The Climbing Frame is an absolutely superb tool for ULRs and helps to develop the way we support learners through information and advice. It’s easy to use and very flexible.”
A new angle on learning
James Burns, USDAW ULR, DHL Stoke For ULRs the Climbing Frame can: be a one-stop shop of learning and skills resources and materials help stimulate the demand for learning help recruit new members and ULRs help ULRs demonstrate paths for learners and map out learner progression routes produce individual action plans and reports for learners provide an accurate, up-to-date and accessible database of learner records generate a variety of reports. For learners the Climbing Frame can: plan learning and track their progress set goals and record achievements record actions which are displayed in an Action Plan and on the Climbing Frame grid print off reports about their own learning plans and achievements.
For unions the Climbing Frame can: help raise the union’s profile at the workplace provide information about union learners be an aid to building workplace union organisation and growth develop Learning Themes specially for the union that can include information of specific interest to members include information about bespoke union education courses and help promote these programmes identify workers’ collective learning and skills needs so that unions can use this information for collective bargaining with employers. For employers the Climbing Frame can: be aligned to support development review processes help promote and publicise in-house training and development programmes drive up skills and promote a culture of continuous development be easily maintained and regularly updated help identify training and learning that could improve the organisation’s performance and productivity. For Sector Skills Councils the Climbing Frame can: help to keep ULRs informed of new developments be customised to meet the skills needs of a particular sector and provide useful intelligence on sector-specific skills issues be a useful tool and resource for National Skills Academies be a valuable tool for providing sector-specific IAG to support learners
All the Climbing Frame’s Learning Themes are really helpful – it’s great to have all that information in one place. We have also written our own Learning Theme for staff.” Paul Taylor, Prospect ULR, Valuation Office Agency
A wealth of information in one place and a chance for me to keep track of all my learners.” ULR in retail
The Climbing Frame works well alongside our appraisal system and also helps me cut down on paperwork.” Logistics manager
To register and to find out more about the Climbing Frame visit: www.climbingframe.unionlearn.org.uk
The union learning Climbing Frame
Or please contact: The Climbing Frame Team unionlearn Congress House Great Russell Street London WC1B 3LS Email: climbingframe@tuc.org.uk
An interactive web-based tool, developed for union learning reps to help support learners and promote learning in the workplace Design: www.design-mill.co.uk Print: College Hill Press
www.climbingframe.unionlearn.org.uk
Information, advice and recordkeeping all at the click of a mouse
A closer look at the Climbing Frame
The union learning Climbing Frame is a free, easy-to-use, interactive website that allows union learning reps to create pathways of learning and action plans for individuals that can be reviewed and updated as they progress on their learning journey.
Information through the Learning Themes section The Learning Themes can be used to find up-to-date information about a range of subjects and learning opportunities. Learning Theme titles include Skills for Life, Higher Education and Personal Development and Career Planning.
The Climbing Frame provides up-to-date information and advice for ULRs about a broad range of learning opportunities within the Learning Themes. The Learning Themes are useful sections of information which have specifically been developed with ULRs and learners in mind. ULRs are able to browse topics of interest and search for specific terms, services and providers. Information can be accessed quickly and easily with useful text, downloadable documents and recommended websites. Unions and organisations also have the opportunity to create their own Learning Themes which can include information of specific interest to their members and sector. In addition, ULRs can keep an ongoing record of who they are working with and where they are heading in the Learner Management area of the website. ULRs can help learners set goals and generate actions which are captured in an Action Plan and on the Climbing Frame grid. A variety of customised and exportable reports can be produced by the ULR.
www.climbingframe.unionlearn.org.uk
What ULRs think about the Climbing Frame The Climbing Frame is helping to establish a culture of learning in the workplace. Using the Climbing Frame helps attract new people to learning and can also help recruit new members.
Record-keeping and data collection through the Learner Management section ULRs can keep an ongoing record of who they have worked with, when and how often they have met and actions that have been agreed and implemented.
The Climbing Frame makes learning acceptable and helps group discussions.
Action planning and goal setting through the Learner Management section ULRs can construct a personal Climbing Frame and Action Plan with learners that can be regularly reviewed and updated. Learners can set goals if they wish and link corresponding actions, which show the steps towards achieving their goals.
Learners like the fact that it is recreational and personal not just vocational, and that they are able to indicate what type of learning they want.
It enables ULRs to keep better and more detailed records.
Store your own contacts, information and hyperlinks in the My Notes section ULRs can use the My Notes area of the website to keep a note of their own contacts and local information. ULRs can also make use of the discussion forum, Climbing Frame course information, useful links, climbing frame news and case studies. Whether in the workplace, a learning centre, a canteen or a classroom the Climbing Frame helps ULRs assist learners to take learning a step further.
The Climbing Frame can be linked to an organisation’s own training and could therefore support negotiations with employers over release. The ability to print information for learners to keep for reference is very useful. The Climbing Frame can be used as a process to both register interest in learning and to track learners’ progression.
Accessible and user-friendly, it is set to make life a lot easier for ULRs and is certain to help promote the idea of learning in the workplace.
www.climbingframe.unionlearn.org.uk
www.climbingframe.unionlearn.org.uk