The Learning Rep - Winter 08 by unionlearn

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learningrep » Winter 08

It’s the Queen of Quick-lit Adele Parks takes the Quick Reads message out on the road

www.unionlearn.org.uk

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2008 and we’re moving on... A new year and new challenges are ahead. This year we hope to show that the unions and unionlearn are well in reach of our targets, for next year, of 22,000 trained ULRs and 250,000 people getting into learning each year through the union route. And all the signs are good. By June this year, when we hold our annual conference, we hope to justify the confidence that John Denham has shown in us. He paid tribute to the work of our 18,000 ULRs in a parliamentary answer last month. “Someone’s best friend at work will often be the most likely person to convince them that they should have another go at training, and the union learning representatives have been a success,” he said. In 2008 we will take our message of success into parliament with our campaign to get more public figures aware of what ULRs are doing. We are inviting MPs to join us in “Learning together – winning together” and to make learning at work visits. In this way we can give our work a higher profile. We have also kicked off the New Year with two new DVDs. Both are available, free, for you to encourage more people to take up learning, and hopefully to become ULRs. New publications are also available and you should make maximum use of them as well. Thanks to the hundreds of you who completed our reader survey. We received many helpful ideas about how to improve the magazine. Already we have expanded the contacts information at the back. Happy New Year to you and yours. Liz Smith Director, unionlearn

The Learning Rep, winter 08 Editor: Mike Power mpower@tuc.org.uk Writers: Astrid Stubbs, Martin Moriarty Design: Redhouse Lane Communications Print: Ancient House Printing Group Distribution: Cavalier mailing Cover photo: Adele Parks at Brighton Cityclean depot by Jess Hurd.

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Contents: 3 8 10 12 14 17 24 26 28 29 30 32

News Adele Parks interview Adele Parks Q&A Quick Reads exclusive Frances O’Grady interview Spotlight on CPD and higher level skills Adult Learners’ Week TUC Education John Hannett interview Jay knows Contacts Kate & Umar special feature

Film première « News «

That’s Kate and

Who-mar? Homer Simpson famously claimed cartoons don’t have any deep meaning: new TUC characters Kate and Umar beg to differ.

LR Kate and would-be learner Umar are the stars of the TUC’s first venture into animation, Incredible Learning Journey (and a new strip on the back page of this issue). The 10-minute film will now be distributed to ULRs via DVD and websites with suggestions on how to use it to promote the learning message. It will also be broadcast to a wider audience via You-Tube MySpace and Facebook and shown at Glastonbury and other music festivals. The film aims to bring the value of trade unionism alive to current and potential members. It’s also a tool to help reps recruit and encourage new members, promote diversity and get involved with learning and organising in the workplace. The film sees Kate take learning novice Umar on a journey through learning which concludes when he becomes a ULR himself. On their way they visit the

Olympic Games site and meet a few famous faces from the music scene. Kate, Umar and a host of their friends will also be appearing in an accompanying cartoon strip, which makes its first appearance in this issue of The Learning Rep (see back page). And they feature on flyers, posters, bookmarks and other promotional material, hitting home the unionlearn message.

“The film aims to bring the value of trade unionism alive to current and potential members” To bring Kate and Umar to life, unionlearn chose animator Laurie Peters, famous for his work on The Ricky Gervais Podcast, which has made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the millions of downloads it’s achieved. A trade unionist himself, Laurie was joined by fellow union member

and script-writer Danny Stack, whose accolades include a BAFTA for Best Children’s Animation as part of the writing team for the popular CITV animation series The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers. The new film represents an innovative approach to learning and organising, according to Anna Burton, unionlearn’s organising officer. “We chose Danny Stack because he’s good at getting messages across to different audiences, including younger people, a key target group for union organisers. And then Laurie took his script and turned it into this great animation,” she says. “We think we’ve struck the right balance between humour and key messages. I believe the film will help ULRs and other representatives engage with new audiences in a fun manner which can explain what we do without losing people in a lot of jargon.” To find out more, visit: www.unionlearn.org.uk/ kateandumar.

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» News UNISON Head of Learning and Organising Pam Johnson signs the new learning agreement with Tristar boss Steve Boyd

Union Learning Reps are there to help you find the best in yourself: it’s never too late to learn.

School staff get talking

Tristars in their eyes

School staff across the country are sharing what they know about accessing learning at work through the new Skills4Schools discussion board, which went live on the website late last year. The board is for all school staff to use: to take part in the discussions, all you need to do is register on the site, which takes less than 20 seconds and is free. The Skills4Schools website is an online resource created by UNISON and the Training and Development Agency. It offers an online guide to training, personal development and career pathways, with a series of case studies showing how a wide range of school staff, from site managers to teaching assistants, have developed at work. www.skills4schools.org.uk

Teeside company Tristar Homes signed a learning agreement with UNISON, Unite and UCATT and put its name to the Government’s Skills Pledge all on the same day this autumn. Management and unions believe Unistar Learning is a model union-led workplace learning project which highlights the positive impact on skills both sides can make by working in partnership. “This agreement marks another step forward in ensuring delivery of high-quality public services through investing in the training and development of the workforce,” commented UNISON Head of Learning and Organising Pam Johnson. Tristar Managing Director Steve Boyd echoed Pam’s sentiments. “This is a great example of a modern employer working positively with trade unions: our work is helping transform the lives of our employees

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while also addressing the skills shortages in the region.” Despite being a relatively new project, Unistar Learning has already made a major contribution to improving skills levels, according to Tristar’s Learning Co-ordinator Julie Robinson. Tristar staff member Chris Anderson says learning at work has changed his life: the former driver is now a trainee plumber, which he could never have done before Unistar Learning provided the support and guidance he needed. “With case studies like Chris, we have proof positive that improved skills make a practical, tangible difference to individuals and their employers,” commented unionlearn Northern Regional Manager Barney McGill. “And the integration of the Skills Pledge is further testimony to the commitment of Tristar to embedding a learning culture in their organisation.”

Jess Hurd

Roy Peters

Best-selling author Sue Townsend at the Midlands conference (p6)

News «

Half of you like The Learning Rep enough to pass it on to a colleague, 40 per cent dutifully file your copies after reading them and a staggering 95 per cent think the magazine is either good (57 per cent) or very good (38 per cent). Early results from our reader survey also show that you overwhelmingly favour our quarterly publication schedule, but many would like it to be more frequent. “We’ll gain a lot from your answers to our questions on what else you would like to know about unionlearn, which will help us focus our future editions,” says editor Mike Power. “Readers are particularly interested in where to find out about courses, the so we’ll give this more coverage, and it’s also interesting to see how much readers are using the web, which makes Football shorts us keen to to legal briefs How Udo Onwere got transfe develop even football to law school throug rred from h his union more cross-over between the magazine and our website.”

learning rep » Autumn 07

iPod in Win an s’ der our rea on survey page 35

www.unionlearn.org.uk

Ken agrees with you London Mayor Ken Livingstone is just as committed to expanding workplace learning as the region’s ULRs, his Director of Projects Murziline Parchment told the 250-plus delegates at the second unionlearn with the Southern and Eastern Region TUC conference. “Your agenda very much reflects the agenda of the Mayor and I hope we will continue to work together to deliver this agenda,” she told delegates in Congress House in November. “We know that the Holy Grail is to get employers to step up to their obligations on the skills agenda,” she emphasised. Million-selling author Adele Parks gave delegates a sneak preview of her new book, Happy Families, to be published with the rest of the next batch of Quick Reads on World Book Day in March. “I wanted this to be a story that gripped people,” she said. “Many characters in my books have rather glamorous jobs, but my heroine in this works in a café and is recently divorced with three kids.” Unionlearn Director Liz Smith welcomed the latest advances on

Jess Hurd

You seem to like us!

London Mayor Ken Livingstone is not for turning on learning, says Murziline Parchment

workplace learning contained in the Queen’s Speech, including the expansion of Apprenticeships and new legal rights to Skills for Life training. But there was much still to be done, she pointed out. “We still don’t have an obligation on employers to train, no right to time off to train, no collective bargaining on training – but we won’t give up on any of those,” she warned. Unite – Amicus section Assistant General Secretary Gail Cartmail urged ULRs to continue their excellent work to expand lifelong learning. “We need to ensure that unions remain the drivers of this agenda, because we’re the ones who’ll ensure the Government and employers deliver on the Leitch Report and beyond,” she argued. ● Adele Parks: pp8-13

Firm foundation More union members will be able to take their learning further now that unionlearn has hooked up with Foundation Degree Forward (fdf ), the organisation which supports the development of high-quality foundation degrees. Unionlearn Director Liz Smith and fdf Chief Executive Derek Longhurst (pictured, right) put their names to the new partnership agreement at a national conference hosted by unionlearn and the higher education project, Aimhigher. Unionlearn used the event in Congress House to unveil its strategy to support unions and union learners to access higher education, building on its work with Aimhigher and its partnerships with universities in Bath and Liverpool.

