lynwen, Sara and Jill make to the trade union movement across Wales, and celebrates their well-deserved outstanding achievements in the workplace.”

Unstuck in the Moodle

Photo: Rod Leon

Wales staged its second annual Moodle Moot this summer to discuss the software e-learning platform.

The event focused on collaboration and sharing of resources facilitated by Moodle.

s apprehensive at first but after giving it some thought, I decided to go for it and have never regretted it.

“My first course was held in the staff canteen, which is one of the interesting things about being a TUC tutor – you never know where you’re going to end up!

“The money from the Wales Union Learning Fund certainly helps with setting up learning centres and classrooms, but there is still the odd occasion where a course is run in a canteen or some spare office space!”

Training the new reps on the block TUC Education is piloting a new three-day course for equality reps to help them get to grips with the broad spectrum of the equality agenda.

The last few years have seen an increase in the amount and complexity of equalities issues at work and reps need to handle flexible working, reasonable adjustments, equal pay, bullying and harassment, discrimination and equality impact assessments.

That’s why unions are building the role of equality reps to help make workplaces fairer and more equality-aware.

The pilot courses will take place during September and December for existing, new or potential equality reps.

For more information about the TUC Equality Reps Project, contact Theresa Daly: tdaly@tuc.org.uk

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» Feature » BiTC awards

Taking care of

business Working with unions at Boots and Fords helped their lifelong learning teams pick up some silverware in this year’s Business in the Community Awards.

This Boots was made for learning Boots’ Skills for Life journey began with a need to upskill and provide support during rapid changes at its central Nottingham Supply Chain.

The company signed a Lifelong Learning Agreement with USDAW in 2003 and the Phoenix Learning Centre was set up in Nottingham to encourage employees into learning.

The provision soon expanded into Boots manufacturing facilities, where Skills for Life was seen as central to helping support employees prepare for job roles with increased skills needs.

In the last 12 months, Boots has opened a further 18 lifelong learning centres offering Skills for Life qualifications at distribution centres UK-wide, which are closing in 2009 as part of a massive supply chain restructure and centralisation project.

In all, over 1,200 logistics and manufacturing employees have either achieved one or more Skills for Life qualification, or are currently engaged in Skills for Life learning.

Building on these successes, the learning centres are also offering NVQ Level 2 and 3 qualifications, using Train to Gain funding, and additional funding allocated by the company.

Through establishing Skills for Life as a key strategic objective, Boots has been able to deliver a more productive and competent workforce with stronger skills, delivering safer standards and a

26 » summer 2008

Boots won a Big Tick Award for helping its staff develop at work

The impact at Boots ● Over 700 employees have now achieved a national qualification. ● New business contracts secured as factory performance has markedly improved within Boots Manufacturing. ● Employee survey scores and motivation levels improved significantly in distribution centres affected by the restructuring programme.

more effective supply chain. It is also leaving a positive legacy for its local communities.

Lifelong Learning Adviser

Margaret Coyle said it was great for the union and the company to get the chance to celebrate their achievements together.

“The award was a great way for us to show off all the hard work and commitment that has gone in to make the Skills for Life provision in Boots a great success,” she said.

USDAW Project Worker Ed Leach said the award showed how progressive companies working with unions could provide life-changing learning opportunities for their employees.

“The relationship USDAW has with Boots is a fantastic model of partnership working, with the learning being underpinned by the hard work, dedication and commitment of USDAW ULRs,” he said.

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BiTC awards « Feature «

Ford workers step on the gas Ford Motor Company’s Skills for Life strategy, developed with Unite the union, aims to develop a skilled workforce committed to improving business while maintaining employment opportunities.

This inclusive and multi-partner approach has enabled its Skills for Life strategy to be both sustainable and highly effective.

Dagenham Engine Plant Unite convenor Terry Burns says the innovative up-skilling programme, taking Maths and English by the side of the production lines in bitesize sessions is proving “a real hit.”

Nearly 350 engine plant and diesel centre employees have signed up since last September, with 16 going on to take national NVQ Level 2 exams.

“The initiative has benefitted the individual, the company and the whole UK jobs market,” Terry says.

