The Learning Rep magazine - Summer 2010

the

learningrep Âť Summer 2010

Learners gain skills in palace coup Laptop revolution liberates staff at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion

www.unionlearn.org.uk

02-03_LRSUM10_AW.qxd:Layout 1

13/7/10

15:43

Page 2

» Comment

Dealing with the difficult issues We were busy preparing for the unionlearn annual conference as this edition of The Learning Rep went to press, and look forward to reporting back from it in our next edition in the autumn.

But two of the features of this year’s celebration of learning can be found in this edition – our new partnership on cancer in the workplace with Macmillan Cancer Support and the launch of a new initiative on numeracy with NIACE and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM).

Cancer is something that everyone will have encountered but people often find difficult to deal with; the new partnership with Macmillan is designed to help reps support workers dealing with cancer and ensure they are properly supported. In addition to the main feature on pp18-19, there is also some useful information in our regular ‘Jay Knows’ column on p31.

While much work has been done on literacy, numeracy is of course equally important: our new initiative will give much-needed focus and support to improving numeracy skills and providing access to maths education.

We’re also pleased to be able to bring you information on the Education and Employers Taskforce, supported by both the CBI and the TUC, which this autumn will be encouraging better links between schools and business.

This will bring benefits to schools and pupils looking to the world of work beyond education and for business in understanding the education system and ensuring more effective recruitment of a well-trained workforce.

Elsewhere in this edition you will find the usual round-up of news and information on TUC Education; plus our continuing features on ULRs and learning centres, featuring our first-ever learning centre in a Royal Palace. We have also provided a guide to the new ministers and their roles at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Tom Wilson Director, unionlearn The Learning Rep summer 2010 Editor: James Asser jasser@tuc.org.uk Writers: Astrid Stubbs, Martin Moriarty Cover photo: Royal Pavilion staff (from left) Julia Hugall, Maria Foy, Szilvia Gardoyine and Dean Page by Jess Hurd Design: wave.coop Print: Ancient House Printing Group Distribution: Cavalier mailing

2 » summer 2010

8 10

17

14

23

24

Contents: 3 4 8 10 12 13 18 20 22 24 25 26 30 31 32

Adult Learners’ Week Awards News Adult Learners’ Week roundup Education and employment Apprenticeships roundup Focus on learning centres Cancer in the workplace Maths 4 us ULR profiles New faces at BIS unionlearn Board profile TUC Education Contacts Jay knows Resources

25

28

02-03_LRSUM10_AW.qxd:Layout 1

13/7/10

15:43

Page 3

Adult Learners’ Week « News «

Argos learning rep collects ALW award West Midlands Unite member Terry Sandford won the National Open College Network Award at this year’s Adult Learners’ Week Awards.

Unite ULR Terry Sandford acts as confidant and coach to his members at Argos in Stafford

It was Terry’s inspirational role in the development of a workplace learning centre at the Argos DHL site in Stafford that brought him to the judges’ attention.

Having left school aged 15 with few qualifications, Terry was initially uncertain when first approached about the learning centre project.

But since training as a ULR, Terry has gone on to gain qualifications in

numeracy, literacy, ICT awareness and negotiator training – although he is most proud of his Certificate in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector.

“The certificate has given me the confidence to help others at our learning centre, chair our steering group meetings and go out and speak to colleagues about learning in the workplace,” Terry says.

“The learning centre is now a big part of my life and the satisfaction that it brings in helping others is unsurpassed by anything that I have taken part in before.”

Terry has encouraged over 300 people to sign up for courses in the past year, and 200 have achieved City & Guilds qualifications.

“Terry is their ambassador, confidant, adviser, supporter and coach,” says Unite Union Learning Manager Keith Cockroft, who nominated Terry for the ALW award.

Andrew Wiard

Adult Learners’ Week roundup: pp8&9

summer 2010 «

3

Photo: Rod Leon

» News

Employers back union learning Eight out of ten employers think union-led learning has helped their staff; six out of ten reckon it’s benefited their organisation; and nine out of ten are sticking with it, according to the biggest-ever survey of employer attitudes to union learning.

The numbers, from a survey conducted by Leeds University’s Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change, provide hard evidence of the positive effect of union-led learning on workforce development over the past 12 years.

“The Leeds University survey shows why employers like union learning – it helps them and helps their employees,” says unionlearn Director Tom Wilson.

The 415 employers were evenly split between the public and private sectors, covered a wide range of businesses and organisations, and employed around 1 million staff between them.

The Leeds report highlights the enormous contribution made by the Union Learning Fund since it was launched in 1998: ULF projects are inclusive: more than nine out of ten opened learning opportunities to non-union members, while one-third targeted a specific ethnic or other minority group.

ULF projects represent added value: without them, learning would not have taken place in many workplaces and the quality of learning would not have been as high.

ULF projects have had a positive effect on industrial relations, staff morale and health and safety: almost one-third of employers said organisational performance had increased and 42 per cent said trust had improved between management and unions.

The biggest hurdle for union learning projects remains securing time off for staff to take part in learning and for ULRs to carry out their duties.

Funding also remains problematic: while 40 per cent of employers said learning activities would continue without external funding, 28 per cent said they wouldn’t.

Read the full report at http://tinyurl.com/2v226kd

Midwives deliver first ULR course The Royal College of Midwives delivered its first ULR course this year with 12 attending a residential event in Corby.

The course was specially written to cover the mix of personal and professional learning needs and to reflect the unique sector in which they work.

“We are very thrilled with our first course. All ULRs were nervous to begin with but quickly found their feet and were soon full of ideas to develop their role,” said Project Manager Denise Linay.

4 » summer 2010

RCM Head of Employment Relations and Development Jon Skewes pointed out that 11 out of 12 learning reps were new activists “so we are doubly delighted”.

The union project team is working to fine-tune material for future courses and additional ULF funds will enable it to develop an online ULR course, allowing the union to recruit ULRs from across its membership, which has a high proportion of part-time and shift workers.

All but one of the union learning reps on the Royal College of Midwives’ first ULR course were new to union activism

Employers like union-led learning because it helps them and their staff

News «

Tracy speaks up for skills Say it in 60 seconds The TUC has launched a competition for new 60-second film ads to encourage people to join their union or get active in the labour movement.

“We are not looking for the next Spielberg, necessarily: what we are looking for are innovative and eye-catching ways to tell the trade union story,” the TUC says.

The idea is make a hard-hitting or entertaining one-minute movie to capture the interest of people who have little or no knowledge of trade unions – and convince them to get involved as either members or activists.

First prize is £1,000 plus a day on a film set and tickets to the première of Made In Dagenham, the new film by Calendar Girls director Nigel Cole about the women workers who walked out in protest against sexual discrimination at Ford’s Dagenham car plant in 1968.

The deadline for entries is midnight on Monday 9 August.

Find out more at www.tuc60seconds.org.uk You can watch the trailer for Made In Dagenham at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0LF-F1QNAw

Community President Tracy Clarke told the TUC Women’s Conference earlier this year how unionlearn has helped her change her life for the better – just as it’s helped hundreds of thousands of learners across the country.

After gaining qualifications in English, maths and manufacturing through learning at work, Tracy recently completed a course from the Institute of Leadership and Management – “all thanks to my union, the TUC and unionlearn”.

Union-led learning had also helped over 60 people at her workplace gain NVQs, 16 were on Skills for Life courses at the time of the conference and another six were set to take their exams in the summer.

“The change is about more than facts and figures, it is about my factory – our new learning centre means new opportunities are on our doorstep.”

Tracy urged women’s conference delegates to stand by unionlearn in the difficult times ahead. “We should be clear: we will stand up and defend working women, the minimum wage and unionlearn,” she argued.

We must defend unionlearn, Community President Tracy Clarke told the TUC Women’s Conference

Rail reps make union movie

Photo: Janina Struk

Three lead ULRs from rail union RMT took part in a one-off film course earlier this year – and uploaded the short film they made onto YouTube afterwards.

Tony Hutton from Grimsby, John Dougherty from Merseyside and Bjorn Bradshaw from Luton travelled to London for the course, filming their own short documentary and learning how to edit it on Apple Macs.

The trio filmed a series of interviews about skills in the current climate and then edited their “vox pops” into a three-minute film, Learning In A Recession. You can watch the final cut on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v= QX-U0n0P0cM

summer 2010 « 5

» News

Get the ABC of workplace reading ULRs can play an important role in promoting science in the workplace to combat future skills shortages

Promoting science for the future ULRs are being asked for their input on a strategy to promote careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

The TUC has been involved with a Science for Careers Group charged with looking into: • raising awareness of the opportunities for those who study science; • providing increased information on the range of science careers available; • ensuring the science workforce is more representative of the diversity of modern society.

