Beat the Credit Crunch with Alvin’S Stardust

learthe ni ng rep » Winter 2010

Viva the revolution! Festival promotes informal learning Welcome to No 10 … Apprentices meet their own minister Teaching the teachers Unions help combat bad behaviour

Quick Reads exclusive Beat the credit crunch with Alvin’s stardust

www.unionlearn.org.uk » Comment A celebration of 49 apprenticeships Last month unionlearn was at 10 Downing Street to celebrate apprenticeships. A packed event saw apprentices from a range of backgrounds and from a range of unions mixing with guests and ministers. The enjoyable and inspiring evening showed off the benefits of apprenticeships and brought together some exceptional young people. Three of the apprentices (Adam Matthews from the PFA and Cardiff City FC; Leanne Talent from UNISON and Merseytravel; Richard Sagar from Unite and Eden Electrics) addressed the audience and impressed everyone there. A big thank to them for their professionalism and eloquence when speaking on the day. 10 14 A thank you too to ministers Kevin Brennan, Pat McFadden and Iain Wright for joining us, as well as Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and 16 Business Secretary Lord Mandelson. A strong commitment to support and expand apprentices was given by Gordon Brown, which was warmly welcomed by all those there. In this issue of The Learning Rep , you will find a full report of the Downing Street event with some great photographs of the apprentices. 18 28 We’ve decided to make this issue an apprentices special and it includes interviews with Richard, Leanne and Adam who spoke at the Downing Contents: Street event as well as an interview with Kevin 3 24 Brennan, the apprentices minister. Learndirect awards16 TUC Educatio n We have an exclusive interview with TV 4 News and events 28 Mary Bousted, financial expert Alvin Hall. He is one of the 8 The Learning Revolution unionlearn Chair authors for this year's Quick Reads, which are 29 launching in January ready for World Book Day 10 Apprentices at No. 10 Fond farewells on 4 March. You will also find details of this 12 The minister talks to 30 Contacts year’s books including Life’s Too Short , The Learning Rep 31 Jay knows unionlearn’s own contribution, which is a series 14 32 of short stories by union reps and activists based Apprentices Q&A Free resources on their working lives. We are delighted to be 15 Investors in People able to make a contribution to the Quick Reads 16 Quick Reads series and to support World Book Day for 18 22 another year. Alvin Hall Interview 21 Open University Tom Wilson Director unionlearn 22 Continuing Professional The Learning Rep , winter 2010 Development Editor : James Asser [email protected] Writers : Astrid Stubbs, Martin Moriarty University of Leeds LOGIK centre Cover photo : Alvin Hall by David Loftus Design : wave.coop In the last edition of The Learning Rep , the photograph accompanying the story Print : Ancient House Printing Group ‘College that Leeds the way’ showed staff from the University of Leeds attending Distribution : Cavalier mailing an African drumming class led by Alison Lyon held in the LOGIK Centre, the university’s workplace learning centre. Apologies to the staff at the LOGIK Centre and the University of Leeds for failing to mention them in the article.

2 » winter 2010 learndirect awards « News « Gentoo’s Ian is number 1

Gateshead ULR Ian Thompson Since becoming a Unite learning learndirect, and as a union learning rep at North-East people and rep I’ve passed on my experiences won the national unionlearn property group Gentoo three and enthusiasm for learning to my award at the learndirect years ago, building worker Ian colleagues.” has encouraged over 400 TV presenter Eamonn Holmes Achievement Awards colleagues to access learning and his wife Ruth Langsford, who Ceremony in the autumn. opportunities. made the presentations, have He’s also undertaken courses at worked with learndirect in the past the St Thomas Street learndirect to highlight the difference learning centre in Sunderland, and can make to people’s lives. Unite ULR Ian completed an NVQ and a “We have seen first-hand how Thompson picks up his learndirect construction qualification. learners from across the UK are award from “I left school with no boosting their skills, improving unionlearn qualifications – I was left at the their job prospects and becoming Director Tom back of the class and I felt that more confident: all the finalists are Wilson (left) and teachers forgot about me,” truly inspiring, and we were event co-host Ian says. honoured to help celebrate their Ruth Langsford “I’ve achieved so much with success,” Eamonn says. m o c . d n a l r a m a d n i c u l