The high-profile conference also helped launch Learning Unlimited, a survey of union members and higher education opportunities which revealed: ● Two in five union learners are already engaged in further education. ● Three in five reckon getting time off to study is a problem. ● Four in five would study if their employer helped with time off. “Our latest piece of research shows union learners are ready, willing and

able to move on to the next challenge, which is higher education,” commented Liz Smith. ●

Give us more time: p20

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» News

We can all achieve our dreams It’s never too late to learn, bestselling author Sue Townsend told delegates at the unionlearn with the Midlands TUC annual conference in November, which celebrated the past year’s achievements in union-led learning in the region. “I left school at 14 without any qualifications and I took some evening classes as an adult, which, together with reading a wide range of books, helped me to have the confidence to achieve my

impossible dream – to be a writer,” Sue said. Minister for the East Midlands Gillian Merron said she was very impressed with the hard work of ULRs in the East Midlands. “It's clear that they are doing a great job in the region, working with unions, employers and their colleagues to create a culture of learning which is making a real difference for individuals and their places of work.” Gillian also presented some of the

So what’s your story? There’s still time – just! – to enter the BBC RaW children’s story competition using characters from Max and Lara’s Amazing Travelling Space Circus. You could win loads of family cinema tickets and get your entry published in a special RaW book, but you’d better get down to it pronto because the competition closes on Thursday 31 January 2008. You must be over 18 to enter, but you can illustrate your story with pictures by your children. BBC RaW won’t be judging spelling or grammar: it’s the storyline that counts, so everyone can have a go! Max and Lara books are designed for adults who lack confidence with reading to enjoy with young children (4-8). The characters include Kooloo the space hamster, Baked Bean the embarrassed dragon and Mr. Scatterbrain the clown with his jet-powered unicorn. There are lots of hints and tips for getting started on the RaW website, including fantastic story writing worksheets by RaW supporter Lenny Henry. Visit: www.bbc.co.uk/raw. And you can get a free book and all the competition details by calling 0800 0150 950. All calls are free and confidential.

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region’s best providers with the prestigious unionlearn Quality Awards, to mark the excellence of their work with trade union learning projects. She handed awards out to Warwickshire College in recognition of its outstanding work on essential skills in the workplace, and to Karen Reilly and Keith Marsh from Axia Solutions for their excellent work on Skills for Life in the ceramics industry. ●

Feel the quality: p20

News «

Bakers rise to the challenge “Food manufacturing staff often miss out on learning because they work shifts, so this centre will bring learning to them,” he explains. LBD Commercial General Manager Donald McClymont says the firm “really valued” the importance of learning. “The union learning centre will allow our staff the opportunity to gain IT qualifications, improve their numeracy and literacy, and to gain NVQ certificates,” he says.

Zooming in on ULRs Unionlearn has produced a new six-minute DVD, Local Heroes: The Importance of ULRs, which aims to encourage more people to take up the learning challenge. In footage from the Frizlands learning centre in Dagenham, East London, learners show their surprise and delight at successfully returning to learn with the help of their ULRs. USDAW rep Hayley Pickles, from Tesco in Scarborough, says it’s “totally amazing” to see how people can progress. And ULR of the Year Pat McIlvogue reveals how a quarter of the staff at Rolls-Royce in Renfrewshire where he works now go through courses. John Denham, Secretary of State at the DIUS, heaps praise on the country’s 18,000 ULRs. “The one thing that is likely to get people into training is getting advice from someone they trust in the workplace – and here, ULRs can be enormously influential.” And employers speak out about the benefits, too. Alan Danson from UniChem points out how union learning can help employers by improving workplace relations. And Peter Hughes from Merseytravel calls on employers to work in partnership with the unions to improve skills. Order copies now for your learning centre, and to distribute to potential learners and ULRs. See page 31.

The Communication Workers Union and BT Openreach have launched a joint campaign to attract more women into engineering Apprenticeships. It’s part of an overall initiative designed to break down the barriers to more women becoming engineers and help produce a cultural shift right across the company. CWU National Assistant Secretary Grace Mitchell helped get things moving in the first place by initiating discussions with management about what could be done in BT Openreach, which manages the local access network (the copper wires running between homes, businesses and telephone exchanges). The new campaign has included: ● a new series of magazine adverts appealing to women keen on working outdoors ● case studies of women already working for the company placed in the press ● online advertising on recruitment websites most used by women.

The winner is … DIUS Secretary of State John Denham presents Sandi Fisher and Debbie Fennell, from Stockport College, with their Quality Award for their courses on Digital divide/learndirect and Trade Union Education programmes at the unionlearn Supporting Learners conference in December.

Jess Hurd

Wanda Wyporska

Partnership working between the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) and Barnsley bakery La Baguette Dorée (LBD) has helped create a new onsite learning centre, formally opened by Mayor Cllr Len Picken in November. BFAWU Branch Secretary Trev Carlile is delighted that Union Learning Fund backing has made learning in the workplace a reality for LBD’s 200 workers.

BT opens doors at Openreach

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» Interview » Adele Parks

Best-selling author Adele Parks thinks lifelong learning is really important for all of us. Just don’t mention swimming lessons!

By Martin Moriarty

dele Parks is officially impressed. The overwhelmingly male street cleaners, refuse and recycling workers crammed into the Brighton Cityclean learning centre are all holding copies of her most recent bestseller, Young Wives’ Tales. “I’m not kidding – I really am impressed,” she says. “There’s a lot of ways we categorise ourselves in our lives and one of them is that men don’t read novels – women read novels, men read factual books – so it’s a real pleasure to see you all with one of my books.” But if she’s glad to meet a bunch of men not conforming to stereotype (this is Brighton, after all), she’s even happier to discover that so many of the staff are using the facilities to improve their literacy, numeracy and IT skills. “I absolutely take my hat off to you lot because you’re all here learning something new and I have to think, hand on heart, when was the last time I learnt anything new?” she asks.

Right now, Adele is being encouraged to take swimming lessons by her seven-year-old son (he’s going to be very jealous when he finds out mummy’s been climbing in and out of trucks at the depot for the photo-shoot this afternoon). But she’s reluctant to sign up because of childhood memories of horrible costumes and not very nice pools, she admits. “And everybody has something like that they come up against – so hats off to you lot for coming in and using the centre,” she says. Adele’s come to talk to some of the learners, learning reps and one or two managers at the Cityclean learning centre, set up by general union GMB. The fast-growing centre is one of the most successful to be launched in the area, says GMB Southern Region Project Worker Carl Linkson. The best-selling author is keen to sweep away a few possible misconceptions about where writers come from. “I didn’t grow up in a family who

Give her the lime-

read Wordsworth or had copies of Keats lying around,” she points out. In fact, she had a pretty ordinary 1970s childhood, chock-full of convenience food and bad TV. But she did develop a love of reading from an early age, even if reading didn’t always involve strict recitation of the words on the page in front of her at school. “I used to read something different from other people: I let my imagination work as to what I would like the words to say – and I got into quite a lot of trouble for that!” she recalls. Branded lazy by some of her teachers, it turned out she was an undiagnosed dyslexic – something no one twigged until she went to university. “It’s quite a mild dyslexia –

Adele Parks « Interview «

“Hearing someone like Adele, who’s reached the heights she has, talk about their dyslexia is really inspiring: it gives everyone a bit of hope!”