The group’s report stresses that a wider range of networks is needed to spread the word about qualifications and careers to help combat the potential future shortage of staff with STEM skills.

6 » summer 2010

“As ULRs already assist colleagues with information about training opportunities, the workplace would seem to be an ideal place for making such information available,” says Anne Grikitis, Head of the STEM Skills and Diversity Science and Society Unit at BIS. As a result, ULRs have been invited to pass on their views on the best ways of doing this to help draw up a strategy on how they can signpost colleagues to STEM careers information.

Read the report at http://preview.tinyurl.com/yhzyemk If you want to get involved, email Anne Grikitis: anne.grikitis1@bis.gsi.gov.uk

The Reading Agency, the independent charity that aims to inspire more people to read more, has launched a new booklet called Six Book Challenge at Work.

“ULRs in around 90 workplaces have run The Reading Agency’s Six Book Challenge as a way to engage colleagues in reading and raise awareness of their learning centres and course provision in the process,” explains Senior Project Manager Genevieve Clarke.

The scheme’s early success in Yorkshire was celebrated in the free booklet Getting Reading to Work, which was published to coincide with last year’s unionlearn national conference.

“Now we’re publishing a second booklet, Six Book Challenge at Work, which features the successful impact of the challenge through the support of ULRs in workplaces as diverse as Transport for London, NHS Trusts, Warburtons and Tameside Council,” Genevieve says.

For more information, visit www.sixbookchallenge. org.uk or contact mail@davidkendall.co.uk or tel 07814 060572. You can order free copies of both Reading Agency booklets from www.unionlearn.org.uk/ publications/

News «

Over 60 Scottish trade unionists explored a range of approaches to improving literacy and numeracy at the workplace at the second annual Scottish Union Learning Everyday Skills Event earlier this year.

“Raising the profile of everyday skills issues through events like this will help enable trade unions and ULRs provide better support to the workers who need workplace learning opportunities the most,” commented Scottish Union Learning Manager Sylvia O’Grady.

Four workshops gave participants the chance

to explore ways of improving everyday skills in the current economic climate: Exploring Employability Skills looked at getting employed and staying employed.

Making the Most of AccessApps demonstrated a suite of over 50 portable open source and freeware applications to support learning.

Financial Literacy examined how ULRs can support members about how best to use their money.

Understanding The Glasgow Dialect explored how unions can help migrant workers get to grips with the local dialect.

Photo: Gerry McCann

Scots boost everyday skills

Unite learning rep Jimmy Lillis (left) and First Bus learner Robert Smieja discuss the Glasgow dialect at the Everyday Skills event

Photo: Paul Box/reportdigital.co.uk

FE reps gen up on new 14–19 Diplomas Union learning reps in further education (FE) have been attending briefing workshops on the new 14–19 Diploma, which combines theoretical study with practical experience in a bid to close the divide between academic and vocational learning.

Held in Birmingham, Leeds and London, the free workshops offered FE learning reps the chance to get updates on the main strands of 14–19 learning and make them aware of all the key roles involved in effective delivery.

The workshops were organised

by Lifelong Learning UK, the Sector Skills Council responsible for the professional development of staff working in the UK lifelong learning sector, and backed by unionlearn as well as the FE unions ATL, UCU and UNISON. Participants received an electronic toolkit of information and support specific to FE; found out how to stay updated on the latest developments in 14–19 learning; and learned how to ensure FE staff are confident in their roles delivering the new Diploma.

The new 14–19 Diploma aims to close the divide between academic and vocational learning

Finance SSC profits from union link The Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC) is to deepen its working relationships with unions in the financial services and accountancy sectors following the renewal of its licence from central government.

“We have developed a clear strategy, which we can achieve through a strong spirit of collaboration; this includes close joint working with the unions working in our industry,” says FSSC Interim Chief Executive Liz Field.

Unite Research Section Head and FSSC board member John Earls is one of a number of union representatives who play active roles on the board and its careers panels.

“I look forward to exploring with the FSSC how trade unions can work with it to help deliver the skills needs of the sector and those who work in it,” John says.

“Unions, and union learning representatives, have a terrific record in the promotion and delivery of learning and skills.”

Directions, the FSSC’s online careers information service, received the unionlearn Quality Award last year for the exemplary way in which union learners are considered in the design, development and delivery of courses and programmes.

summer 2010 « 7

Training for tomorrow

photo: Justin Sutcliffe

» Feature » Adult Learners’ Week

The Government understands not only that learning matters but also why it matters, according to new Lifelong Learning Minister John Hayes.

We must re-skill and up-skill the working population to secure our future as a high-skill economy, Lifelong Learning Minister John Hayes argued at the Learning at Work (LAW) Day 2010 debate.

Organised by the Campaign for Learning, the event was a fitting finale to a day that saw thousands of learning activities take place in workplaces across the country.

“An advanced economy requires advanced skills and our future chance to compete is indeed as an advanced high-skilled high-tech economy,” John argued.

“So it’s not just about people that are coming into learning, it’s not just the people who are deciding to learn for the efficacy of learning, it’s also about the necessity of that re-skilling and up-skilling process among the existing working population.”

TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady joined panel members from Pearson – Work Based Learning, learndirect and NIACE for the debate, which looked at the best way forward for workplace learning and skills in an age of austerity.

The Government should follow through on the commitment to meet the Leitch ambition; boost the apprenticeship programme and high-quality apprenticeships; and invest for skills for growth in the long term, Frances argued.

8 » summer 2010

ULR Ray Best and Staff Training and Development Adviser Rachel Gray

Ray knows Best Unite ULR Ray Best knows what he is talking about when he calls for a fun approach to learning.

Having left school with no qualifications, Basildon and Thurrock NHS rep Ray went back to college aged 35.

“When I was at school I never wanted to learn, but I was lucky I got a second chance at it: I now have six GCSEs, four A Levels and a degree.”

On LAW Day, members of staff from the Education and Training Department teamed up with South Essex College and The Open University, and set up a stand in Basildon University Hospital.

“We need to get the word out that learning is fun, and education is important – especially in a changing economic climate,” says Ray. “If we can encourage people to train to be the best, then they can go forward in the future, not just in their personal development, but the development of the Trust.”

With a lot of interest from staff, Ray is hoping that the Trust will be able to do something similar on a quarterly basis, instead of just once a year.

Connecting across the country Making Connections was the theme and thousands of workers threw themselves into the spirit of learning a new skill when they joined in activities during Adult Learners’ Week and Learning at Work (LAW) Day. Sponsored and funded by unionlearn, events were as diverse as floristry, using the Nintendo as an introduction to computers, Brain Games, tracing family history, wine appreciation, yoga, quilting, Tweeting, boxercise, brass rubbing and British Sign Language as well as tasters to HE courses, basic literacy and numeracy and learning about finance.

Dog psychology sessions for police staff, yoga, bread making and Bhangra were also on offer.

Adult Learners’ Week « Feature «

Quick Reads author Lola Jaye visited the learning centre at Royal Mail’s sorting office at Mount Pleasant on Learning at Work Day, where she met participants in The Reading Agency’s Six Book Challenge, learning centre co-ordinators and representatives from Westminster Libraries

Good times (clockwise from left): Egyptian belly dancers joined HMRC staff in Southend as part of a day of well-being organised

by PCS SE Essex Branch; while staff at Chipping Sodbury School learned how to make a hanging basket in an NASUWT event; and the GMB helped organise an engine maintenance taster at Babcock International

Righ requet sto time to t train

New resources to promote time to train

A range of downloadable resources to support the new right to request time to train were launched on Learning at Work Day. Time to Train? Time to Talk! materials, developed by the Campaign for Learning and unionlearn, include activity ideas, promotional materials and a mini-guide.

They are designed to be used by everyone in the workplace involved in supporting learning – including HR and learning and development specialists, line managers and ULRs. “Access to workplace training remains a pipedream for many employees, especially those in greatest need of improving their skills,” says unionlearn Director Tom Wilson.

“The new right to request time to train will help many more employees get a proper hearing from their employer about their training and development needs.

Union reps have a vital role to play by raising awareness, building confidence and supporting requests for training from workers.”