. hi-res needed w w w : o t o h P

winter 2010 « 3 » News k u . o c . l a t i g i d t r o p e r / d r u H s s e J : o It’s the 2012 learning legacy t o h P

The Olympic Delivery Authority Situated on the fringes of the Podium places superstore to help promote the (ODA) and unionlearn SERTUC massive infrastructure project, the (from left): centre centre to local people. have got together to set up a centre is designed not only for manager Phil Union-based initiatives include a Spry, ODA Head learning centre on the 2012 site workers on the site but also for of Equality and plan by teachers’ union NUT to in East London, offering literacy members of local unions and the Inclusion Loraine have the learning centre bring its and numeracy courses to local community. Martins, TUC laptops into local primary schools, construction workers and the “It’s certainly different: Deputy General where parents will be able to local community. workplace learning centres don’t Secretary Frances improve their literacy, numeracy The ODA supplied the building, normally actively go out and O'Grady, and computer skills after they’ve unionlearn computers and connectivity while promote their courses to the local Regional dropped off their children. unionlearn SERTUC supports the community – it’s generally just the manager Barry The centre will be formally three-strong project team headed unions onsite or in the locality,” Francis, Project opened in early 2010 , and will by Learning Centre Manager explains Phil. Worker Jane remain onsite until March 2011 , Phil Spry. The team has been meeting a Warwick, Director after which it is hoped to move it to “We’re a learndirect centre, range of local unions to fill them in Tom Wilson and a new site in the area to continue offering literacy and numeracy up about what’s on offer, and is also centre admin helping local people as part of the assistant Mark to Level 2, and IT courses from working with the Communities Sadler legacy of the Olympics after 2012 . beginners up to Level 2,” says Phil. Champion at a local Tesco

Train to Gain boosts Lambeth Council learning UNISON ULR Sheila Simpson is working with Train Association (WEA) to offer Skills for Life and other to Gain to help more of her colleagues at Lambeth courses to council staff. Council in London access learning at work. Sheila started as a union learning rep in 2003, “Working in partnership with our broker is and her own workplace learning has helped her beneficial because she guides me through the develop from being an unskilled worker with funding maze and keeps me up to date with the dyslexia to taking on a management role. adult curriculum,” Sheila says. “I won’t deny that it can be a strain, juggling In addition to Train to Gain, the union has work, family and studying, but with support from developed partnerships with Lambeth College, the ULRs working in partnership with the employer Lewisham TUC and the Workers’ Educational this can be achieved!” she says.