I know people who can’t recognise their own names on an envelope, so I don’t want to go: ‘Poor me, I’m dyslexic’,” she says. “But I do want to say that the most unlikely people can do things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.” Her latest book is Happy Families (to be published with nine other new Quick Reads titles on World Book Day, Thursday 6 March 2008). And it’s a bit of a departure for her. While her previous novels have been set in the aspirational worlds of public relations, advertising and the media, Happy Families is centred on divorced mother-ofthree Lisa, who works in a café. “At the beginning of the book, Lisa’s husband of 15 years has left her for another woman and she’s trying to do the decent thing and

Having listened to an exclusive sneak preview of the new book (see p12-13), and seized the opportunity to ask a wide range of questions about her work (reproduced overleaf), the audience in the learning centre are looking forward to getting their hands on a copy when it comes out. And if Adele is officially impressed with them, then so are the learners and ULRs with her. “It’s been brilliant,” says ULR Declan MacIntyre. “Hearing someone talk about their dyslexia who’s reached the heights she has is really inspiring – it gives everyone a bit of hope!” Photos by Jess Hurd

green prize for

make a new modern family in difficult circumstances,” she explains. “It all seems a bit unfair – her husband’s moved on, got his new woman and plenty of money, and she’s left at home with the kids, struggling with money, and it’s all just a bit rough for her – but she’s keeping her sense of humour.” The other big difference is that Happy Families is a lot shorter than the books she made her name with. “I want my readers to have exactly the same experience as if they’re reading one of my other novels, but the idea is that it is a slim book, so you don’t feel it’s too daunting,” she says.

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» Q&A » Adele Parks

Ask me another! When best-selling novelist Adele Parks dropped in on the learning centre at Brighton Cityclean, learners, ULRs and managers seized the opportunity to quiz the author of one of this year’s Quick Reads. Saskia Ton (enforcement officer): How do you go about researching your characters? A lot of the books have got a bit of me in them, but it’s not always me when I write in the first person (“I did this, I did that …”), even though everyone assumes it is. When I wrote Playing Away, about a happily married young woman who has an affair, all the journalists asked if it was based on personal experience. I used to say: “If I’d written a murder, would you be digging up under my patio? Credit me with some imagination!” But there are other books where I have said: “This is very much based on what happened to me.” Of course, you can’t take an entire person and put them in a book: I tend to take little bits of people and put them in as a new character, and maybe change their age or sex to disguise them. Gillian Marston (Cityclean and City Parks Assistant Director): How long does it take you to write a book? Some people talk about waiting for the muse to strike, and if it doesn’t, they go to a coffee shop. Well, my muse is clearly a woman, because she arrives at 8.30am just after school drop-off and stays until 3.20pm when it’s school pick-up time! I write solidly in between those times and really make it happen, so a book usually takes me about five months of term time (I don’t write in the school holidays) which means about seven months of the calendar year.

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Then I hand it in to Penguin, my publishing house, and they will come back and correct the gazillion typos and send it back for me to check. Once it’s published, I spend about a month promoting it, which is part of the job as well – doing signings in bookshops and meeting the people who actually buy my books to say “Thank you” because without them they wouldn’t get on the shelves.

“When journalists asked if a book about an affair was based on personal experience, I said: If I’d written a murder would you be digging up my patio?”

Wesley Emond (refuse worker): Have you met many famous people through your work? I met Tony Blair when he was launching Quick Reads, and I did the same thing to him that I’ve done today – I didn’t stop talking. My agent was gently tugging my sleeve and I was saying: “No, it’s my moment!” Richard Branson – I’ve been in the same room as him and he shook my hand, but I don’t think

Adele Parks « Q&A «

Get in Quick! There are 10 new titles in the Quick Reads series, to be published on Thursday 6 March. Make sure you order plenty of copies for your Book-swap scheme, library, or learning centre. For details of how to get hold of the titles, contact NIACE. Tel: 0116 204 7072 Email: quickreads@niace.org.uk Life’s New Hurdles Colin Jackson Doctor Who: Revenge of the Judoon Terrance Dicks

Girl on the Platform Josephine Cox

East End Tales Gilda O’Neill

Humble Pie Gordon Ramsay Cityclean workers formed a more or less orderly queue to get their books signed by Adele

that counts! He’s also dyslexic and he’s done a Quick Read – they don’t only ask dyslexics, but quite often dyslexic people are quite creative. Paul Whybrow (recycling worker): I’m dyslexic and I was wondering what you do when spellcheck doesn’t work? I’m lucky – I do know which word it’s meant to be most of the time, but sometimes I get a word that’s unrecognisable in spellcheck and it’s like a fly buzzing round you – I know the word I mean but I can’t quite grab it out of the air. My dyslexia is quite mild and it only got discovered when I went to university to read English.

I always used to send my essays home to my mother who would check my spelling and write them out again so I could hand them in. But one time I got behind and didn’t have time to send the essay home – which was how my tutor found out I was dyslexic.

Happy Families Adele Parks

The 10 Keys to Success John Bird One Good Turn Chris Ryan

RaW Voices Vanessa Feltz

The Hardest Test Scott Quinnell

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» Exclusive » Quick Reads

Lisa and the

other woma In this exclusive extract from Adele Parks’ specially commissioned Quick Read novel, Happy Families, Lisa is preparing for her teenage daughter’s birthday party. And she’s not best pleased about who’s on the extended guest list. mind now that the Big Breasted Woman was coming. She went to Marks & Spencer and bought their great party packs of food. She nipped to Argos and bought two new tea sets because she didn’t own enough matching plates. She panicked as she passed the newsagent and bought a bumper pack of streamers and balloons. Paula’s teenage tea party cost about the same as Lisa’s wedding reception. At this rate Lisa thought she would have to sell her kidney to pay for Kerry’s twenty-first. Lisa called Gill from the DIY class. It was on the off-chance. They didn’t know

“At this rate, Lisa thought she would have to sell her kidney to pay for Kerry’s 21st” each other well yet, but Lisa thought they would be good friends, given time. And Lisa would need a friend at this tea party. Besides, her family was always better behaved in front of guests. Lisa’s mum and dad arrived first. John and his lady arrived next. Lisa didn’t bother to learn her name. Like all the rest of John’s girlfriends, she was nice, happy and hopeful. But it wouldn’t last. A week or 10 days at tops. John gave Paula a bottle of sparkly wine. Paula shouted, “Wicked.” Lisa shouted, “No way,” and quickly took it off her. Carol and her family turned up with a big present. Then Gill arrived into the chaos. Keith and the addons arrived next. The Big Breasted Woman looked wonderful. She

exercised a lot. Her credit card that was! It was always being used. She had expensive hair, clothes and maybe even plastic surgery. Lisa wished she’d put on some lipstick. She was still red and sweaty from blowing up party balloons. Not a great look. Paula opened her gifts. Then the kids went up to their bedrooms to play noisily. The adults sat in the front room in silence. Everyone, other than Keith, seemed to know that this modern way to divorce (all one big happy family) was difficult to manage. The old way (never speaking again) would suit Lisa fine. It did not feel like a party. More

Jess Hurd

aula was officially a teenager. She had been acting like one for years. She had sulked, slammed doors and worn short skirts for a long time, but still, it was an important day. Paula was happy with the earrings and new top Lisa had bought, but said Keith had promised her an iPod. Lisa didn’t know what an iPod was but she knew it cost a lot. Lisa was cross with him for being able to out-do her, but happy Paula was going to do well out of it. Nothing was ever simple for her now. Kerry gave Paula a CD. It didn’t come with a smile. She was still heartbroken about that boy hanging out with Chloe Jackson. Jack handed over a book token (that Lisa had bought). Paula spent ages in the bathroom and came out wearing loads of make-up. She looked like someone off an MTV pop video. Lisa sighed and felt old. She didn’t have the heart to row with Paula on her birthday, so she pretended not to see. Lisa had invited all the family for tea. She didn’t think they would all say yes, but sadly they did. Plus John said he’d bring a date. That was 13 to feed and seat. Oh dear! Matters were made worse when Paula asked if she could invite her dad. Lisa wanted to say “no” but spat out “yes”. Then Keith invited the Big Breasted Woman and his parents. Lisa hated it that she’d said, “The more the merrier”. She meant to say, “Get stuffed.” Lisa had planned to pass around a plate of sausage rolls and some egg sandwiches. She changed her