The Time to Train? Time to Talk! resources include a mini-guide to the new right, activity ideas and exercises, a template presentation and promotional posters. All can be downloaded at www.learningatworkday.com/ Unionlearn has also developed The right to request time to train: A guide for trade union representatives available to download at www.unionlearn.org.uk/righttorequesttraining

Activity organised by UNISON at Central Library Darlington included tasters in hair, beauty and nail therapy as well as fire safety and crime prevention

summer 2010 «

9

A pair of new online resources show exactly how partnerships between local employers and schools can benefit employees, teachers and pupils.

Firms into schools will go Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery has attracted apprentices such as Gareth Webber (above), Alwyn Boxill (top right) and Andy Ritchie (bottom right) through developing links with local schools and colleges

Ten years ago, Lincoln-based Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery was finding it hard to recruit young people with the right skills for the gas turbine business in the predominantly rural surrounding area.

That’s why it began developing an education strategy to raise the aspirations and achievements of young people from a local community with social deprivation and unemployment problems.

Recognising that interest in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) curriculum needs encouraging from an early age for the best results further down the line, Siemens set up several primary-level after-school science clubs in Lincoln.

The company also began organising an annual design and build competition to provide primary-age children with an introduction to the world of design and engineering.

10 » summer 2010

Siemens now works with 28 secondary schools across Lincolnshire. It has helped three schools achieve Specialist Status in science, technology and engineering, hosting site tours so everyone from headteachers to support staff can familiarise themselves with the business and look at ways of developing partnerships for the future.

Every year, pupils aged 15/16 and upwards clock up 450 days’ work experience, almost all of them in engineering areas.

In addition, schools can organise industrial visits linked to the curriculum (e.g. engineering at GCSE and A Level), when pupils can look at specific elements of a subject area and discuss with relevant engineers and, if appropriate, undertake a tour of the manufacturing facility.

The company also runs the annual Female into Industry Challenge.

It begins in Year 8, when a group of girls is challenged to design and make something over two days

using Computer-Aided Design (CAD), manufacturing equipment and traditional hand skills, supported by first-year apprentices.

This is followed up by a one-day challenge against the clock a year later, and the offer of work experience placement a year after that, and the pupils are sent details of the company’s apprenticeship scheme at the appropriate time.

The programme has ensured that 22 per cent of the first group to take the two-day challenge in 2003 applied for apprenticeships three years later.

As a result of the overall education programme, Siemens has created a 30 per cent increase in suitably qualified applicants for their advanced apprenticeships, while 21 per cent of school students who undertook work experience at the company in 2007 applied for apprenticeships a year later.

Now schools across the country looking to improve their partnerships with local employers, as well as

All photos: John Jones/newsphoto.co.uk

» Feature » Schools

Schools « Feature «

How school link benefit employ s ers

Employers of al l types, sizes an d sectors are developing partnership with schools and colleges becaus e supporting ch ildren and young people in their recruit the right pe education helps them: ople more easily and efficiently; retain the best pe ople by offering em ployees increased job sa tisfaction throug h volunteering in schools; build local unders tanding of their bu siness.

Visit the Teachers ’ Guide at www.teachers-g uide.org

«

How business links benefit schools y are working in Schools across the countr ployers to help em al partnership with loc of their pupils. improve the life chances oss all stages of By engaging employers, acr dy, teaching staff learning and subjects of stu eriences that can provide rich learning exp improve their p motivate young people, hel h skills that wit m attainment and equip the . employers value highly resources for Employers can provide new rove literacy imp to g rkin teaching staff wo ools, and support and numeracy in primary sch es (e.g. Economic secondary school programm ability) as well Well-being and Financial Cap ations. lific as the delivery of 14–19 qua sional fes pro the Employers can support rs and school che tea oom development of classr ctive governance of managers; support the effe new financial and the institution; and provide in-kind resources.

«

businesses keen on developing their links with nearby schools, can get practical help from two new websites, the Teachers’ Guide and the Employers’ Guide.

The Teachers’ Guide is a practical one-stop-shop about working with employers designed for all school and college staff; while the Employers’ Guide will help employers of all sizes and sectors understand the education system and how they can get involved.

Both new websites have been launched by the Education and Employers Taskforce, a new charity launched last year to promote better links between business and schools.

The guides bring together evidence of why and how employer engagement works and give examples of a range of successful school and employer partnerships.

Key players in the education and business sectors that have thrown their collective weight behind the development of the online resources include the TUC, the Confederation of British Industry, the Institute of Directors, and the Federation of Small Businesses.

Contributors from the world of education include teaching unions as well as leadership organisations for school, college and children’s services and the Teaching Awards.

at Visit the Employers’ Guide g .or ide -gu ers loy mp www.e

summer 2010 «

11

» Roundup » Apprenticeships

Unions boost apprentice numbers

Photo: Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk

Apprenticeships help develop a young person’s skills, CWU member Stephanie Harrison told the Advocating for Apprenticeships event

No more second-rate training schemes Unions must stop disreputable employers offering second-rate training schemes for young people, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber told the Advocating for Apprenticeships conference in April.

“The apprenticeship brand has become so strong and universally recognised that there is a danger that unscrupulous employers could piggy-back on the success of genuine schemes by providing half-baked, poorly funded, second-rate apprenticeships of their own,” he said.

‘What we don’t need are schemes that generate kudos and positive PR for the employer but do little to meet the needs of apprentices themselves.”

The TUC had gathered reports of socalled apprenticeships lasting less than three months and schemes offering just an hour’s off-the-job training a week.

“To continue the success of apprenticeships, they need to be good value for both employers and trainees: schemes should offer high-quality training at work and in college, and a good chance of a job afterwards,” Brendan said.

12 » summer 2010

“Apprentices also need a decent wage and the promise that from October all trainees will be protected by the minimum wage will go a long way to achieving this.”

CWU member Stephanie Harrison told the conference how her apprenticeship at BT had been a great opportunity to develop her skills and take on responsibility within the workplace.

BT Openreach HR Director Jane Hobbs said employers such as BT needed apprentices with better skills at the start of the apprenticeship programme, which meant improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills in schools.

It was also important to provide options for disadvantaged young people who might leave school without the skills needed for an apprenticeship programme, she argued.

Workshops covered apprentices in the public sector; organising; equalities; mentoring; and pay.

Read the key presentations at: www.unionlearn.org.uk/initiatives/ learn-3364-f0.cfm

Almost two-thirds of union reps are encouraging their employer to take on apprenticeships and half have negotiated learning agreements that include apprenticeships at their workplace.

The unionlearn survey of ULRs, safety reps and members also shows that two-thirds have negotiated pay agreements that include apprentices and more than half have negotiated health and safety issues.

The reps, from a wide range of unions and working for private and public sector employers, said that they were mentoring apprentices, giving them advice and support, supervising their training and representing them in disciplinary and grievance proceedings.

Apprentices in unionised workplaces are likely to receive significantly more money. Only three out of 55 reps reported employers were paying the £95 per week minimum apprentice pay rate.

One engineering rep reported the apprentice rate was £10,000, rising to £25,500 on completion, and another reported an apprentice was paid £16,500.

“I’m delighted that this survey confirms what we knew all along: union reps are working hard to encourage their employers to take on new apprentices and to support apprentices in the workplace,” says Scarlet Harris, unionlearn’s apprenticeships policy and campaigns officer.

“If the growth in apprenticeships is to be sustained under the new Government, it is essential that unions are involved to ensure that these apprenticeships are high-quality, fairly paid and are not substituting for existing, better-paid jobs.”

Learning centres « Feature « “This is a golden opportunity to build learning partnerships with the local community.”

Partners in learning CWU learning rep Steve Hackford and fellow member Balraj Singh Atwal have forged an effective learning partnership to benefit the local Sikh community

Midlands CWU learning rep Steve Hackford and one of his learners, Balraj Singh Atwal, have set up a learning centre in the Sikh temple in Wolverhampton to help the local community improve their English, maths and IT skills.

Steve had already helped around 700 colleagues through courses at the Wolverhampton Mail Centre when he had the idea to open something similar in the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Cannock, where Atwal has been President for the past 23 years.

“Atwal had been coming to one of my courses last year but then couldn’t attend any more, and we got talking about the temple and I asked if there were any facilities there where we could set something up,” Steve recalls.

