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LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS AT THE WORKPLACE
 Fifteen
UNISON branches were awarded £147,000 by unionlearn to arrange workplace
learning projects in partnership with their respective employers. The funds were
provided by NW Economic Development Agency and NW Learning and Skills Council in
an effort to improve the skills and encourage lifelong learning amongst workers
in the region. Many members will have the opportunity to get involved as the
projects are based in large and small employers including local authorities, the
Health Service, Manchester Airport and a housing association.
The funding will be used to arrange secondments of Union Learning Reps (ULRs)
who will manage the projects and co-ordinate the activities of other ULRs in
their branches to meet the project outputs. These include recruiting more ULRs,
negotiating learning agreements with employers, conducting learning needs
surveys, national tests in literacy and numeracy, and referrals to Skills for
Life and other courses. Funds will also be used to purchase portable IT
equipment to be used with members based in areas of the workplace where
computers are not normally available.
Each project has been planned in partnership with the employer whose
contribution includes office facilities and payment towards staff costs. As
other project partners include local colleges, the Workers Educational
Association and the Open University, projects will be able to offer a service to
members at all levels.
All projects will be able to call on the support of the Learning and
Development Organiser at Region as well as their local unionlearn Project
Worker. New projects will also have access to the experience of those branches
that have managed successful projects over the past three years. For successful
branches there is the opportunity to make further applications for funding and
to participate in UNISON’s national Union Learning Fund project.
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Learning at Manchester Airport
Since being opened last year, under the
stewardship of Unison Branch Education Officer Tracey Thompson, the learning
centre (Airport Learn) at Manchester Airport has seen 170 learners pass through
and complete a course to aid their personal development. There are about 100
people taking courses at present whilst 372 learners are on the waiting list.
The learning centre is a partnership between
Manchester Airport Group and the trade unions Unison and Unite. It has been so
successful that plans are afoot to extend access beyond the locally based
Manchester Airport Group staff to thousands of other staff members in related
organisations at the airport complex.
The range of courses on offer include foreign
languages, digital photography as well as literacy, numeracy and IT workshops
provided by the Further Education Colleges Trafford and Myerscough. The courses
are designed to encourage personal development and play a key role in
re-introducing employees to the benefits of learning. Some employees have been
hesitant to enrol but the relaxed and friendly nature of the courses has seen
almost every learner return to sign up to an additional course. Learners who
have previously never sat down in front of a computer have gained IT
qualifications thereby altering the perceptions of those who felt that they were
just too old to step back into learning. In order to manage the learning process
on behalf of all employees a steering group consisting of management and union
and non-union representatives was formed. The group meets on a monthly basis and
was instrumental in encouraging the recruitment of 10 new Union Learning Reps
who have helped to spread the word about the opportunities for personal
development available at the learning centre. These learning activities have had
a positive effect on Unison membership at the airport and is a great
illustration of the benefits that union learning in partnership can bring to
branches, members and employers who are interested in training their employees
for the challenges of the future.
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Living Books
UNISON North West has joined the Human Library
movement by establishing a library of Living Books. A Living Book is a person
who has volunteered to share aspects of her/his life experience at organised
events where members of the public can ‘read’ the Book by listening to her/his
story, asking questions and sharing ideas. To date we have recruited and trained
50 Books and arranged about 20 events at which members of the public were able
to ‘read’ our books and help to progress social cohesion across the region.
A group of UNISON Living Books with staff at the Swinton Library event
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UNISON/Open University Learning Partnership
Union Learning Reps
(ULRs) and other branch activists gathered at the regional office at
Arena Point Manchester on 25 March to learn about the full range of
higher level courses available via the UNISON/OU partnership. The
courses range from ‘Openings’ – twelve to twenty-week tasters in subject
areas relevant to our health and local government members to a
twelve-month pre nursing/social work course in health and social care.
The courses are
delivered in partnership with employers who agree negotiated time off
for study and tutorial support from the OU.
Members
took part in workshops that included practical actions they would take
when they returned to their respective workplaces. The actions include:
Consult directly with Human Resources/Training and Development
managers about partnership courses
Invite UNISON Learning and Organising staff and OU reps to
member briefings
Set up network of ULRs in sectors where learning is low on
management agenda
Involve branch committees and joint consultative forums in
negotiations around the learning agenda
Branches to establish funding availability from UNISON, the NHS
and the OU
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