4 » winter 2010 News « k u . o c

. With more and more workers l a t i at Eurostar Temple Mills g

i On your bikes! d t

r travelling to work by o p

e motorbike, RMT ULR Jamie r / d r Liness has started organising u H

s safety courses run by police s e J motorcyclists to help : o t o participants become safer, h P more competent and more confident on two wheels. “Getting to work by motorbike Thumbs up for has taken off at Eurostar Temple Mills,” Jamie says. skills strategy Jamie heard about the courses run by Bike-Safe London, an The TUC has welcomed the initiative to help to cut motorcycle Government’s latest Skills rider casualties, from one of his Strategy, which sets out an fellow bikers at work. ambitious vision for giving “I had a huge response when I people and businesses the put the word out about running a skills they need to help drive course – we’ve run three courses economic growth. at the depot so far with great Skills for Growth: The National success and are planning more in Skills Strategy commits the the future,” he says. Government to: The first course was funded T dramatically expanding through the RMT learning bursary advanced apprenticeships, fund, while the second two were and encouraging the best paid for by the Eurostar Temple apprentices into higher Mills Training Department, which education could see the benefit to everyone T empowering adult learners to involved, Jamie says. shop around for training with their own personal skills account T streamlining the number of Full steam ahead at Network Rail public bodies responsible for delivering skills policy. Grimsby Network After putting together a in and encouraging the learning It also sets a new target of Rail staff are successful Adult Learners’ Week drive,” Tony says. ensuring three-quarters of the studying for an (ALW) event last year, rail union It was the results of a questionnaire population go to university or get ITQ course RMT ULR Tony Hutton has circulated at the event that prompted an advanced technical through Train to organised a bespoke computer Gain Tony to investigate the best way of qualification by the age of 30 . course for Network Rail staff in helping staff to plug their IT skills gaps. “By providing extra funding for the Grimsby area. The bespoke Information advanced apprenticeships and The union has yet to sign a Technology Qualification (ITQ) Level 2 helping trainees to go on to learning agreement with course, which includes elements of university, the Government is Network Rail, which owns and the TRUST software used in signal putting apprenticeships at the operates the country’s rail boxes, is financed through Train to heart of our education system,” infrastructure, so Tony had to Gain. says TUC General Secretary start from scratch when he A total of 30 learners enrolled on Brendan Barber. became a learning rep, running the pilot, with skills ranging from “The Government's new target the ALW event with funds from beginner to web design. of getting 75 per cent of people RMT Learning. Network Rail Development Worker under 30 into university or “The day was a success and Jen York hopes the pilot will smooth advanced vocational education attended by over 100 people: local the path to a learning agreement rightly recognises that both management were delighted and between the RMT and Network Rail. routes matter equally if the UK is really started to see the benefits to “The development of a bespoke to have more highly skilled everyone engaging ITQ is a huge achievement and workers.” shows what positive outcomes can Download the executive happen when ULRs and Network Rail summary, strategy work jointly together: we have yet to document and analytical sign a learning agreement and this paper from www.bis.gov.uk/ pilot is a step in the right direction,” skillsforgrowth she says.

winter 2010 « 5 » News North-East learners reach higher

A joint TUC/unionlearn initiative “The Higher Level Skills Project to improve higher level skills in C completes the circle so that we are S L : the North-East has exceeded its tackling all skill areas and enabling o t o targets of getting adults on to learners to progress through to h P Foundation degree courses or leadership and management skills their equivalent. with others, which is good news for The Higher Level Skills Project, those individuals, for businesses which unionlearn and the Northern in the North-East and for the region Region TUC launched in October as a whole.” 2007, aimed to promote higher Another key role of the project level skills to 1,200 potential was to raise awareness among learners and see 65 learners regional employers of the benefits progress to higher learning. of union learning, particularly In fact, the project has engaged leadership and management skills. 1,213 potential learners and Targets were again exceeded encouraged 144 adults to sign up twice over, with 119 employers for higher level learning including getting involved (the original target Foundation degree courses – more was 46), many of them than twice the original target, contributing towards the cost of according to a recent evaluation course fees for their employees. exercise by Ekosgen. “We're delighted that this project In addition, over 200 adults also has proved so successful and received advice and guidance on we’re grateful for the support and training and development. funding that's been received from “This has been a ground- regional employers who recognise breaking project, as traditionally the benefit of upskilling their More employers the trade unions in this region workforce,” Elizabeth says. “Due to are realising they have focused around lower level that success we hope to continue benefit from higher level qualifications and Skills for Life,” this level of support for union learning says unionlearn Regional Manager members in the future.” Elizabeth Killoran.