Ford is the third largest car manufacturer in the world, producing more than seven million vehicles a year and employing 13,000 people in the UK. International and technological competitiveness have placed

The impact at Dagenham ● Safety improved: 65 per cent cut in lost time case rate and 92 per cent cut in accident severity rate. ● Production volume up by 33 per cent. ● Around £1 million saved on labour and overhead budgets. ● Morale bolstered: internal survey reports 22 per cent increase in employee satisfaction and 70 per cent of Dagenham Engine Plant employees claiming the training has improved performance at work. ● Environmental impact reduced: 22 per cent reported drop in energy consumption.

Learning on the job substantial pressure on the company helped earn Ford to become as efficient Motor Company its as possible and it needs to Big Tick Award

drive competitive advantage in a dynamic, manufacturing environment.

Its workforce is mostly male, ethnically diverse, long-serving and middle-aged.

In responding to these challenges, the company focused pilot training programmes at Dagenham Engine Plant in East London which are now being rolled out nationally.

Employees take part in one-to-one coaching sessions and

assessment with dedicated skills coaches, leading to national qualifications.

The programmes have enabled Ford to work with learning providers, policy-makers and unions, who understand the importance of business productivity and the skill-rich workforce it is dependent upon.

Last year, Ford was one of the first companies to sign the Skills Pledge, reflecting its commitment to employee development, and allowing it to re-affirm plans for upskilling the workforce.

“The initiative has benefitted the individual, the company and the whole UK jobs market” summer 2008 « 27

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» Roundup » Learning At Work Day South West

Light up your life A pyrotechnics event staged by entertainment union BECTU at the Princess Theatre in Torquay was just one of a wide range of events trade unions organised across the South West for Learning At Work Day. Warehouse workers in Swindon got the chance to brush up their driving techniques by spending 20 minutes on the road with an instructor, while transport workers in Salisbury spent their lunch break performing Tai Chi. Taster courses were particularly

Tony Carney

popular in the South West, with many workers trying their hand at IT studies, or essential skills such as reading and writing.

“The scope and scale of these events shows just how important learning is to people at work,” commented unionlearn Regional Manager Helen Cole.

“We know that when people have a taste of learning they want to continue and they gain more and more confidence, and we also know that a skilled workforce benefits employers and raises productivity.”

BECTU lights up learning in Torquay

North West

Anchors away!

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) offered members in the North West the chance to take a fully accredited sailing course on Learning At Work Day. Backing from the Learning and Skills For All Fund enabled the FBU to run the fully accredited Royal Yacht Association course in Holyhead, North Wales – one of nearly 50

Learning At Work Day schemes across the region backed by the Fund.

“We’re really pleased with the support we’ve received through unionlearn which has allowed us to get people accessing learning in ways they would never have dreamt of in the past,” commented FBU North West Learning Coordinator Garry Harney.

Southern & Eastern We say

Unionlearn grants boost LAW Day Unionlearn has helped unions lay on a record number of better events to mark Learning At Work Day successfully raising the profile of workplace learning in general this year, says unionlearn Director Liz Smith.

“From the feedback I’ve had, it’s been absolutely fantastic!” she said.

“The range of workplaces involved seems to me to have been terrific, and the Campaign for Learning (who coordinate the day) say that what we’ve been able to do this year is to transform the whole scale and ambition of the event.”

28 » summer 2008

Ready steady call!

BT homeworkers got the chance to put their cookery questions to Michelin-starred chef Toby Hill in a conference call organised by Connect ULR Simon Williams on Learning At Work Day. Having learned from world-class chefs Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc, Toby talked about working his way up through the ranks, emphasised the importance of learning throughout life and even shared his recipe for chocolate pudding.

“The whole idea was to organise something that would be fun to do, and we’ve had very positive feedback from members,” says Simon Williams.

“Toby enjoyed doing it and we’re looking into developing further events in which we could use the technology available to link him up with our members.”

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Yorkshire & Humberside

Learning At Work Day « Roundup « Midlands

Yorkshire & The Humber

Shifting gears at Toyota

Handy hints for HMRC staff

Over 300 workers from Derby’s Toyota plant tried out Tai Chi, musical instruments, foreign language tasters, Quick Reads and quizzes when Unite the union marked Learning At Work Day. “This was an excellent day, especially as over 70 per cent of those taking part were new to a learning event,” commented Unite Regional Officer Tom Sawyer. “The company and ULRs are working well together and with providers to ensure everyone can develop new skills.”