Atwal saw the potential immediately – the temple was already running homework clubs for school children, but there was definitely scope to offer adult learning as well (‘sikh’ means ‘learner’)

Photos: Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk

We kick off a five-page focus on learning centres with a visit to a unionbacked initiative at a Sikh temple in the Midlands. By Martin Moriarty

Since the City of Wolverhampton College was the CWU branch’s education provider, Steve got in touch with Workforce Development Officer Karen Riley from the Employment Engagement Team about the idea.

“Karen came down to the temple with me and she said she’d be interested and it took off from there: the whole thing took about three weeks to get going,” Steve says.

As well as English, maths and IT classes, there are also courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), cookery sessions and wrestling classes tutored by a gold medallist wrestler in the gym that’s been set up at the temple.

Helping set up the learning centre has brought the union and the Sikh community closer together. “The friendship between me and Atwal now is second to none – if I need anything, all I do is ask him and he’s

there to support me,” Steve says.

Steve thinks the model could be adopted throughout the Midlands – and beyond. “There are quite a few ULRs in the region who know what we’ve been doing now and I’m taking the idea to our regional learning committee to see if anyone else is interested,” Steve says.

Steve will also be encouraging more ULRs to follow his lead when he runs a workshop on community learning at the CWU’s ULR conference in Cardiff in the autumn.

“This is a golden opportunity to build learning partnerships with the local community,” Steve says.

“I invite anyone who lives or works near a Sikh temple to have a look around – the generosity and respect they have for everyone is unbelievable.

Even if you go in as a stranger, you will come out a friend – that’s a true cultural exchange.”

summer 2010 «

13

Courses fit for a prince

All photos: Jess

Hurd/reportdigita l.co.uk

» Feature » Learning centres

The new learning centre at Brighton’s iconic Royal Pavilion is giving behind-the-scenes staff new opportunities to develop themselves at work. By Martin Moriarty When the future George IV had the Royal Pavilion built for him in Brighton, he was convinced a royal palace by the seaside would change his life for the better.

And now, over 200 years later, the people who help run one of the city’s major tourist attractions have the chance to change their lives for the better since the GMB opened a new learning centre onsite and signed a learning agreement with the council department that looks after the iconic building.

“There can’t be many learning centres in a former prince’s bordello, but the centre will be a great asset

14 » summer 2010

Royal Pavilion staff can drop in to the learning centre for advice about IT courses

to the Brighton staff in developing their skills and knowledge,” says unionlearn Regional Manager Barry Francis.

While the Pavilion itself is famous for interiors that are exotic to say the least (breathtakingly camp also comes to mind), the learning centre occupies a room in the plainer surroundings of a former townhouse next door, originally purchased by the council in the 1980s to house the visitors’ shop.

Already, staff are using the IT skills drop-in sessions on Fridays to help them find their way round a computer, and once they’ve done that, they’re able to drop in any time

to work on the laptops supplied by the union.

The learning centre and agreement had its roots in discussions late last year between management and the union about how to improve industrial relations and offer staff the opportunity for personal and professional development at work.

“There’s no disguising the fact we have had some issues here regarding staff relations, so I arranged a meeting with Acting GMB Convenor Richard Warren to see what we could do to move on rather than always having the same problems,” explains Duty Manager Maria Foy. “I’m passionate about learning because it means people can work their way into other jobs in the same area, and without learning staff can’t really move on – and we thought this might improve relations between the staff and the management.”

After seeing the GMB learning centre at Brighton Cityclean for herself, Maria then approached her own boss with the idea of launching a similar initiative at the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museum (sited in the Pavilion Gardens).

“Maria came to talk to me about it and we thought it could be a useful

Learning centres « Feature «

“I’ve always been interested in learning and training, and for many of the frontline staff it’s about looking at ways of making their jobs more interesting and giving them opportunities for development.” thing for us to do,” explains Visitor Services Manager Julia Hugall.

“I’ve always been interested in learning and training, and for many of the frontline staff it’s about looking at ways of making their jobs more interesting and giving them opportunities for development.”

Head of Museums and the Royal Pavilion Janita Bagshawe also saw the enormous potential. “I thought it was a great idea – I’ve got a learning background myself, and getting learning and development that meets people’s individual learning needs instead of getting them off a central menu made a lot of sense,” she says.

The clear demonstration of the business case at Cityclean meant negotiations for the agreement and centre were relatively short and sweet, says GMB Regional Project Worker Declan MacIntyre (himself a former ULR at Cityclean).

“The reduction in sickness

absence and dramatic drop in disciplinaries for those involved in learning at Cityclean, plus the increase in staff morale measured in the employer’s own annual staff survey, demonstrated there was a financial benefit to the employer,” he says.

“After a very short negotiation period we drafted a model agreement which is extremely good for both sides and includes the facility for funding from the employer’s training budget to be funnelled directly into the centre.”

With so many shiftworkers employed to keep the Pavilion running smoothly, finding a room to house the learning centre onsite was the best solution.

“It’s the ideal way of doing it because they can’t easily get on any other courses because they don’t fit in with their work patterns – having the centre onsite means they can go and do bits in small chunks when

Maria Foy (left), Declan MacIntyre and Julia Hugall have all played their parts in getting the Royal Pavilion learning centre up and running

they’re free,” Julia says.

Two ULRs cover the Pavilion and Brighton Museum, while two more cover the three satellite sites: Hove Museum & Art Gallery, Booth Museum of Natural History and Preston Manor.

The new centre has definitely created a real buzz about learning among the staff, Declan says.

The union is looking into setting up courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in the autumn (management has been positive about funding that learning from its own budgets) as well as Skills for Life, and many staff are also interested in learning languages (always useful in a tourist attraction).

The union is now also involved in scrutinising the NVQ training at the workplace to ensure all staff are getting what they need out if it, and is able to offer its in-depth knowledge of which are the best local providers to provide quality workplace learning and training.

“It’s an extremely good working partnership with the employer, through which our members get the training they need to do the job,” Declan says.

summer 2010 «

15

» Feature » Learning centres

Back to basics More and more union learning centres are engaging hard-to-reach learners with the world of ICT through Online basics, the suite of five short courses developed by UK online centres.

Union learning reps across the country are introducing members who haven’t used a computer to the world of ICT with Online basics, the suite of courses developed by UK online centres.

Online basics is made up of five courses: Starting with a keyboard, Starting with a mouse, Using email, Using the internet safely and Using online searches.

Learners can progress onto further courses on www.myguide.gov.uk, the learning website designed by UK online centres to improve online access for groups who have previously been excluded or have found IT intimidating or hard to use.

Gloucestershire CWU ULR Sean McGeough has been using Online basics to help four or five members a month get to grips with basic ICT since the beginning of this year.

16 » summer 2010

“I was looking for something basic for people who have never touched computers before and don’t want a qualification, and we’ve found Online basics absolutely fabulous – we’ve reached groups of people who would never have been interested in accredited courses,” Sean says.

“Because it’s simple, nonthreatening and non-accredited, it’s really taken off – the oldest person using the suite at Gloucester mail centre is a retired member of 74 – it’s just fantastic.”

The Prison Officers’ Association Hatfield learning centre at HMP Moorland open prison is also using Online basics to reach both parts of its target audience, Prison Service staff and the local community.

“I became interested because I saw Online basics could be a pre-learning activity for people who

come in to do our learndirect courses,” says Regional Centre Manager Ellen Schofield.

The need for a non-threatening introduction to ICT is partly prompted by the Prison Service moving many of its administrative and training systems online.

“When staff don’t have the computer skills they need, they have difficulty in using these systems, and Online basics is very good for people to come in and try their hand who’ve never touched a computer before,” Ellen explains.

Pass IT on Do you know someone at work, a friend, neighbour or family member who needs a helping hand with the online basics?

You can get them started with the new Pass IT On campaign from UK online centres, which has lots of suggestions about how to get them interested, where to find a computer for them to try (they may even have one at home they never switch on), and how the five Online basics courses can get them started.

Find out more at: www.helppassiton.co.uk/

Online basics has taken off because it’s a simple and nonthreatening suite of ICT courses

Learning centres « Feature «

“When staff don’t have the computer skills they need, they have difficulty in using these systems, and Online basics is very good for people to come in and try their hand who’ve never touched a computer before.”

Partnership gives paperworkers new onsite opportunities Unionlearn and paper manufacturing firm Glatfelter CFBU have got together to open a new employee learning centre at the US-based multi-national’s paper mill in Lydney, Gloucestershire.