Don’t leave home Your chance to go without it for 2011 glory Unionlearn has revised its popular handbook WorldSkills UK is currently organising the cycle of Working for Learners to help unions and competitions to help identify potential members ULRs promote, negotiate and broker of the UK team that will compete in the next learning opportunities for their members. ‘skills Olympics’ when WorldSkills comes to The new edition incorporates improvements London next year. suggested by a survey of users of the first Last year, around 4,000 registered their interest edition (which overwhelmingly rated the in a WorldSkills UK competition, which tests young publication useful or very useful). people’s grasp of best practice in their chosen field, The handbook now includes a section outlining the range from bricklaying, carpentry and welding to web of opportunities that learners can access from Skills for Life design, cooking and hairdressing. to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and sets out All you have to do is visit the WorldSkills UK the National Qualification Framework. It also has a new website, select the competition you’re interested in, section on the funding available to learners. read all the information about it and follow the The handbook updates unions on the Unionlearn has onscreen instructions to enter. unionlearn initiatives designed to support already posted a To be in with a chance of competing at learners such as the union learning Climbing copy of the handbook to WorldSkills London 2011 , you need to enter this Frame and the unionlearn Careers and every ULR on the year: outstanding national finalists may be Advice Service. It contains an updated unionlearn database, and considered for potential inclusion in the team that jargonbuster to explain the alphabet soup you can order free copies goes on to represent the UK at a WorldSkills of acronyms and initiatives. And it includes from the website at competition. case studies that show how ULRs can work www.unionlearn.org.uk/ www.worldskillsuk.org/competitions with employers and providers to open up publications Email: [email protected] learning opportunities at the workplace. Tel: 0800 612 0742

6 » winter 2010 News «

o Are you a twitterer? You may not have the one million k Events n e r e followers of Stephen Fry but if you are embracing the h c u

K world of new media and keeping in touch with what a i i l a 2010 t is going on through twitter you might want to add a N

l 31 –7 Feb National Story Telling Week l I @unionlearn . You can also follow the TUC on @tucnews @touchstoneblog and @strongerunions . February Many other unions are also now using twitter to get LGBT History Month 1–5 Apprenticeship Week their message out; it’s worth checking whether you’re March missing out on your 4 World Book Day 4 New Quick Reads released union’s tweets. 8 International Women’s Day 10 –12 TUC Women’s Conference, Eastbourne 18 ULF Awards 21 World Poetry Day 26 –28 TUC Young Members’ What’s up Conference April down under? 16 Apprentices conference 23 –25 Black Workers’ Conference concept of the union learning representative seems to be of May increasing interest to unions 6 Local elections around the world,” says 15 –21 Adult Learners’ Week unionlearn Research and 19 –20 Disabilities Conference, Strategy Manager Bert Clough. Congress House “This research paper will help 20 Learning at Work Day With unions around the world interested unions worldwide to adopting the ULR model first adopt and adapt the learning July developed in this country, a new representative concept to their tbc Unionlearn Conference unionlearn research paper countries’ industrial relations 1–2 TUC LGBT Conference, compares and contrasts structures and learning and Congress House developments in the UK and skills systems.” New Zealand. September While ULRs in both countries Learning representative 13 –15 TUC Congress, Manchester have been strongly supported by initiatives in the UK and 18 –22 Liberal Democrats their union centres and New Zealand: a comparative Conference , Liverpool recognised within their respective study by Dr Bill Lee and 26 –30 Labour Party Conference, governments’ skills strategies, Professor Catherine Cassell, Manchester New Zealand ULRs do not yet unionlearn research paper 10. enjoy statutory rights to train and Order your copy from TUC October carry out their duties. Publications (details on the Black History Month “There is no one model for back page). Download from: 4–7 Conservative Party union-supported learning, but the http://tinyurl.com/ye4uwhx Conference, Birmingham

winter 2010 « 7 » Feature » Festival of Learning

Trade unions across the country enthusiastically supported the autumn’s month-long festival encouraging learners to pick up new skills.