The event was just one of 115 laid on by unions across the Midlands on Learning At Work Day and throughout Adult Learners’ Week. ● Over 100 Polish people attended an event staged

by Unite the union which gave them the chance to pick up information, advice and community support from learning providers, housing services, local community police and fire services and many others, and learn about the benefits of carrying a union card. ● Over 100 employees from across all shifts at publishing company Pearsons’ Rugby warehouse took part in a Love to Learn event organised by Unite ULRs and the company, including a Move On literacy and numeracy quiz as well as the opportunity to find out more about NVQs offered on site. ● Unite ULRs at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Birmingham held an outdoor recruitment aimed at staff and contractors from the finance sector to show the relevance of modern trade unions and lifelong learning in a globalised economy.

PCS ULR Nikki Conlon took a “hands-on” approach to Learning At Work Day, organising hand massages for staff at HM Customs and Revenue in Grimsby.

A tutor from the local Franklin College demonstrated how it was done and showed staff how to give each other hand massages – especially welcomed by computer keyboard users.

But the massages were just one of a massive range of opportunities laid on for Learning At Work Day, but spread over the whole of Adult Learners’ Week to ensure the broadest range of staff could join in at least one activity.

Over 140 staff took the chance to join in at least one of: ● Lush cosmetics demonstration; ● “one-off” book club; ● Japanese taster session; ● recycling information; ● greeting card workshop; ● Excel workshop.

Hand massages relaxed HMRC staff

“Feedback received has been excellent and at least everyone learnt one thing from all the events,” Nikki said. “For my own part, the events held this year and the participation has made it the best one ever: the hardest part is trying to achieve something better next year!”

Northern

Stockton council signs Skills Pledge Stockton Borough Council signed the Government’s Skills Pledge on Learning At Work Day in the NorthEast, to demonstrate its commitment to extending the work of the UNISON-led Taking Stock in Stockton (TSiS), which has become self-sustaining this year.

Over the past four years, TSiS has engaged over 800 learners at the authority, with the help of the regional Learning For All Fund.

“When our formal funding came to an end, it was imperative to maintain the momentum created by TSiS,” explained UNISON Local Government Branch Education Officer John Brookes.

“The Council's commitment to the Skills Pledge will ensure that the fantastic work that the Learning for All Fund money has allowed will continue, and keep on making a valuable difference to staff here at Stockton Borough Council.”

Sparkling pledge (from left): LSC Partnership Director Val Goodrum, Council Leader Ken Lupton, Chief Executive George Garlick, UNISON ULR John Brookes and unionlearn Regional Manager Barney McGill

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» contacts

unionlearn contacts All TUC email addresses are first initial followed by surname@tuc.org.uk

» Unionlearn

» Southern and Eastern

Tel: 020 7079 6920 Fax: 020 7079 6921 unionlearn@tuc.org.uk www.unionlearn.org.uk Director Liz Smith Tel: 020 7079 6922 lsmith@tuc.org.uk

Tel: 020 7467 1251 Regional manager Barry Francis Union Development Coordinator Jon Tennison Regional Education Officers Rob Hancock Angela Perry

» National unionlearn managers

» Midlands

Standards and Quality Ian Borkett Tel: 020 7079 6940 iborkett@tuc.org.uk Research and Strategy Bert Clough Tel: 020 7079 6925 bcloug@tuc.org.uk Business and Finance Matthew Fernandez-Graham Tel: 020 7079 6936 mfernandes-graham@tuc.org.uk Communications Mike Power Tel: 020 7079 6942 mpower@tuc.org.uk Trade Union Education Liz Rees Tel: 020 7079 6923 lrees@tuc.org.uk Union Development Judith Swift Tel: 0151 243 2568 jswift@tuc.org.uk Development Officer (ULF) Catherine McClennan Tel: 07795 606 982 cmcclennan@tuc.org.uk

Tel: 0121 236 4454 Regional manager Mary Alys Union Development Coordinator Gary O’Donnell Regional Education Officer Pete Try