“We’re all very proud of the success in the setting up of our new Skills & Learning Centre, which shows what can be done in a short space of time when all parties involved are committed and work together to achieve a common purpose,” says Unite ULR Tim Heward.

Primarily funded by unionlearn, with financial support from the company, the joint venture aims to give employees the opportunity for learning and skills development in premises that have benefited from significant investment in computer equipment and infrastructure.

Glatfelter CFBU’s UK Human Resources Manager Declan Lynch believes the learning centre will be an invaluable resource for all employees at the mill and help the company develop the skills it needs for the future.

“Supporting employees in their desire to enhance their learning and develop new skills will be central to Glatfelter’s strategy in developing a sustainable skills base into the future,” Declan says.

Bill Yanavitch, Vice President for Human Resources and

Glatfelter CFBU Operations Director Dr Reinhard Schiebeler (left), ULR Tim Heward (centre) and Glatfelter Human Resources Manager for the UK Declan Lynch open the new centre

Find your nearest union learning centre online Unionlearn is developing a web-based Trade Union Learning Centre Directory, which will allow union members to key in their union and postcode and find the nearest centre that’s open to them.

Each listing will include whether the centre is workplace- or community-based; its target audience; the provision on offer; the facilities available; and contact details.

There are now over 400 union learning centres across the country, over 70 of them already open to their local community.

In addition, many more new centres are planned to open in the coming year with the help of the Union Learning Fund, while hundreds are scheduled to be significantly enhanced.

The directory goes online this autumn.

Administration at Glatfelter, agrees.

“Given the fierce global competition to serve our markets, Glatfelter is proud of the collaborative solution developed under the leadership of Tim Heward and Declan Lynch to enhance the skills of Glatfelter people,” he says.

“This collective commitment represents an investment in our workforce and our future as we pursue our vision to become the global supplier of choice in specialty papers and engineered products.”

The launch of the new facility was attended by senior representatives from Glatfelter CFBU, union officials and representatives of the paper industry skills agency Proskills.

summer 2010 «

17

» Feature » Cancer in the workplace

Cancer in the workplace TUC Education is launching a workbook and course with Macmillan Cancer Support to help reps improve the experience of people with cancer at work.

Grappling with a diagnosis of cancer and the treatment to combat it is hard enough without an insensitive employer who does not recognise what you are dealing with.

That’s what happened to nursery nurse Janet Bryant, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2003. Over the following seven months she had both breasts removed, followed by reconstructive surgery.

Janet was shocked when she was sent a pair of plastic breasts as a ‘joke’ Christmas present while she was recovering at home and had to endure her managing director taunting her with remarks about “dropping a boob” and “keeping abreast of things”.

“I didn’t think it was humorous at all and she knew me well enough after years of working for her to know how I would feel,” Janet says.

The bullying continued when she returned to work. Her surgery and the removal of back muscles had left her with reduced upper body strength and her boss made comments about her ability to lift children and equipment.

18 » summer 2010

“It was a constant drip-drip effect.

She treated me differently to when I was able-bodied. It was bullying.

I became disabled and it was a problem in her eyes. Eventually she found what she thought was a reason to get rid of me.”

Janet was sacked after nine years’ service at the nursery in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, amid allegations she had breached child protection rules.

But a tribunal awarded her £3,000 for unfair dismissal and £11,250 for disability discrimination, including £7,500 for injury to feelings.

Each year in the UK, 90,000 people like Janet are diagnosed with cancer. The HR department of a large employer will see more new cancer diagnoses in a year than a GP. There are currently 774,000 people of working age living with a cancer diagnosis. Many will continue to work after, or even through, their treatment for cancer.

Now TUC Education has launched an awareness-raising and support programme with the charity Macmillan Cancer Support to help reps improve the experience of people like Janet and their carers in the workplace.

The new programme will also help

reps work with HR departments to put in place fair policies to help those suffering with cancer and to raise awareness among staff.

“Unions have always played a vital role in cancer prevention, through negotiating and campaigning around the identification and control of carcinogens in the workplace,” says TUC Education Manager Liz Rees.

“Cancer in the Workplace builds on union reps’ role in supporting members at the workplace who either have cancer themselves or who have caring responsibilities.”

A workshop to launch the course and workbook took place during unionlearn’s annual conference.

Cancer in the workplace « Feature « “Line managers find it difficult to deal with the emotional issues that arise and strike a balance between the needs of the individual and those of the organisation.

People with cancer have legal rights, but many employers are not aware of this.”

The workshop gave participants the chance to: discuss the issues for unions when supporting members with cancer or with caring responsibilities; discuss the content and use of the workbook; explore the Macmillan Learn Zone and the union rep area online; find out where to get more information about courses.

“People with cancer have legal rights, but many employers are not aware of this,” says Macmillan Cancer Support Chief Executive Ciarán Devane.

“Macmillan’s research shows that line managers report difficulty dealing with the emotional issues that arise and striking a balance between the needs of the individual and those of the organisation.”

Of the complaints made to the Equality and Human Rights Commission related to cancer, 82 per cent were about employers not making reasonable adjustments.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber is confident that the TUCMacmillan partnership will improve the lives of many thousands of people living with cancer.

“There is enormous scope for wellinformed union reps to ensure that employers support staff effectively, reducing anxiety and increasing the likelihood of a successful return to work,” Bendan says.

Union reps can help by: negotiating with the line manager to ensure the cancer sufferer has time off or a change in working pattern so they can continue to work;

giving advice on employment and benefit rights: under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person because of their disability.

Everyone with cancer is classed as disabled under the DDA and so is protected by this Act. A person who had a cancer in the past that has been successfully treated and is now ‘cured’ will still be covered by the DDA. This means their employer must not discriminate against them for a reason relating to their past cancer; helping with financial advice: the union rep can find out about benefits that members are entitled to and signpost them to support specialists for help and advice e.g. Statutory Sick Pay, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Carers’ Allowance; giving them key contacts and sources of information to help them; carrying out risk assessments and awareness-raising activities e.g. stopping smoking or healthy eating; organising a cancer support project, campaign or event.

Often a family member will have to become carer for a partner, child or relative who has been diagnosed with cancer. Under the Work and Families Act (2006) a carer can request flexible working. Union reps can help those who lack the confidence or knowledge to raise these issues.

Find out more The Learn Zone on the Macmillan website is packed with advice about supporting union members diagnosed with cancer and their carers.

Macmillan has produced a DVD for employers, Cancer in the Workplace, showing five powerful case studies and the potential situations that employees and employers may experience in the workplace. Union reps’ perspectives have been added and are available online.

Reps can take a short face-to-face course, Cancer in the Workplace: A Course and Guidance for Union Representatives with TUC Education. There will also be an online version of the course available through TUC Education.

When available, courses can be accessed through the unionlearn website in the course directory. For more details, contact TUC Regional Education Officers (details at back of workbook). The Workbook will be available on courses, through TUC Education and Macmillan.

• www.macmillan.org.uk • www.unionlearn.org.uk/ courses/index.cfm

summer 2010 «

19

» Feature » Numeracy

Count us in A new campaign to make maths matter will help ULRs offer a comprehensive range of support to numeracy learners.

Anyone who has been confused about the right change in a shop, struggled with their kids’ long division or scratched their head over their pay packet knows that maths is not just a miserable classroom memory.

That’s why unionlearn is teaming up with NIACE and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) with a new campaign and website maths4us.org to encourage ULRs and others to help improve adult numeracy.

The aim is to give people a second chance to get to grips with maths and make World Maths Day as exciting and important as World Book Day. While people are ashamed to admit that they are not good at reading or writing, most are quite happy to say they are rubbish at maths.

But a fifth of adults in the UK lack the basic numeracy skills needed for everyday life, such as household budgeting, working out their change during shopping, calculating credit card interest rates or helping children with homework.

Having this lack of mathematical ability, or confidence with numbers, can have a dramatic effect on your life chances; people with good numeracy skills are twice as likely to be employed as those who have difficulties.

Evidence also shows that people who improve their numeracy skills

20 » summer 2010

between the ages of 21 and 34 are more likely to own their own homes and to have savings, and are less likely to be on benefits.

“It’s not fair that far too many adults have not had the right opportunities for them to get up to speed with maths and are now, literally, paying the price,” says unionlearn’s National Union Development Manager Judith Swift.

“It’s time to really step up the tempo and create a new culture and climate to break the negative image of maths. I remember a Unite ULR, who is now a maths specialist, saying to me last year: ‘I talk about the Maths Wall – we all seem to hit it at some point and give up: unions are here to help us all climb our wall and get on’.”