Quick Reads « Exclusive « like a funeral. Keith’s parents often slagged off the Big Breasted Woman to Lisa. They also slagged off Lisa to the Big Breasted Woman, so they were tense. Lisa’s mother shot Keith’s mother evils. She hadn’t forgiven her for going to the Big Breasted Woman’s wedding. Carol loudly talked about the dangers of cosmetic surgery. She stared meaningfully at the big breasts. Only Gill and John chatted happily but even that upset John’s date. Lisa was worried about the bitesize flans that were part of the party pack from Marks & Spencer. They smelt a bit funny. Carol sniffed them and took a bite. She pronounced them delicious. It was impossible to argue. Lisa offered Keith a beer. The Big Breasted Woman said he never drank out of cans (a lie). Lisa offered her a wine. “I don’t drink sweet wines,” she said. Neither of them touched Lisa’s spread. “We’re going on to a really good restaurant, later,” said the Big Breasted Woman. Lisa wondered whether a judge would understand if she used a small strawberry flan to batter the Big Breasted Woman to death. Extracted from Happy Families by Adele Parks published by Michael Joseph on 6 March 2008 at £1.99. © Adele Parks 2008

How one RMT ULR got reading on the rails RMT ULR Kath Dulson used to put up with complaints from husband Peter about all the books she bought – until he got hooked on a Quick Read she was promoting at work last year. Gripped by Minette Walters’s Chickenfeed, Peter is now the one dragging his wife around all the local bookshops looking for more titles by the bestselling author! As well as the books themselves, ULRs can also order Quick Reads Employers Packs from NIACE, which usually go down very well in the workplace. When First Essex displayed their Employers Pack in the staff canteen, it increased people’s reading confidence and even led to a book-swap where staff bought in their favourite books to share with others. And First Aberdeen now have people reading books as well as newspapers since they got hold of an Employers Pack last year. NIACE would love to know how ULRs have used

Quick Reads books and promotional packs. Do you know someone who’s gained confidence in reading as a result of a Quick Read? Perhaps it was the first time they’d read a book from cover to cover? Or has finishing the book helped them in their work or everyday life? Whatever their story, NIACE can always use inspiring case studies to help motivate other learners. Please email them at: www.quickreads@niace.org.uk. For more ideas, visit www.quickreads.org.uk or contact the Quick Reads Team for a Promotional Planning Guide. Tel: 0116 2047072. Kath Dulson and husband Peter have both now got the reading habit

How to get involved Quick Reads, the series of books that has revolutionised reading for thousands of union members and others, is launching its third set of titles on World Book Day, Thursday 6 March 2008. To get involved: ● Register your interest and request your free promotional pack at www.quickreads.org.uk (books not included). ● Order an Employers Pack for just £100 (display stand complete with 60 books). ● Display the posters and give out promotional materials from your packs. ● Centre reading around fun activities such as quizzes and competitions. ● Organise an event or set up a reading group. ● Encourage members to keep a reading diary to track their progress. ● Send book reviews and feedback to quickreads@niace.org.uk. ● Vote for your favourite Quick Read on the website, www.quickreads.org.uk ● Download the podcasts to hear about the authors talk about writing the books at www.quickreads.org.uk. ● Enter the Quick Reads competition for a chance to win £500 of National Book Tokens at www.quickreads.org.uk.

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» Interview » Frances O’Grady

Vive la

Frances! TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady is known throughout the movement and beyond for supporting learning and skills development. She tells unionlearn Director Liz Smith what we’ve achieved in the past 18 months, and where we need to focus for the future. How do you feel about unionlearn 18 months on? Have we made a difference? Without doubt, we’ve made a real difference: we’re hitting all the targets in terms of getting more learners through the door, ensuring the learning is good quality, recruiting and training more ULRs and – crucially, for me – we’re beginning to get learning agreements not just about facility time for ULRs but about training and learning opportunities for the whole workforce.

What would you say were our major success stories? The creation of unionlearn is a huge success story in itself and welcome recognition of the contribution unions can make to the working lives of individuals, to the success of business and to the working life of this country. We’ve also had a positive impact in terms of our values of equality and

solidarity within workplaces but we need to do much more to break down the barriers facing women, black and minority ethnic (BME) workers and disabled workers trying to access training and Apprenticeships. When it comes to public money, we’ve made the case that it ought to be targeted at those most in need – and the Government’s Skills Strategy does that. But we’ve also said that employers need to put their hand in their pocket and contribute to the cost of training, too – especially when there’s a clear added value for them. We’ve had less success on that front: there’s been lots of carrots, but the Government hasn’t been willing to pick up a few short sticks that would encourage employers to make a fairer contribution to the cost of training! ULRs have had statutory rights for four years now: do you think there’s any evidence those rights should be strengthened? Many employers recognise the contribution ULRs make to improving workplace performance as well as representing individual workers’ needs. But we know that one in three ULRs are still having trouble getting time off to carry out their role so I think we certainly need some tightening up there. As well as that, there are the bigger mainstream questions that The Government needs to use the stick as well as the carrot to encourage employers to invest more in training, argues Frances O’Grady (left and opposite, with Liz Smith)

the unions ought to have a voice on, such as: ● how many Apprentices are taken on in an organisation; ● whether people get an automatic right to train in paid work time; ● what kind of training people should be doing; ● how training is organised; and ● how much people get paid if they progress through their training. That’s where we’ve still got more work to do. In some workplaces, it’s working very well; in others, learning and organising are still operating on parallel lines and we’re missing tricks because we’re not linking up our work on learning with mainstream bargaining. We sometimes get criticised for paying too much attention to Skills for Life and not enough to higher level skills. But what role do unions have at the higher level? With more of the workforce going through further and higher education, we’re gaining more members who have the equivalent of A Levels and above, but I think the principles of our approach to learning still apply. Workers with higher level skills still want the opportunity to continue their development; or change their careers; or refresh their skills; or retrain if their firm goes bust. In the world of work today, all of us are going to have to keep on learning new skills and even moving

Photos by Jess Hurd

Frances O’Grady « Interview «

into different professions, and I think people trust their union to understand the kind of pressures they’re under and to get the best quality opportunities for them because we’ve got their interests as our number one priority. Of all the initiatives that emerged from the Leitch report, one that is particularly dear to you concerns the expansion of Apprenticeships. What are the key things unions ought to be doing? And where do ULRs fit into this? Apprenticeships are dear not only to my heart but to the hearts of many trade unionists because we understand the importance of a young people getting good quality training and a steady job afterwards. Now that the Prime Minister has announced half a million Apprenticeships within a very short

“We need to root out any exploitation, because poor treatment of often vulnerable workers is wrong and also damages the reputation of all Apprenticeships”

A few good reads “I’ve just finished Francis Beckett’s biography of Gordon Brown which is a very accessible read and provides some useful insights on the PM’s life, thinking and values. I also enjoyed Carry Me Down by MJ Hyland, which I picked up because of the striking photograph on the book cover. It was a lucky find because this is a stunning and sometimes disturbing story about a misfit adolescent who believes he has special powers. Right now, I’m reading The Almost Moon – another gripping, if grim, read from Alice Sebold following on from her bestseller The Lovely Bones.”

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» Interview » Frances O’Grady

“One of the reasons Apprenticeship completion rates are still not good enough is that the pay is too low – and unions have to get apprentices’ pay and conditions back on the bargaining agenda” space of time, the big challenge for us is to make sure that each and every one of those is a good quality opportunity for young people – and we’d like to see some adult Apprenticeships, too, so that older people get a second chance they might have missed first time round. It’s going to be a tough call because there have been some cases of real exploitation – like the young women on hairdressing Apprenticeships expected to work 52 hours a week with very little formal training and hardly any breaks. We need to root out any exploitation, because poor treatment of often vulnerable workers is wrong and also damages the reputation of

all Apprenticeships. We have a great responsibility to support apprentices in the workplace. One of the reasons completion rates nationally are still not good enough is that the pay is too low and unions have to get apprentices’ pay and conditions back on the bargaining agenda. Another is that young people aren’t getting the support and encouragement they need, and I think ULRs could act as coaches or mentors to apprentices, and take on a broader pastoral role, not only ensuring they get quality training, but also making sure they are looked after in the workplace. It’s also vital to address the

How could the Skills Pledge help with all of this? If nothing else, it’ll help us identify the saints and sinners! So far, we’ve got hundreds of employers covering 2.5 million workers signed up to the Pledge. But we need to make sure we convert those pledges into real action inside the workplace – and we’ve got some evidence of where that’s happening where unions are actively involved.

