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Eric Roberts presents a laptop to Matilde Aguilera |
Last year we were involved in a joint project
with the Las in recruiting 10 Learner Reps. This proved to be a great
success and we now have 9 learner reps around the service of which 8 are
UNISON members.
UNISON is keen to see this new and exciting role develop and we can see it's
potential in enabling our staff to get the correct training and the best
qualifications to succeed. As such it was agreed at a recent branch meeting
that we would assist the learner reps by purchasing a laptop computer to
help them in their role in assisting you, our members. On 10 May 2004 we did
just that and pictured is Eric Roberts presenting the Hewlett Packard Laptop
computer to one of our Lifelong Learning Advisors at Camden Station.Do
you know where your nearest Learner rep is?
Click here for a list of UNISON Learner Reps. |
An opportunity for everyone
UNISON members dropping into the adult learning fair at St Thomas's
Hospital in May would have found an unexpected lifelong learning adviser in
the shape of Dave Prentis.
The union's general secretary volunteered to swap jobs for a day to promote
the work of the advisers in the run up to adult learners' week on 10-16 May.
The week, organised annually by the National Institute of Adult Continuing
Education, is an ideal springboard for UNISON to promote its commitment to
lifelong learning. And throughout the union's regions, innovative learning
events took place to entice members back to the classroom.
Northern General Hospital in Sheffield laid on aromatherapy, singing and
jive-dancing taster sessions. And the Open University, Careconnect Learning
and the Workers' Education Association were on hand to promote the
Learning@Work programme.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth health branch took the learning message into two sites
– Queen Alexandra's Hospital and St. James' Hospital – with learning reps on
hand to inspire would-be learners.
Although education is not the primary purpose of the union, it has become
one of the most valuable benefits of membership. For UNISON members, many of
whom are low paid, the opportunity to increase skills for career or personal
development is a lifeline.
The union works in partnership with other organisations to provide a vast
array of courses, from Return to Learn – which offers help with key skills
such as reading and maths, to WEA workplace courses and Open University
diplomas.
The union's most recent partnership is a groundbreaking deal with the NHS
university – a new government initiative offering education to health
service staff. Called the Working Together agreement, it was signed in
January by Dave Prentis and Bob Fryer, chief executive of the NHSU.
"It's about finding ways of promoting learning development with people who
don't usually get training," explains Steve Williams of UNISON's open
college. "And it's a commitment to enhance learning opportunities by
widening participation and career progression routes for people in low-paid
jobs."
This commitment is at the core of all UNISON's learning initiatives, as Ray
Rafferty, medical records clerk and lay tutor for the Royal Hospital branch
in Belfast explains. "It's the disadvantaged, the disaffected and isolated
employees we want to reach," he says. "They have never received the
opportunity of self-development and training. This work addresses that
inequality directly.
"Return to Learn and all the other courses bring new learners – particularly
women and part-time workers – back into education."
It's clear from personal testimonies that such courses build confidence,
leading to new opportunities in the workplace and new horizons in life in
general. And it's not just learners who benefit from prioritising workplace
learning, education also helps boost the union's profile.
At the Royal Hospital, for example, UNISON organises a programme of courses
open to all staff – including members of other unions or members of none.
Many employees have seized upon these learning opportunities and their
positive experiences have led to an increase in union membership.
"Members of other unions go to their own steward and get told there's not
much on offer," says Mr Rafferty.
"Through the European Computer Driving License course alone, we gained about
40 members from other trade unions – that's nearly 20% of the total number
who did the course. I recently saw that the T&G has started to run computer
courses. That's to be welcomed and is a direct result of our lead."
It's also the case that many members feel so motivated by such courses that
they are keen to help others back into education. As a result, many become
lifelong learning advisers.
Such advisers are excellent advocates for learning. Having studied
themselves they are ideally placed to explain the benefits of learning to
their colleagues. Their enthusiasm and success stories are an inspiration to
others who may feel nervous about returning to education.
Working in tandem with such advisers are the union's lifelong learning reps
– lay union officials who are trained to negotiate around learning issues as
well as encourage workplace learning initiatives. Together they are a
powerful force.
Important new statutory rights for learning reps and advisers, which came
into effect on 27 April, formally recognise their contribution. Such
advisers and reps will now be allowed reasonable time off with pay to train
for and conduct union duties along with other union officials.
This is another step towards acknowledging the importance of workplace and
adult learning in providing low-paid workers – many of them UNISON members –
with another bite at the education cherry.
More information
UNISON open college
The ACAS code of
practice on time off for trade union duties.
National Institute of Adult Continuing
Education and adult learners' week.
(Source: Focus 195) |