The need to improve adult skills has already led to initiatives including Skills for Life and the Employability Skills Programme.

But according to a new report, Count Me In by New Philanthropy Capital (www.philanthropycapital .org/publications/education/ numeracy.aspx) there is still a lot of work needed to reach adults with poor numeracy skills.

As part of a maths action plan, unionlearn will: increase the number of ULRs on Skills for Life training; support ULRs to improve their own literacy and numeracy skills; establish a numeracy focus for adult learner initiatives; develop a range of resources to support union-led numeracy learning; support numeracy tutors through the numeracy focus group, webbased communication, workshops and conferences.

The campaign is also looking at ways to promote puzzles, Countdown contests and conundrums to take the fear factor out of maths.

The joint campaign will employ a multi-agency approach, making links with libraries, Jobcentre Plus and Sure Start centres.

“This is going to be a big year for numeracy,” says Sue Southwood, NIACE’s programme director for literacy, language and numeracy.

“Together with unionlearn we want to make a concerted and co-ordinated effort to reach out to people and get them interested, at whatever level, in maths.”

Numeracy « Feature «

“The aim is give people a second chance to get to grips with maths and make World Maths Day as exciting and important as World Book Day.”

ULRs help get a grip USDAW ULR Mick Power knows exactly the difference maths can make to people’s lives.

“We offer numeracy to colleagues working at the distribution centre which houses Rye Park learning centre,” says Mick, a ULR at Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.

“The centre covers all three shifts worked by the 1,000-plus colleagues and is available for learning every day,” he explains.

One woman on a low-paid job developed her numeracy at the centre and has now gone on to a higher-paid job that has enabled her to take out a mortgage, buy a house and start driving lessons.

“This is just one example of the dramatic changes people can make,” he says.

Mick’s top tip to get people to take up numeracy learning is to use learners themselves. “Their enthusiasm about their learning and passing this onto others has had such a positive effect that we now have a waiting list for numeracy classes.”

Maths website adds up The new website maths4us.org is crammed with ideas for ULRs to support colleagues.

Handy tips on dividing If a number ends in 0 it can be divided by 10 .

If a number ends in 5 or 0 it can be divided by 5.

A number can be divided by 3 if the sum of its digits can be divided by 3 (e.g. 24, since 2 + 4 = 6) A number can be divided by 9 if the sum of its digits can be divided by 9 (e.g. 63, since 6 + 3 = 9) Maths makes you think A woman went for one of those scans that tell you whether your baby might have various problems. She got a result saying that there was a 1 in 30 chance that her baby had a problem – which upset her quite a lot until somebody else said “1 in 30? That means there’s about a 97 per cent chance that the baby is fine.”

Both figures are right, but they felt very different to her.

r with ULR Mick Powe ratford, St ia ar learner M mpleted who has just co Adult in e at her certific Level 3 try En y ac er m Nu

summer 2010 «

21

» ULR Profiles » Susan Timthong

Photo: Rod Leon

Susan Timthong has had to overcome obstacle after obstacle on her learning journey. Which is one of the things that makes her so good at her ULR job.

Sue shall overcome...

When I was 12 years old, my mother became disabled through an industrial accident and I was responsible for looking after her, allowing my 13-year-old sister to concentrate on her education.

I officially left school aged 14 without any qualifications.

Years later, when my youngest child was three years old, I signed up to a Return to Learn course that was advertised at the local community centre but I was unable to complete it when my son got very sick.

Six years later, I spoke to a tutor at the local College of North West London, who recommended I do an access course in Social Science, which would give me the credits needed to go on to university.

At the time, I was working part-time at both a dental surgery and a hotel but I managed to arrange my schedule so that I could attend college part-time and carry on working at both places.

However, like many a time before, my commitment to learning was challenged by family problems: my children were ill and life was becoming very demanding.

I again rearranged my schedule, left the dental surgery, changed to the full-time course and continued to work at the hotel on a casual basis.

I subsequently passed and went on to the University of Westminster, and managed to achieve a 2:1 in my early 40s which I was exceptionally proud of considering I had dreamed of it since my teenage years.

I trained as a learning rep with Barnet UNISON

22 » summer 2010

in 2006 after seeing a TUC leaflet promoting the role of ULRs in the workplace. I wanted to use my experience to help others achieve their educational goals.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess and the then Lifelong Learning Coordinator Carmen Bruno had recently launched a Return to Learn project delivering courses at a learning centre onsite in agreement with the authority and the College of North-East London (CONEL).

Carmen subsequently asked me to job-share with her as that would allow me to gain more experience and assist her with handling the project, and I took the position of Lifelong Learning Coordinator on a full-time basis when Carmen retired two years ago.

Since 2005, over 1,000 Barnet employees have taken advantage of the training offered – from pre-entry to Level 2 qualifications.

It’s a domino effect: once staff start training and achieve, they are then struck with the learning bug and often continue on to further learning, even up to degree level.

Staff value the work ULRs do and people have even joined UNISON as a direct result of the training opportunities they have had.

I can see that the council is happy for us to continue and the Return to Learn project has a future, but we need to be able to continue to access funding to meet the learning needs of staff.

It is important to remember that ULRs are here and will always push the lifelong learning agenda regardless.

John Dougherty « ULR Profiles «

John’s got a ticket to learn language learning, and British Sign Language classes.

An initial learning agreement was signed in 2006, because of the success and hard work of the ULRs, it was decided to revise the learning agreement to make it more workable for members to access education.

We also had secondments of lead ULRs to help embed the Skills for Life programme into the company’s five-year business plan.

My own learning has progressed quite significantly over this time. I felt it was important that I embraced all the educational opportunities so that I knew what it was we were expecting members to sign up to.

So I undertook literacy and numeracy and achieved Level 2 quite quickly, worked my way through the ECDL computer course because I was an IT-illiterate and signed up for pretty much every single TU Education programme I could get the time off to do – including Information, Advice and Guidance, understanding adult learners, Skills for Life advocacy, and mentoring.

Now I’m studying part-time in an undergraduate programme on the wider impact of trade union education and the social history that surrounds it with the Working Lives Research Institute at London Metropolitan University.

I recently left Merseyrail to join the RMT’s education team as a development worker supporting ULRs in the Midlands.

I felt the opportunity to join the learning team at RMT was too good a chance to miss out on, as I feel my personal experiences of working as a ULR would stand me in good stead to support our colleagues in the Midlands region.

John Dougherty has encouraged dozens of Merseyrail colleagues to find out what learning can do for them, and transformed his own life at the same time.

Photo: Roy Peters

I joined transport union RMT when I started work as a train guard on the Merseyrail network 10 years ago.

As a result of my work developing an education programme for schools and also as a volunteer staff support worker, I was asked by my company council if I would be interested in becoming a union learning rep in early 2006.

I had had no other roles in RMT before and I knew very little about ULRs at the time but I was interested because learning is not about confrontation, it’s about win-win for both sides.

But I’ve always been a great believer in education, and giving people opportunities, especially to help prepare themselves for change in the future.

Growing up in Liverpool in the 1980s when secondary education was on its knees, and due to some family circumstances as well, I left school at 15 before my exams and I always regretted not achieving my potential.

In the formative years of union learning at Merseyrail, we were encouraged to develop a partnership with Merseytravel, which has a very successful learning programme, and our initial idea was to encourage our members to go through the Merseylearn system.

Over the four years I was a Merseyrail ULR, we had something in the region of 25 per cent of the union’s membership go through Skills for Life and IT programmes – all of them in their own time.

We also had good strong relationships with TU Education in Liverpool, which helped create bespoke classroom-based IT sessions.

We also ran digital photography courses, holiday

summer 2010 «

23

Âť Briefing Âť New Government

Vince Cable

The new faces of learning and skills

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills/President of the Board of Trade Overall responsibility for the department strategy and all policies, overall responsibility for BIS budget, particular focus on business and banking issues.

This is your guide to the new ministerial team at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and their areas of responsibility.

David Willetts John Hayes Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning Responsible for further education, adult skills, Skills Funding Agency, skills strategy, lifelong learning, informal adult learning, apprenticeships, UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Sector Skills Councils, Workplace Training reforms, qualifications reform programme.

Minister of State for Universities and Science (also attends Cabinet meetings) Responsible for looking across all departmental business at strategic priorities, higher education, science and research, life sciences, innovation; also responsible for the Technology Strategy Board, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), Energy Technologies Institute, the Design Council, the UK Accreditation Service, the British Standards Institute and space.