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Jess Hurd

Frances O’Grady CV The first woman ever to hold the post of TUC deputy general secretary, Frances has been working in Congress House since 1994, when she cut her teeth as a campaigns officer working on part-time workers’ rights, homeworking and low pay. Frances moved on to direct the TUC’s New Unionism project, which created the Organising Academy, and then headed up the TUC’s Organisation and Services Department covering a range of policy areas at the heart of union concerns, including learning and skills. Appointed deputy general secretary in 2003, Frances currently has lead responsibility for a wide range of key areas of policy development across the TUC’s work including trade

union recruitment and organisation, inter-union relations and TUC services to members. Active in a range of women’s and community campaigns and a committed trade unionist throughout her working life, Frances has two children and lives in North London.

barriers faced by women, black and minority ethnic workers: they are under-represented in Apprenticeships as a whole as well as in high-status Apprenticeships; they are at the wrong end of a wider gender pay gap compared with the workforce at large; they still have to deal with stereotyping and occupational segregation; and they have lower employment outcomes on completion. And finally, we need to make sure we get those apprentices into the movement. I’ve visited workplaces where we have some fantastic schemes with unions and employers working together. But I’ve also visited other workplaces where I’ve been somewhat surprised to discover that the apprentices haven’t even been approached by the union – and these were otherwise well-organised workplaces! We need to get apprentices involved from day one.

Unions have really enjoyed all the work around Quick Reads and World Book Day and setting up more reading clubs and libraries at work. How do you think these sorts of campaigns help? And do you get anything out of them yourself – have you tried any of the Quick Reads? I have, I have! I was given the job of meeting Ricky Tomlinson on the Mersey Ferry last year, which was fantastic. I think Quick Reads is a fantastic initiative: it’s going to be difficult to beat last year, but I’m sure we will! What’s been wonderful is to see how many writers have the commitment to work with us and share their stories with us and encourage everybody to become authors of their own lives.

CPD and higher-level skills « Spotlight «

Lenny foryour thoughts? He may have been a top comic since the 1980s, but even Lenny Henry has found a bit of Continuous Professional Development pays off. And you can too, as this spotlight on CPD and higher-level skills shows over the next seven pages. Helping union members gain the Level 2 qualifications they missed out on first time round is a crucial part of the day-to-day work of most ULRs. But learning and development doesn’t stop there. Ever-increasing numbers of union learners are looking into higher-level skills through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes. CPD can make a huge difference to your life – as Lenny Henry has discovered since finishing his English Degree at the Open University (OU) last year. “I’m so much more confident now – I feel like I’ve earned my place in the room now I have a degree,” he told the OU’s Open Eye magazine. “Before I felt like I didn’t have a solid bedrock, but now I’ve got to the point where I can write up an idea, instead of presenting it to a TV executive only to be told: ‘We like your ideas, but now go away and we’ll write them up’.” And the discipline of having to make his essay deadlines over the past six years is also paying off. “I used to be averse to finishing writing projects, but now, thanks to my experience of studying and writing essays, I find I write loads, and know where it’s going,” he reveals. CPD and higher-level skills can help you boost your confidence, organise your thoughts and meet your deadlines – just like Lenny. That’s why we’ve put the spotlight on CPD and higher-level skills over the next seven pages, so that you and the learners you support can all aim a little higher.

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» Spotlight » CPD and higher-level skills

Coulddobetter?

Did do better! Her teachers thought Judith Price could try harder. Well, now she’s completed a diploma, a Masters and is thinking about a PhD!

Judith Price (left) is now a qualified counsellor after finishing her diploma

udith Price has just completed a Masters degree, has already got a counselling diploma and is just about to become a ULR. And that’s even more impressive when you find out reading and writing has been one long challenge for her. “It was the old story – my school reports always said ‘doesn’t apply herself’ and ‘could do better’,” Judith recalls. But that wasn’t what was going on at all: what none of her teachers had realised is that Judith was dyslexic. After leaving school at 16, Judith used a series of survival strategies to get by. “I tend to memorise and put things in pictures and use mindmaps,” she says. Unusually, her dyslexia did not affect her numeracy, and she found she had a gift for numbers. “I’ve got by because I’ve always done jobs like auditing and accounts – I’m good with people and figures,” she explains.

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After starting her current job in the finance department at the University of Wales in Newport and joining the local branch of UNISON, Judith became a health and safety rep. She took her Stage 2 and 3 Health and Safety courses, as well as the unionlearn course, Countering the Far Right . She also started thinking about developing her own career. Judith works for Cruse Bereavement Care in Gwent in her spare time, and wanted to qualify as a counsellor. “I wanted to do a diploma in counselling and I knew that I would need a diagnosis in order to get a disabled student allowance for help with my grammar and spelling,” she says. When her results came back, they showed that Judith did indeed have dyslexia (as well as high intelligence) and she was able to get the help she needed with literacy software.

And after she completed her diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy at the university where she works, Judith started her Masters degree, studying the impact of work-related deaths on family and co-workers. She’s planning to start a PhD in the same subject once she finishes the MA in the spring. And as if that weren’t enough, she is about to become a ULR. “Sometimes we don’t know what is out there and just need some basic understanding and coping strategies to help us further our aims in life – and learning is lifelong,” she says. “Education isn’t something you just do and then it’s over and done with at 16. And the way the world is now you need to be able to adapt and diversify. “The only limitation you have to learning is yourself. It may be hard to believe in yourself when others think you are not as bright as you should be but if you don’t try, you’ll never know. “And learning also keeps your marbles rolling round as well!”

CPD and higher-level skills « Spotlight «

Why don’t you give us a call? representatives and union members. Jenny Wilson, a ULR with PCS at the Land Registry in Stevenage, is enthusiastic about the advice line because it provides her with a onestop shop to provide information. “Otherwise I’d have to do a lot more research and digging around to find out what I need,” she explains. The unionlearn Learning and Careers Advice Line number is 08000 92 91 90. Or for more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/yob36w. Maria Gbao tries out the new careers advice line at the unionlearn with the Southern and Eastern Region TUC conference

Jess Hurd

FBU ULR Joe McMahon has tried out unionlearn’s Learning and Careers Advice Line and reckons it’s a valuable resource to help him help members. Joe used the line to get information for a member wanting to know if he could use existing qualifications towards a university education. “The person on the advice line gave me all the facts – it was a really useful tool and I’ll use it again,” says Joe. The advice line is a free, impartial, confidential service which helps people to develop new skills, improve their job prospects or change jobs. It’s available for all unionlearn and union staff, TU Education tutors, union

It’s to Tai for! The gentle art of Tai Chi proved a big attraction when Connect ULRs organised a day of activities for 2,000-plus colleagues at BT’s Adastral Park outside Ipswich. The union holds a week of activities at Adastral each year, involving BT and other smaller employers. In addition to Tai Chi, there was a Spanish taster session, workshops on learning styles and personal development plans (PDPs) plus specialist advice from the union’s Opus2 careers service. Connect’s 20,000 members are professionals and managers working in IT and telecoms and, like the members at Adastral, are keen to gain the skills to advance their careers. They also need to keep up with a wide range of expertise as their knowledge can date very quickly in this industry. ULF funding means Connect ULRs can help members explore their wider work-related ambitions and hopes, think about new directions and find

ways to fit these to their organisation’s work plans. Members are responsible for their own PDPs (agreed once a year with their line manager and work-related) and ULRs who know the local situation can help and support members to mould their PDPs around their aspirations. ULRs now get their

The gentle art of Tai Chi proved popular with Connect members in Ipswich

development as a learning rep included in their own PDP, which allows them to undertake further training and development in their union role.

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» Spotlight » CPD and higher-level skills

Get your 10% off! A new set of courses to help union members develop their careers is available at a discount. The National Extension College offers a range of short professional management courses designed for employees looking for continuing professional development in the workplace. These distance learning courses offer a flexible alternative to faceto-face training and employees can enrol at any time. Students will be supported for up to two years with a specialised tutor. The CPD series features seven

short courses that can be studied individually or as a complete set. They are part of a series of nonaccredited short courses and equivalent to a Level 2 qualification: ● assertiveness at work ● counselling skills ● financial management ● project management ● report writing ● stress management ● time management. Thanks to an agreement between NEC and unionlearn, all trade unionists now receive a 10 per cent discount on the cost of any NEC home study course. For full details of courses and to enrol, visit www.nec.ac.uk/ courses; email info@nec.ac.uk; or call the customer relations team on 0800 389 2839.

