• In this Section:
• Which Course?
• Course Catalogue
• Course Calendar
• Life Long Learning
• Notes for Branch Education Coordinators
• How to Apply
• Noticeboard
• Learning Partners

Life Long Learning

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 with 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
Members were reminded to contact the Learning and Development Organiser and the Regional Education Officer for assistance when planning events or negotiations with managers.
LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS AT THE WORKPLACE  Ten UNISON Branches with funding of £110,000 continue their learning projects into 2009 in partnership with their respective employers. The funding provided by NW Economic Development Agency and the Learning and Skills Council was acquired in partnership with unionlearn. All existing projects will end on 31 March 2009 and in February all North West branches will have the opportunity to apply for funding from the unionlearn Learning and Skills for All Fund 2009. (For further details contact www.unionlearn.org.uk)

The funding will be used, in part 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, lifelong learning surveys to find out the learning needs of members, national tests in literacy and numeracy and referrals to Skills For Life and other courses. Funds will also be used to buy portable IT equipment to be used by Learning Reps with members based in areas of the workplace where computers are normally unavailable. 

Each project has been planned in partnership with the employer whose typical contribution include office facilities and payment towards staff costs. Other project partners include local colleges, the Open University and the Workers Educational Association. 

This is the first learning project for many of the branches so they can call on the support of the Learning and Development Organiser at Region. unionlearn also offers support via their team of Project Workers. New projects also have access to the experience of those branches that have managed successful learning projects over the past few 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.

CELEBRATING LEARNING

Two UNISON NW branches were featured in the Illuminating Learning conference held at the Blackpool Hilton Hotel in November 2008. The conference was organised by unionlearn to showcase the TUCs skills agenda including the wide range of learning projects managed by trade union branches throughout the region. One member from Tameside Local Government and Best Learning Rep at New Charter Housing Trust was nominated as Learning Rep of the Year and gave a presentation on her learning journey.

The project team from Blackpool Local Government branch was commended for the learning partnership with their employer that introduced lifelong learning to all sections of the workforce and opened the newly launched learning centre to members of the local community. The demand for learning from employees and the community has resulted in the learning centre being open outside of normal working hours and at week-ends offering a wide range of courses to members and non-members.

Who to Contact

Cleve Tait
Telephone: 0161 661 6207
Email: c.tait@unison.co.uk