Mark Prisk Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Responsible for business sector, including low carbon economy, electronics, small business, enterprise and access to finance, competitiveness and economic growth, deregulation/ better regulation, regional/local economic development, business support, Olympic legacy, export licensing.

Ed Vaizey Minster for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries (also a minister with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) Responsible for the digital economy and telecommunications.

2010 241 Âť summer spring 2008

Baroness Wilcox Parliamentary Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills Responsible for covering all BIS business in the Lords, intellectual property.

Edward Davey Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs Responsible for postal affairs, employment relations (including ACAS), consumer policy and consumer affairs, competition policy, corporate governance, company law, social enterprise, Insolvency Service (including company investigations), oversight of Shareholder Executive and its portfolios, coordination of European business, Export Credit Guarantee Department, trade policy.

unionlearn Board « Profile «

It’s all about irons in the fire Formerly the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, Community set about offering new opportunities to members in response to the devastation of the steel industry, which resulted in large numbers of redundancies and increasing employment insecurity for steelworkers.

Skills for Life training and accredited courses were seen as crucial in enabling members to develop transferable skills and employability beyond the industry.

With the ending of the European Coal and Steel Community ISERBS scheme, which funded the re-training of steel workers, the union established Communitas EU Ltd in 1997 in order to address these issues.

“I felt that with our experience of ensuring members had opportunities for employment we could make a contribution to the board,” explains Michael, who left school aged 15 and says he owes all his learning to trade union education.

“As a board, our priority is to ensure we build on our excellent track record and we need to persuade the new Government that it is worthwhile not only preserving that excellent work but also building on it,” Michael says.

“The general view of employers is that union learning has done an excellent job and that any money spent has been well spent on education, training and skills in new courses.”

But Michael says it has been an uphill job to get some employers to understand that they have an

Photo: Jonathan Goldberg

After helping steelworkers secure new job opportunities through learning, Community General Secretary Michael Leahy is bringing his experience to the unionlearn board. obligation to train and upskill staff. “Many say it’s the role of the state to educate and we have had a job to persuade them that training will add value, efficiency and profitability. It’s a virtuous circle that employers should be engaged in and progressive employers already understand that,” he says.

Michael adds that the Government has a role to play in doing more to persuade reticent employers of the benefits on offer to them and their business of learning and upskilling their workforces.

And while the persuasion business is likely to take up much of his time for the forseeable future, Michael has hopes of returning to education and getting a degree himself one day.

Unlike most fathers, however, he wants to reverse roles and follow in his sons’ footsteps – both have degrees in politics and economics and he would love to return to leaning in those fields, he says.

“We need to persuade the new Government that it’s worth building on unionlearn’s excellent track record.”

summer 2010 «

25

» Roundup » TUC Education with unionlearn

We launch four pages of TUC Education news from the South-West with a look at a how a marine company made itself environmentally shipshape

All aboard the good ship green

r Barbara Byrd, Green is good (from left): US union leade member team y energ A&P am, North Jack ist GMB activ Palmer Gary niser Orga ing Learn Mike Perier and GMB

The Green Workplaces Project has produced a series of leaflets, including one on eco-gadgets (right)

26 » summer 2010

The A&P Falmouth Ship Repair company has gone green, with all staff aiming to take energy-saving and environmental awareness training.

It’s all down to hard work by green rep Kevin Maggs, who has helped raise the green agenda together with union organisers at the company.

As a result of environmental work, the company has now saved thousands of pounds in energy costs, installing new compressors and pumps.

“Hopefully the successful pilot in raising awareness of the work by A&P Falmouth’s energy team will lead to all employees attending future courses on energy saving and environmental issues in the workplace and home,” says GMB Education Project Worker Gary Palmer.

“We hope these courses, arranged by the GMB and the TUC Green Workplaces Project, will lead to developing a long-term culture within the yard of undertaking simple energy-saving actions, which really can make a difference in reducing energy use for the company, while developing an ethos for employees to make reductions and savings at home.”

South West TUC Green Workplaces Project Worker Keith Hatch says A&P’s lead has been so impressive that Barbara Byrd from the Oregon AFL-CIO (the regional TUC) is aiming to take the idea back to the US and use it as an example of good practice, with a view to introducing something similar in Oregon.

“A&P is a really good example of what can be done when companies embrace the idea of greening the workplace, and have union green reps,” Keith says.

TUC Education with unionlearn « Roundup «

Promoting mental health at work Let us green your workplace (fro m Andy Moss, Fr left): ances Robertson, N igel Costley and Keith Hat ch

The TUC’s Education Service has developed a new three-day accredited course to help reps tackle the issue of mental ill-health in the workplace. The course covers: the role of the union rep; the types of mental ill-health members may experience in their working lives; understanding the law and its application (Stress Risk Assessment, DDA, etc.) line manager behaviour; developing and reviewing policies to promote mental well-being including sickness absences, and keeping in touch arrangements; handling members’ cases; how language and culture impacts on members’ experience of work.

The next courses will be run in Plymouth on Friday 24 September, 1 and 8 October and in Cheltenham on Friday 5, 12 and 19 November.

Details at www.unionlearn.org.uk/education/learn-789-f0.cfm Tel: 0117 947 052.

Radical history “Projects like this can not only save carbon, but also save money and jobs. Green reps in the workplace will become a vital part of union negotiations in the future, and linking them to the training agenda is a good way to engage the wider workforce and bring about positive change through a union approach.”

The Green Workplaces Project aims to use unions in companies like A&P to change the way people work by: championing environmental issues in the workplace; training and supporting a network of green reps across the South West; finding practical solutions that reps can bring to the workplace; reaching out to new members who feel strongly about the impact on the environment; working with employers to improve business performance and reputation.

The project includes a series of leaflets members can use at home on everything from eco-gadgets to central heating systems.

You can find more details at: www.greenworkplacessouthwest.org.uk

South West TUC Regional Secretary Nigel Costley led a walking tour through Tolpuddle this summer as part of the Dorset village’s radical history school.

The school took place ahead of the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival, which celebrates the victorious campaign to free six local farmworkers sentenced to transportation for union organising in the 19th century.

The school programme also included a tour of the court where the martyrs were held and tried; discussions about the Luddites and why radical history matters; “a wacky re-enactment” of the 1831 Forest of Dean uprising; plus a barbecue and radical singalong.

summer 2010 «

27

» Roundup » TUC Education with unionlearn

It’s farewell to Steve “He will be missed by the whole tutor team.”

Picture by Clint Randall

Former student Viky Thomas-Clay is now a tutor at New College Swindon

... and hello to Viky Viky Thomas-Clay first attended New College Swindon as a student while a union rep for Thames Water.

But this year she been adjusting to her new role as tutor at the institute.

Viky was attending an employment law course at the college when she heard about a job as an administrator.

After taking on the role of administrator, she gradually became more involved in the classroom until she opted for tutor training and now splits her time between college admin and tutor duties.

She ran her first Union Reps course earlier this year and plans to start Health and Safety tutor training and move into other areas of TU Education.

“I’m absolutely thrilled: the students are the best bit of the course – they are all so different and come from so many different walks of life,” she explains.

28 » summer 2010

Retiring trade union education programme coordinator Steve Lamprey started life as a trade union education client before switching places and becoming a tutor.

Now after nearly 20 years he is retiring from the City of Bristol College TU Education Unit, where he will be sorely missed.

Steve worked as a social worker for the former Avon County Council and got involved with unions as a NALGO and later UNISON activist because he wanted to do something about terrible pay and conditions.

While attending trade union education courses, he was asked if he was interested in being a teacher.

“I’d never given it a thought, but I thought ‘I’ll give it a go’ and it was something I really enjoyed,” he explains.

Steve became UNISON branch secretary at North Somerset and split his time between teaching and his union work until he gave up branch work four years ago. He continues his part-time role in TU Education until August when he will take his last class.

“I’ll miss being in the classroom with the reps, particularly the new reps who come in keen to learn, to know their rights, how they can better represent their members and it’s good to see them leaving, better equipped to do battle after 10 weeks,” he says.

Steve has particularly fond memories of one student taking part in a 36-week Occupational Health and Safety course he ran.

“He was on his own in a print factory, had no computer skills, poor literacy skills and said at the beginning that he was not sure he should be there,” Steve says.