» Northern Regional manager Barney McGill Tel: 0191 227 5552 Union Development Coordinator Elizabeth Killoran Tel: 0191 227 5557 Regional Education Officer Ian West Tel: 0191 227 5572

» North West

Helen Gagliasso Tel: 0191 227 5567 hgagliasso@tuc.org.uk

Regional Manager Dave Eva Tel: 0151 236 2321 Union Development Coordinator Tony Saunders Liverpool office Tel: 0151 236 2321 Manchester office Tel: 0161 445 0077 Regional Education Officer Peter Holland Tel: 0151 243 2564

» Website

» South West

Jay Sreedharan Tel: 020 7079 6943 jsreedharan@tuc.org.uk

Regional Manager Tel: 0117 947 0521 Helen Cole Union Development Coordinator Ros Etheridge

» U-Net centres

30 » summer 2008

Regional Development Workers: Bristol Alan Shearn Tel: 0117 947 0521 Cornwall Geoff Hale Tel: 01209 611 604 Regional Education Officer Marie Hughes Tel: 0117 933 4443

» Yorkshire and the Humber Tel: 0113 245 4909 Regional Manager Alan Roe Union Development Coordinator Sharon Burke, Regional Education Officer Trevor Sargison Tel: 0113 200 1071

» Union contacts Aspect Judith Hibbert Tel: 07968 322 969 judith.hibbert@ntlworld.com ATL Mark Holding Tel: 020 7782 1596 mholding@atl.org.uk BECTU Brian Kelly Tel: 020 7346 0900 bkelly@bectu.org.uk BFAWU Dorban Ippoma Tel: 020 8801 0980 dorban58@yahoo BSU Vikki Botham Tel: 07717 805 521 vikki.powell@britannia.co.uk Connect Kirsi Kekki Tel: 020 8971 6052 kirsi.kekki@connectuk.org CWU Trish Lavelle Tel: 020 8971 7340 tlavelle@cwu.org Equity Louise Grainger Tel: 020 7670 0214 lgrainger@equity.org.uk FBU Trevor Shanahan Tel: 07917 75 9473 trevor.shanahan@fbu.org.uk FDA Martin Furlong Tel: 020 7401 5555 martin@fda.org.uk

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resources «

Jay knows MU Pauline Dalby Tel: 020 7840 5516 pd1@musiciansunion.org.uk NAPO Ranjit Singh Tel: 07943 827 353 rsingh@napo.org.uk NASUWT Jennifer Moses, Stephen Smith Tel: 0121 453 6150 lifelong.learning@mail.nasuwt.org.uk NUJ Linda King Tel: 020 7843 3717 lindak@nuj.org.uk NUT Andrew Parry Williams Tel: 020 7380 4800/4780 learning.reps@nut.org.uk PCS David McEvoy Tel: 020 7801 2727 ext 2360 david.mcevoy@pcs.org.uk PFA Alan Irwin Tel: 07717 467 718 ieteuk@yahoo.co.uk POA Andy Rowett Tel: 07917 699 210 poaulf@yahoo.co.uk Prospect Rachel Bennett Tel: 020 7902 6687 Rachel.Bennett@prospect.org.uk RCN Linda McBride Tel: 020 7647 3855 linda.mcbride@rcn.org.uk UCATT Jeff Hopewell Tel: 01302 360 725 jhopewell@ucatt.org.uk Unison Pam Johnson Tel: 020 7551 1267 pam.johnson@unison.co.uk Unite – the union Tom Beattie Tel: 020 8462 7755 tom.beattie@unitetheunion.org Jim Mowatt Tel: 020 7611 2628 jmowatt@unitetheunion.org Unity Gerald Crookes Tel: 01782 280 588 geraldcrookes@unitytheunion.org.uk URTU Graham Cooper Tel: 07795 562 874 grahamcurtu@yahoo.co.uk USDAW Ann Murphy Tel: 0161 224 2804 ann.murphy@usdaw.org.uk

Jay Sreedharan, unionlearn’s website officer, answers some recent questions raised by site visitors Q “I’ve heard that unionlearn makes some of its courses available to study online. I’m interested in taking one of the courses but could you explain how they work?”

A As you can see from this issue of Learning Rep this is a timely question.