Feel the quality Midlands learning providers Axia Solutions and Warwickshire College have both secured prestigious unionlearn Quality Awards for their work with unions on Skills for Life. East Midlands Minister Gillian Merron presented both awards at the unionlearn with the Midlands TUC conference in November. Unionlearn Regional Manager Mary Alys is delighted with the awards for Axia Solutions and Warwickshire College. “They both play a huge role in enabling those who have

traditionally missed out on education to improve their lives and those of their families through learning,” Mary says. The Quality Award recognises providers for their commitment to working with trade unions. Other recipients in the latest round are: Knowsley Community College, Stockport College, Darlington College, the FBU, Norton Radstock College, Unite – Amicus Section and Park Lane College, Leeds. For more details, visit www.unionlearn.org.uk/quality award.com

Gillian Merron (centre) presents Keith Marsh and Karen Reilly from Axia Solutions with their Quality Award

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Give us more time Time and money are the biggest barriers facing union members keen to continue their education. And time off to study is the biggest incentive an employer can give staff, says a new survey by unionlearn with the Open University. The survey set out to assess demand for learning and involved a postal survey of 5,000 members via 10 unions. Some 509 responses were received (10 per cent). Of these only 14 per cent felt that they had completed their educational development and the survey revealed a high recognition of the importance of learning. But respondents identified a number of barriers to accessing learning. Six in ten said getting time off was a problem and nearly all (more than four in five) believed that getting paid time off to study would encourage take-up. Another barrier was the cost of courses: almost three-quarters would be interested if their employer paid all or part of the fees. Other incentives included help with childcare and travel and study costs. “The evidence presented in this report will strengthen the TUC’s powerful case for unions in recognised workplaces to have the statutory right to negotiate paid time off to study,”says unionlearn Director Liz Smith. A copy of the survey is available to download at http://tinyurl.com/2nxs4k

CPD and higher-level skills « Spotlight «

What

Nikki did next After continuing her own professional development, former TUC ULR of the Year Nikki Simpson has found her dream job. When she won the ULR of the Year award in 2006 Nikki Simpson could hardly have guessed it would lead to a career change after 21 years. Nikki, who worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland in Southend, enrolled on the City & Guilds course Delivering Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector following the award, and has just taken her Level 2 numeracy and literacy tests. Her involvement in continuing professional development meant that when she spotted a job on the TUC website for a project development worker on a ULF funded project with Prospect, she jumped at the chance. “I read the job description and got butterflies in my tummy and didn’t hesitate to apply – this was my dream job. Having worked for the same employer since leaving school, the interview was a bit nerve-wracking but I was delighted to be offered the job. “I’ve always had a passion for learning and development, especially helping others. Since winning the ULR award, I have been given so many development opportunities, speaking at conferences to help other ULRs, working with unionlearn and working with other unions across different industries,” she says.

Before she left her old job, Nikki achieved one of her personal goals – to branch out into offering work-related learning, in partnership with her employer. After careful negotiations, she persuaded bosses to fund and support accreditation in the workplace and successfully enrolled 12 members of staff onto NVQ Level 2 courses in Customer Service. Now she’s hoping her experiences as a ULR will prove invaluable in her new role and is looking forward to working in a different sector, with a range of different people from interesting jobs.

Nikki Simpson (right) helps spread the CPD message with Prospect Learning Services Officer Rachel Bennett

“I’ve always had a passion for learning and development” “I would never have anticipated that by becoming a ULR just four years ago I would have learned so much, met such great people and ultimately moved onto a new profession after 21 years,” she says. “I hope that other ULRs will be inspired by my story and will use their ULR role as a pathway to contributing to the learning agenda.”

Bright Prospects Nikki’s new role with Prospect sees her contributing to the union’s continuing professional development agenda. She is project development worker on a two-year Prospect initiative to raise awareness of lifelong learning and skills development opportunities for members in the environmental and landbased sector. Working with the Lantra Sector Skills Council, the project will bring learning to a new audience. “Our challenge is to bring learning to a population of workers, sometimes small in numbers, who can be located remotely across the region,” says Nikki.

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» Spotlight » CPD and higher-level skills

Ann with a plan Ann Duffy hasn’t stopped learning since she trained as a ULR to help run the Brinkburn Learning Centre in Newcastle. Ann Duffy was working parttime in a Newcastle library when her UNISON branch secured Union Learning Fund backing to set up the Brinkburn Learning Centre. She decided to train as a ULR – and she’s never looked back since. The Brinkburn Centre, the heart of one of one of the biggest workplace learning projects in the country, is run in partnership with Newcastle City Council. Thousands of members of all the local authority unions have benefited from a wide range of programmes including numeracy, literacy, IT and National Vocational Qualifications. The centre now acts as the hub for a number of work-based

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Ann Duffy (above) enjoys helping learners find out what they need

Learning Zones which are supported by ULRs. Ann began running IT courses and IAG awareness sessions for ULRs at the centre and then decided to do a teaching qualification to enable her to teach too. She completed a City & Guilds 7407 Stage 1 and 2, went on to the Certificate in Education, and then embarked on a full degree in Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) with Northumbria University – all in the space of four years. She now works as a member of the Learning Council Team at the Council and is on the final year of her PCET degree course. As well as working, carrying out her ULR role and studying for her degree, she has also completed her IAG Level 3 & 4 NVQs and

qualified as a NVQ Assessor. In addition, Ann is training to become an NVQ internal verifier. As well as teaching IT in the learning centre, where she supports people with Skills for Life learning up to Initial Assessment, Ann also signposts people to other sources of help and learning, and somehow finds time to support other ULRs and union reps with IT needs. “Working in a learning environment helped as I was able to achieve my IAG qualifications mostly in work time,” she says. “It has been hard work but worth it. If I hadn’t become a ULR and been in the right place to take up the secondment to help run the learning centre, none of this might have happened.”

CPD and higher-level skills « Spotlight «

Chris kicks it higher ATL ULR Chris Cutler has gone from scoring goals on the football pitch to helping members achieve their personal and professional goals in the workplace. PE teacher Chris Cutler began his career as a professional footballer in the early 1980s. “I made my debut aged 17 playing in the reserves against Wolves and found myself being marked by none other than Emlyn Hughes,” says Chris. Chris plied his trade at Bury and for seven seasons at Crewe Alexander where he played alongside former England internationals David Platt and Rob Jones. “One of the highlights in my first seasons was scoring the winning goal at Old Trafford against a Manchester United side that included Mark Hughes, Norman Whiteside and Paul McGrath,” Chris recalls. Unfortunately, a knee injury forced Chris to retire in 1991.

He then turned his attention to the fitness of others, opening his own health club before deciding to pursue a career in teaching. With the support of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Chris completed a degree in Sports Science at Manchester Metropolitan University. He combined his studies with coaching the football teams at Abbey Gate College in Cheshire where he secured a teaching post when he completed his studies. His commitment to coaching and development of colleagues prompted Chris to apply for ATL’s Learning Rep course and he completed his training last year. Chris has not been

Learning has helped Chris Cutler transfer from professional football (left) to school coaching (above, right)

slow to put into practice what he learned on the course and is developing the role to complement existing CPD and performance managements systems already in place. His priority is to work with senior management to improve CPD by widening the scope of in-service training and to enable colleagues to undertake more leisure activities. “The demands of teaching and the pressures to achieve on both staff and pupils need to be carefully handled and addressed to ensure a healthy work-life balance,” says Chris. The ATL has exciting plans for increasing involvement in CPD which it is implementing with backing from the Union Learning Fund.

NUT listens to supply teachers’ demands The NUT’s growing CPD programme is helping supply teachers who, too often, miss out on professional learning as they move from one school to another. They can now have their workplace learning recognised by the General Teaching Council’s Teacher Learning Academy, the new system of accrediting teachers’ learning and development. The union also continues to offer popular behaviour management seminars to supply teachers, who are often at the forefront when it comes to dealing with behaviour problems.