“But by the end of the course he had learned computer skills, made a presentation, and has recruited four safety reps at work and instituted a health and safety inspection which has been rolled out to other company plants – that would not have happened if not for TU Education.”

Steve says he is fearful for the future of education amid the backdrop of cuts. “When I see what people can achieve, it is tragic that it is all under threat, but TU Education has faced critical times before and has always managed to come through – I’m worried but optimistic.”

Meanwhile Steve wants to spend his new free time with his grandchildren, particularly his youngest whom he will be babysit while his GMB rep daughter is at work.

He also plans to invest time to improve his “awful” guitar-playing.

“Steve will be missed by the whole regional tutor team: his commitment and dedication to the work means he’s had an impact on every rep he’s trained,” says Regional Education Officer Marie Hughes.

TUC Education with unionlearn « Roundup «

Photo: Rod Leon

Learning saves lives Trade union education will help save lives, says FBU Senior Health and Safety Rep John Maggs, whose work on a TUC Health and Safety Diploma course has been taken on by his employers at Avon Fire and Rescue Service.

Following his diploma course, John submitted a report on toxins and firefighting which so impressed the Service Management Board that they agreed to John’s secondment in order to spread the safety message to all and encourage the wearing of breathing apparatus at many more incidents.

“We are seeing this as a major step forward with everyone happy,” says John.

“The FBU is showing we are not only bringing health and safety problems to the attention of management but we are proactive in finding solutions.

“Management has shown a commitment to working in partnership with the FBU to solve a major problem. This will also help to promote the FBU to potential members and hopefully encourage them to join.

“Following my research into this subject, I am convinced that this project will save many lives in the long run. I could only have done this with the confidence and knowledge gained during our diploma course.

“I hope this can be seen as an incentive to future TUC students to show that these courses can make huge differences to workplaces and, by producing significant evidence, management can see the advantages of working with union safety reps.”

Unions study new fit note scheme Over 200 union officers and reps discussed the implications of the new fit note, which has replaced the doctor’s sick note, at a one-day conference in Bristol.

The fit note outlines what work an employee can do and is intended to help more people stay in work rather than drift into long-term sickness.

Individuals, doctors, managers and union reps will have to get used to the new note, which aims to help people to stay in work and, if they can’t work, indicate what their employer can do to help them return to work sooner.

For example, if an employee has a problem with mobility, the fit note might suggest a job where they can work sitting down rather than standing up.

Under the new system, fit notes are computer-generated in GPs’ surgeries, replacing the old handwritten version.

It may take some time for doctors to get used to the new note but the conference helped union reps learn to deal with the kinds of questions they are likely to get from members, including: What will the note mean in practice?

What if the patient doesn’t agree with the doctor’s assessment?

What if the employer refuses to accommodate the fit note requirements?

What does good practice look like when dealing with long-term sickness absence?

How can we help people back into work safely and fairly?

summer 2010 «

29

» 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 Tom Wilson Tel: 020 7079 6922 twilson@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 Standards and Quality Ian Borkett Tel: 020 7079 6940 iborkett@tuc.org.uk Research and Strategy Bert Clough Tel: 020 7079 6925 bclough@tuc.org.uk Business and Finance Matthew Fernandez-Graham Tel: 020 7079 6936 mfernandez-graham@tuc.org.uk Communications James Asser Tel: 020 7079 6942 jasser@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 Informal Adult Learning Joe Fearnehough Tel: 0151 236 7678 jfearnehough@tuc.org.uk

» U-Net centres Helen Gagliasso Tel: 0191 227 5567 hgagliasso@tuc.org.uk

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

30 » summer 2010

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

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

» Northern Regional Manager Elizabeth Killoran Tel: 0191 227 5557 Union Development Coordinator Beth Farhat Tel: 0191 227 5576 Regional Education Officer Ian West Tel: 0191 227 5572

» North West 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

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

» 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 Community Roy Rickhuss Tel: 020 7420 4000 rrickhuss@community-tu.org.uk 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 759 473 trevor.shanahan@fbu.org.uk FDA Martin Furlong Tel: 020 7401 5555 martin@fda.org.uk

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 TSSA Sal Morawetz Tel: 020 7529 8049 morawetzs@tssa.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 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’m a union rep and recently one of my colleagues informed me that he’s been diagnosed with cancer.

Can you offer any advice on how I can support him at work?

A There is enormous scope for a well-informed trade union rep to support their colleagues in the workplace. You can direct them to useful information and resources, offer advice and guidance or use facility time to accompany them when they need to talk to management or other colleagues. You can also use your negotiation skills to request reasonable adjustments to their work patterns to attend medical appointments or to simply continue working.

Recent research from Macmillan Cancer Support reports that often managers have problems dealing with the emotional issues that arise from this situation.

A major difficulty is the need to strike a balance between the needs of the individual and those of the organisation.

People with cancer have legal rights, but many employers are unaware of these.

Union reps can play a vital role to ensure that employers support their staff appropriately and effectively.

You may feel awkward talking about cancer or find it hard to know what to say.

You may also not be fully aware of the options and rights available that may help reassure them. That is why TUC Education in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support has developed its new course, Cancer in the Workplace. The course will provide information, guidance and support for union reps who may have members who have been diagnosed with cancer or have become carers for someone with cancer.

Whatever your involvement, this course provides plenty of interesting activities and valuable information that will raise your awareness and help you provide further support for your colleague.

For more information, download Cancer in the Workplace: A Workbook for Union Representatives from http://tinyurl.com/352r9uw Macmillan’s Learn Zone www.macmillan.org.uk/learnzone offers interactive online learning about cancer and how to support union members diagnosed with cancer and their carers.

Q As a ULR, how do I show my skills are valuable to employers?

A Showcasing your activism as a ULR can be a real asset in your CV. Many workplaces have been hard hit with the economic downturn and it has become more and more important for everybody to keep their CVs up to date. This also applies to union learning reps. You need to demonstrate that the skills, knowledge, experience and a qualification gained by being an active ULR is important in any workplace. It’s important that these are put onto your CV and updated regularly.

The following is a sample of what could be written on a CV if you have been active in your ULR role: As a union learning rep (ULR), I am qualified at OCN Level 3 to undertake the role of peer support for my colleagues in the workplace.

I encourage them to take advantage of learning opportunities by raising awareness and promoting the value of continued learning.

My role has involved undertaking skills surveys, identifying learning needs and signposting or setting up courses within the workplace.

I work collaboratively with the employer to improve equality of access to learning.

I keep abreast of current adult education policies, funding and Government initiatives in relation to adult education.

I have a working knowledge of skills for life issues and the impact that Skills for Life needs has on worker’s confidence and ability to progress.

As a ULR, I am someone in the workplace workers can trust to talk to about issues that have become barriers to learning and the gaining of qualifications.

This proactive role has given me the opportunity to develop a whole range of skills and knowledge e.g. organisational, time and project management and negotiation with training providers to get best value.

Overall, this role is about motivating workers to take up and continue learning and being their mentor throughout that process.

summer 2010 «

31

Resources « Roundup «

Fmrateerieals

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

Cancer in the workplace Produced with Macmillan Cancer Support, this workbook aims to help union reps improve the experience of people affected by cancer and ensure they are well-informed of their legal rights.

FSA Redundancy Handbook This handbook produced by the Financial Service Authority (FSA) is a useful information resource for anyone whose job is under threat of redundancy. The handbook covers questions from dealing with job worries and redundancy rights to managing money and the entitlements you can claim.

new Making a difference – The impact of trade union education on Britain’s workplaces This is the report of the 2009 TUC Education survey of union representatives attending TUC courses. It is the largest survey of trade union education ever conducted and the first solely to use online data collection methods.

new Your guide to retirement Provided by the FSA, this guide demystifies the financial side of moving from work into retirement, explaining what people can do now to improve their financial security throughout retirement and helping reps advise members about to retire.

new Apprenticeships toolkit This toolkit is a resource for reps who are negotiating with employers on apprenticeships. It contains a series of factsheets with information on topics from negotiating and bargaining to pay and health and safety.

Higher education at work: making the case to employers This guide is designed to help reps negotiate with employers about access to higher education and persuade them of the benefits of support for skills.

It’s produced in partnership with Foundation Degree Forward.

new The right to request time to train A guide for reps on the new right to request time to train, covering the key elements of the new right and including key dates, practical advice and checklists.

Spread the word about the work of ULRs and learning project workers by ordering more copies of The Learning Rep. Give them to colleagues at work, learners and anyone interested in union learning.