More and more union reps are thinking about doing their courses online. In response, TUC Education has made available a range of online courses, which can be accessed using a simple, easy to use, web-based learning environment called Moodle. A list of current courses can be found at www.unionlearn.org.uk/online The online courses are modeled on their classroom equivalents and follow the collective and collaborative approach to learning that has proved so successful for TUC Education in the classroom. Those reps that have completed courses with TUC Education before will recognise and understand the approach we’ve recreated online. Group activities take place using a

mix of online discussion boards, workplace tasks and individual project work. Those learners that choose to take online courses receive support and guidance from tutors working in TU Education centres up and down the country, all of whom have special qualifications in online learning.

Our online courses cover the same topics as the classroom versions, and learners that complete online courses receive the same accredited qualifications as trade union reps learning via traditional methods. Although you are not required to login at specific times, you will need to complete activities on a regular basis.

All successful applicants to TUC Education online courses are required to take a pre-course module called Getting Ready for E-learning (GREL). The GREL module will help you understand the requirements and processes involved in online learning, help you familiarise yourself with Moodle and let you ‘meet’ your virtual class mates.

Top tips from you

1

Create a network of ULR's in your area and keep in touch. It’s good to share ideas and boost ULR motivation.

Use positive language. Even if you are dealing with union and company officials who have closed minds, positive language can win over a negative mindset. It also works wonders with learners.

Keep your union profile high. Let people see you putting up posters and handing out leaflets Be organised. Keep a note of learner interests, so if in future a opportunity arises, you know exactly who to approach.

Get savvy with electronic communication and online tools.

Plugging into the ‘knowledge economy’ will enable you to keep abreast of current developments.

2

3 4 5

6 7

Listen and be patient. People will tell you gems of information if you let them.

De-smog paperwork. Internal staff forms can be complicated and deter staff from completing them and risk missing out on opportunities. Alter the forms to make them easier to understand and less intimidating.

Keep on the ‘communication highway’ i.e. always keep members' and branch reps/officers informed of plans and developments.

Have all the latest college, union and local authority information on courses and events to hand. You never know when they come in useful.

Have fun. Don't take the knocks and disappointments personally.

ULR’s have a really rewarding role, so enjoy it.

8 9

10

Have you discovered handy tips that other reps would find useful? Submit your top tips and you’ll get five copies of A Place Of Execution by Val McDermid, for your workplace learning centre, bookshelf, or reading group. www.unionlearn.org.uk/toptip

summer 2008 «

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Resources « Roundup «

Fmrateerieals

Order now from www.unionlearn.org.uk/freebooks And postage and packing is also free

Our Second Year: unionlearn annual report 2008 Packed full of information about unionlearn’s work over the past year, this report’s design is accessible, clear and provides excellent photographic case studies of learners.

new

new new

TUC Education Online: The learners’ Perspective This 16-page publication contains the outcome of a survey of students taking TUC Education courses online. With full of details and experiences of studying online, this publication gives new and valuable insights.

new Using the union learning Climbing Frame Six case studies of the Climbing Frame being used

by ULRs are recorded in this publication. They show how this easy-to-use electronic tool allows ULRs to support learners throughout their learning journey.

Local heroes – the importance of ULRs – DVD Over 5,000 copies now distributed. This film tells of the vital role of ULRs.

Trade unions aim higher A whole range of case studies in this publication tell the stories of trade union members who have moved into higher level learning. Many of them took courses through the Open University.

new Organising for learning: Building union organisation through learning This pack contains a handy howto-do-it guide to organising through learning. It also includes seven union case studies that back up the guide.

new Opening doors to learning: ULR survey report 2008 This survey of what the report calls “a new breed of activist” reveals that one-third of those becoming ULRs are taking on a union role for the first time. This is the fourth major survey of ULRs’ work.

Working for Learners This new, updated handbook is a must-have for all ULRs. It covers learning and organising, benefits of ULRs, functions and rights, ULR agreements, ULR activities, ULR training, and support for learning.

Plus a jargon-buster, resources list and contacts.

Stay abreast of what’s happening in the union learning world.

Order more copies of this edition of the Learning Rep. Pass them on to colleagues, learners and anyone interested in union learning.