“Thank you for remembering the supply teacher: we need CPD too!” commented a Birmingham teacher. The CPD programme also includes a second round of Learning Circles under a partnership with the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. Each Learning Circle brings together a group of local teachers to learn about good practice in an issue that interests them and which they can then use towards a postgraduate accreditation from the University of Cambridge. In addition to the circles, the union has set up a partnership with

the GTC, in which participants who complete an increasing number of NUT CPD seminars and courses, are eligible to gain professional recognition (Stage 1) for their learning through the Teacher Learning Academy. “As well as providing easily affordable day-to-day support for teachers, the union’s professional development programme continues to be innovative and sets a quality standard for all providers of professional development for teachers,” says John Bangs, the union’s head of education and equal opportunities.

winter 2008 «

» Update » Adult Learners’ Week

Gathering

skills

By Astrid Stubbs

in May

It’s time to start planning how you’re going to use Adult Learners’ Week to spread the skills message in the spring. dult Learners’ Week is a once-a-year opportunity for unions to join with communities the length and breadth of the country in promoting the benefits of lifelong learning. The week is built on the simple formula that learners inspire others to give learning a go: no wonder it’s been copied in nearly 50 countries around the world. Governments across Europe, including our own, are determined to embed lifelong learning, explains the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). “The outstanding adult learners celebrated during Adult Learners’ Week are key ambassadors for the realisation of that vision,” NIACE says.

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NIACE exists to encourage more and different adults to engage in better quality learning of all kinds and campaigns for and celebrates the achievements of adult learners. It also encourages target groups including the low-skilled, unemployed and low-paid and those with few or no qualifications to participate in learning and spread positive messages about learning. And NIACE aims to encourage providers to engage the most isolated and excluded learners (including people with health problems, disabilities and/or learning difficulties; black and minority ethnic communities; older people) in activities that develop social and employment skills, confidence and ambition. The week has the backing of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the European Social Fund, and is also supported by commercial companies, supermarkets, distance learning providers, museums, libraries, broadcasters and adult education funding bodies. For help, advice and promotional materials to make sure your event is a success, contact NIACE at www.niace.org.uk

Themes good to us Themes for local activities during Adult Learners Week 2008 are: ● globalisation and the changing world of

work: Skills for Life, participation, progression, qualifications, modern foreign languages, north/south issues and fair trade; ● environmental sustainability: green issues and sustainable development; ● technological change: ICT, e-learning, media literacy and digital inclusion; ● citizenship and belonging in a diverse society: community cohesion, equality and diversity; ● demographic change: older workers, women returners, migration, learning in later life, family and inter-generational learning; ● poverty reduction: financial education and the engagement of the most isolated and excluded learners; ● changing expectations and perceptions of the Third Sector: volunteering, social movements, community engagement, civic renewal and democratic participation; ● well-being and happiness: learning for active living, arts, culture and creativity, family and inter-generational living.

Adult Learners’ Week « Update «

It’s your day

Awards time Who are you going to nominate for an Adult Learners’ Week Award this year? There’s still time – if you hurry! NIACE receives over 1,000 nominations of inspirational and exceptional adults who have transformed their lives through learning every year. There are categories for groups who have come together to learn, individuals, families and for learning projects that have made a difference to learners’ lives. Winners will receive learning vouchers valued between £200 and £500 and everyone nominated will receive a certificate. The closing date for entries is

25 January and awards will be made during ALW in May. So if you know someone or a team to nominate, contact NIACE on 0116 204 4200 or email alw@niace.org.uk. Details of the 2007 winners are available at: www.niace.org.uk/ALW/2007/ Awards/winners-at-a-glance.htm

Learning at Work Day, organised by the Campaign for Learning (CfL), falls on Thursday 22 May during Adult Learners’ Week. Each year, hundreds of union learning projects take part in LAW Day and stage fun and business-related learning activities to help members learn new skills. This year, the theme of LAW Day is Sustainable Workplaces. Events could include: ● a yoga-at-your-desk workout; ● a review of your work-life balance to run with colleagues; ● a laughter in the workplace programme; ● tools to help build for retirement. The CfL supports unions and other organisations interested in running LAW Day activities, and can provide planning packs, activity ideas, promotional materials, conferences seminars and regional help. Last year, an estimated 5,600 organisations took part. By getting involved in the biggest annual celebration of workplace learning you could reach new staff, uncover new skills and build new partnerships all at the same time. Register your interest in LAW Day 2008 on 0870 350 2345 or via the website: www.campaign-for-learning. org.uk.

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» Update » TUC Education

Steady as she grows T

he TUC’s membership grew by 7,000 last year, the third successive annual increase. This steady growth shows that unions are continuing to make progress in meeting the membership challenge. And a key priority is to identify and develop new workplace activists who can support the 200,000 union reps up and down the country. Trade union education is an important resource for developing the organisers of tomorrow. Last year saw TUC Education, now part of unionlearn, reach almost 50,000

workplace reps with programmes designed to support workplace organisation. Courses developed for safety reps, equality reps, pensions champions (or any part of the curriculum) focus on building the union as the key to getting things done at work. A new publication Organise 2! A voice in every workplace has been designed to help develop the skills for effective workplace organisation. It’s available for use across the TUC Education curriculum and reps will find it on courses from this month.

How to join the culture club A new cultural awareness toolkit including fun games and activities is available now from the TUC. The toolkit includes: ● a timeline-based historical card game; ● a work-based scenarios game for union reps and/or employers; ● a calendar of religious and significant holidays for 2008; ● an activity pack of individual and group activities covering culture and diversity; ● an interactive CDROM with additional resources.

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Unionlearn launched the toolkit in Manchester at an event organised through Manchester Trade Union Education Unit under the TUC and the North West Regional Development Agency as part of a cultural awareness project. The toolkit can be used in a variety of settings to stimulate learning and discussion. Although the materials will be used extensively within trade union education programmes, they can be used to support existing company training, with school groups, and for training sessions of various lengths. To find out more about the toolkit, contact Pete Holland. Tel: 0151 243 2564. Email: pholland@tuc.org.uk

TUC Education « Update «

And now here are the facts . . . Media reports of BNP leader Nick Griffin and far-right historian David Irving speaking at the Oxford Union were fresh in the memory when unionlearn with the Southern and Eastern Region TUC launched its new booklet Defeating Racism in November. “It was an absolute disgrace that the Oxford Union gave a platform to racism, and just goes to show that education can mean you’re clever, but not necessarily wise,” commented unionlearn board chair Billy Hayes at the launch. On a happier note, Billy was glad to see the ways in which unionlearn has been helping attract new activists from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities (45 per cent of ULRs in the region are BME workers, according to

the latest survey). TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said the booklet was full of information that would encourage more people to challenge racism in the workplace. “By spreading a learning culture we are helping to undermine bigotry as well as helping BME workers to increase their skills and improve their life chances,” he said. SERTUC Regional Secretary Megan Dobney, who came up with the idea for the booklet, pointed out it was not one-off. racism in the workplace; ● facts to combat press myths about “This booklet is not a standalone item – it’s part of SERTUC’s antimigrant workers. racist, anti-fascist campaign,” You can obtain copies of the booklet she said. from Darren Lewis. Defeating Racism includes: Tel: 020 7467 1220 ● information on the business case Email: dlewis@tuc.org.uk for equality and diversity; Or download it from: ● a checklist for reps fighting http://tinyurl.com/25jrj5

Young, gifted and green nionlearn’s Trade Unions and The Environment course has helped NUS activist Toby Walton encourage more students to adopt greener lifestyles. Toby is actively involved in Durham University’s Sustainable Living Action Group (SLAG), a joint venture of elected student environment officers, the Student Union, the 16 Colleges, and the university, which was shortlisted for the Green Gown Awards last year. Although he’s coordinated the Sustainable Living Programme at the university in the past, he’s found he’s now able to offer more input to the green group after taking the course. Trade unions and The Environment helps reps to: ● Identify environmental changes

affecting the workplace; Research and identify appropriate environmental legislation, policies and information; ● Identify environmental problems and opportunities for trade union action. “One of the most important things from the course is getting everyone involved and committed, rather than having it imposed top-down, as a management initiative,” Toby says. This was his own experience on the ground in Durham. “One of the most important ●

things to come out of Durham University environmental initiatives is student involvement to sort out day-to-day problems,” he says. It was ideas and feedback from college environment officers which meant that recycling systems were modified to prevent contamination of recycling, so that potentially recyclable waste didn’t end up in landfill, for instance. To book onto the next Trade Unions and the Environment course, visit the courses section at www.unionlearn.org.uk

winter 2008 «

» Interview » unionearn board

Talking shop with John Shopworkers’ union leader John Hannett is keen to help more and more workers check out learning.

hen John Hannett left school at 15 to sell fruit and veg from a market stall in Liverpool, he probably had little idea that he would one day lead a trade union. But it’s why he relates to the lifelong learning needs of many USDAW members, and why he’s so passionate about his role on the unionlearn board as an ambassador for lifelong learning. John went to St George’s secondary modern school in Liverpool but left with a handful of what he calls basic CSEs. “You were expected to get a job and your expectations weren’t much greater,” he recalls. After getting a job with Guinness where he became a union convenor, he quickly got involved in learning through USDAW, taking a two-year trade union studies diploma. “It was the trade union movement, that really whet my appetite for the whole learning agenda, as it was for many of us,” he says. “I took advantage of all the union courses on

28 » winter 2008

offer and when lifelong learning became an issue, I knew it was an opportunity to open doors for lots of people. “Most of us were not expected to achieve more than state education provided so you secured a job and then you were locked in that job. “But once you give people the confidence and the opportunity they flourish – and USDAW has lots of examples of that and can hold its head up high on lifelong learning.” The union’s work has helped 20,000 members gain new skills and it has opened over 35 learning centres across the country. In 2008, one of its major campaigns is Check Out Learning, which aims to help thousands more retail workers return to learning. “Based on my experience and the experience of our members, who have not had the best state education for different reasons, trade union education has always been a key catalyst for people’s development and lifelong learning is another build, a big extension, on top of that,” says John. And he is constantly inspired when meeting members whose lives have changed as a result of lifelong learning. “One example is a member from retail who

lacked confidence and struggled to participate socially in a course – she felt everyone knew more. But she returned to learning and is now a ULR and has been promoted by her company. It’s like there are two different people – one before and one after the education. “Lifelong learning can show people that education isn’t your experience of school – it’s a different approach which gives people a belief in themselves that they may have lost because their expectations were dampened down.”

“Most of us weren’t expected to achieve much at school, so you were locked in the job you secured afterwards” John is full of praise for the Government’s continued commitment to lifelong learning. And he says the board has a real role to play. “It can innovate, it can keep the agenda moving forward, and we need to make sure all unions are passionate about going out to employers,” he says. John is also keen to see the bargaining agenda widened to include learning and skills. Unions can get stereotyped for having a narrow vision based on traditional core issues which can discourage people from joining, he argues, but learning gives unions the chance to demonstrate they have broader concerns. “Where unions have a prize for potential members and for a wider audience is to link learning as part of any dialogue with an employer,” he says. “There’s nothing more important than people’s development in terms of confidence and opportunity. And there is nothing negative about lifelong learning – it is a completely positive story.”

Resources « Roundup «

Jay knows Contact us... If you have a question you want answered or want to take part in online discussions, please visit www.unionlearn. org.uk/discuss

Q “I recently attended a union conference where there was a workshop on the Climbing Frame. I was unable to attend the workshop but as a ULR, is this of any use to me? A It most definitely is. The Climbing Frame is a new and exciting online tool for ULRs. It will help ULRs to give even better support to individual learners, and will help you, help them identify

Jay Sreedharan, unionlearn’s website officer, answers some recent questions raised by site visitors

and access their pathways to learning. The approach of the Climbing Frame is to recognise that union learners have aspirations that can help them move towards new personal, work, and career goals. ULRs will also find it easier to negotiate with management around the learning agenda using the learning Climbing Frame, as they will see clear benefits from it. The

Climbing Frame holds information about a broad range of learning themes and opportunities that can be updated. And it can be customised to meet the needs of different unions and sectors. If you are a ULR and would like to use the Climbing Frame, or find out more about it, please contact Louisa Shaw, unionlearn’s Climbing Frame Support Officer at lshaw@tuc.org.uk

Top tips from you On our website we recently asked ULRs to share their “Top Tips” on getting workmates into learning. Here are ten of the best.

When asking people to fill in learning surveys, skills tests, and so on, have some freebies with you to say “thank you” – even if it’s only a bag of toffees. Make sure you scan the local papers and the free magazines for learning opportunities. And keep a scrapbook of cuttings, addresses and contacts to use for advice and guidance to potential learners. Be confident about what you are doing. Be prepared to ask for advice yourself if you are not sure. Do training courses as often as you can to keep your mind active and be better informed.

2 3

Keep in mind the learner’s work-life balance. For example, a single mum with young children may find an online course more accessible than classroom courses. Record everything you do, such as conversations, running courses, doing training, Adult Learners’ Week activities. It all helps to build and justify your role. Network with local organisations. Information exchange works both ways and can lead to unforeseen and positive developments. Make yourself known by putting up posters, handing out leaflets and producing newsletters. Competitions are a good way of letting staff know you are still around during quiet periods. Prizes could be things like Quick Reads books, or books for parents to read with children.

6 7 8

Use leisure learning as a hook to get learners who may need Skills for Life courses. Learners are more likely to admit they struggle with their computer skills than admit to needing help for their maths or English. Once a learner discovers that learning something new is fun they are more likely to embark on a Skills for Life course. Never lose focus on why you are a ULR: you volunteered for a reason. Have you discovered handy tips that other reps would find useful? Submit your top tips and you’ll get a set of nine Sandstone vista books.

www.unionlearn.org.uk/toptip

winter 2008 «

» contacts

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

» Unionlearn

» Regional unionlearn

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

Southern and Eastern Tel: 020 7467 1251 Regional manager Barry Francis Union Development Coordinator Jon Tennison Regional Education Officer Rob Hancock

» National unionlearn managers

» Midlands

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

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

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

» North West

Joe Fearnehough Tel: 0151 243 2571 jfearnehough@tuc.org.uk

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

» Learndirect centres

» South West

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

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

» Equal Project

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

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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

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

» Union contacts Aspect Judith Hibbert Tel: 07968 322 969 judith.hibbert@ntlworld.com ATL Mark Holding Tel: 020 7782 1596 mholding@atl.org.uk BECTU Brian Kelly Tel: 020 7346 0900 bkelly@bectu.org.uk BFAWU Dorban Ippoma Tel: 020 8801 0980 dorban58@yahoo BSU Vikki Botham Tel: 07717 805 521 vikki.powell@britannia.co.uk Connect Kirsi Kekki Tel: 020 8971 6052 kirsi.kekki@connectuk.org CSEU Mick O’Sullivan Tel: 07779 264 123 mjosullivan@blueyonder.co.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 75 9473 trevor.shanahan@fbu.org.uk FDA Martin Furlong Tel: 020 7401 5555 martin@fda.org.uk

resources « Free materials for Learning Rep readers www.unionlearn.org.uk/freebooks New videos, posters, leaflets and booklets – and post and packing is free as well. Make them available in your learning centre, workplace canteen, or just distribute them to anyone interested. 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 Rail Union Learning RUL Programme Support Team Tel: 0207 317 8612 info@rul.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 – Amicus section Tom Beattie Tel: 020 8462 7755 tom.beattie@unitetheunion.org Unite – T&G section 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

Kate and Umar’s Incredible Learning Journey This new 10-minute animated film shows ULR Kate running a learning centre, and how Umar joins her and becomes a ULR. Lots of characters get involved and learning stories are revealed. See story on page three. Local heroes – the importance of ULRs This fast paced six-minute film is designed to show the vital work of ULRs. It also shows how they give confidence to their colleagues to get on the learning journey. The film was produced with the support of the Sector Skills Development Agency. See story on page seven Supporting learners – guides for union reps Four new publications for learning reps. They are: Why and how union reps should support learners; Sources and help for union reps; Role and skills of the union rep; Useful extras for union reps.

Learning and careers advice Help your colleagues with all aspects of their learning and careers needs. You can order posters (A4 and A3 sizes) and leaflets. You can also download resources such as a CV builder and a skills inventory at www.unionlearn.org.uk/uladvice or ring the landline freephone advice service at 08000 92 91 90.

Online learning with TUC Education This 20-page guide gives reps a full list of all online courses available. It covers Health and safety, disability, pensions, organising, rep training, work-life balance, and racism. And it provides a practical guide to learning online.

the

learningrep » Winter 08

It’s the Queen of Quick-lit Adele Parks takes the Quick Reads message out on the road

You can also order further copies of this edition of the Learning Rep to pass on to colleagues. Plus lots of other items that you will want for any events you are organising. If you are preparing for an activity for World Book Day (6 March) or for Adult Learners’ Week (17 – 23 May) get your orders in early.

www.unionlearn.org.uk

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Supported by: The Learning Rep is part of a community programme called Equal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a European Social Fund initiative which tests and promotes new means of combating all forms of discrimination and inequality in the labour market. The GB Equal Support Unit is managed by ECOTEC.