By Astrid Stubbs s h r c t e t a e H P n y e o r R a : K o : t o o t h o P h P

Jump to it Fix it Play it Learning together Learners literally took the lead Taster sessions in plumbing, (from left): HMRC Drums and didgeridoos proved a when they joined dog behaviour motorcycle maintenance, web staff improve big hit with both children and classes in the festival organised design and sign language proved their dogs’ adults attending a Family behaviour; rail by Revenue and Customs unions a hit with rail union members in staff tackle Learning Festival at the in Northamptonshire. Weymouth. motorcyle newly opened Prison Officers Colleagues took their dogs to The day, organised by train maintenance; and Association Learning Centre at training classes to learn how what drivers’ union ASLEF, was also Oxford families HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire. they did conveyed messages of open to members of rail unions try their Other events included tag rugby, good and bad behaviour, RMT and TSSA and run by digeridoos healthy eating with tasters and replicated by their pets. Weymouth College. recipes, an introduction to Events also included face As a direct result of the festival, computer skills and support to massage, photography and one driver has started a part-time make a hanging basket. clay pot throwing. course at Weymouth College and Centre staff David Dillon and “There is great sense of it’s hoped more learning will follow Katrina Alexander were supported achievement when you acquire a as a result of the sessions on offer. by Adrian Ryan from unionlearn new set of skills and find a SERTUC. common interest – be it pets, “Adrian was most impressed crafts, a love of photography, or with the attendance and the just meeting people through “Yearning to learn is key activities that had been laid on interesting or stimulating courses,” to our enjoyment and and took away 35 completed says Jan Smith, lead ULR, who questionnaires,” David says. organised the events. can enhance and further “I believe a yearning to learn is a key to our enjoyment and may also our careers.” enhance and further our careers.”

8 » winter 2010 Festival of Learning « Feature «

“October’s Learning Revolution Festival raised the profile of informal adult learning across the country, helped in no small part by ULRs. Over 2,500 events were held across England, involving thousands of local people, families and communities. The Government will continue to work hard with its partners to promote informal adult learning and the benefits it brings to improve people’s well-being, to build confidence to take on new challenges and, for some people, to start the journey towards more formal learning and employment.”

Kevin Brennan , Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs

Paint it Get it together Revolutionary art: Middlesbrough Institute of mima hosted a A series of events organised by and their memories of the places Modern Art (mima) was the range of art- the New Testament Church of they left behind. venue for a day of art, culture related events in God and supported by a cross- Middlesborough A further day gave members of and heritage organised by local (left), while Leeds section of unions in Leeds jointly the community the opportunity to unions Community, GMB, Unite rounded off Black celebrated Black History Month participate in a variety of and UNISON. History Month and the Festival of Learning. workshops: Gospel singing, music Learners had a chance to take and the Festival All members of the community relating to Black history, poetry, part in sessions on jewellery of Learning with were invited to participate in Black art, African dance and food. making as well as learn about music and dance sessions on Black history. The event concluded with a workshops trade union heritage and the Younger members then concert in which participants history of Teesside – all amid the interviewed elders about their demonstrated their newly backdrop of the landmark mima experiences of migration to Britain learned skills. building, one of the UK’s leading galleries for modern and contemporary art and crafts. Tackle it Providers were on hand to give information about higher learning The GMB and UNISON in community participated with six and The Open University took partnership with Warrington teams taking part in the details from a number of people Wolves held a touch rugby event tournament. keen to take learning further. coached by players. The majority that attended filled “It was a great success and the Quick Reads and health out evaluation forms, with highly feedback has been really good, and well-being advice was positive feedback suggesting with ULRs benefiting too because also available. unionlearn involvement had led to they had the opportunity to More than 60 union members a lot of people getting involved in network and meet providers and people from the surrounding informal learning as a result. face-to-face,” says Dan Gow, learning organiser for the GMB’s Northern Region. winter 2010 « 9 » Feature » Apprenticeships

Prime Minister Gordon Brown took the chance to meet a host of apprentices from around the country at a unionlearn reception in Downing Street late last year. Going for gold

Richard Sagar’s not kidding for Business, Innovation and Skills), So, once he’d done three months Gordon Brown when he says apprenticeships TUC General Secretary Brendan backpacking around New Zealand listens to give you opportunities you can’t Barber and Channel 4 News Chief after leaving school, he discovered apprentices get anywhere else. (above, from left) Correspondent Alex Thomson. local firm Eden Electrics was looking Adam Matthews, At the tender age of 22, the time- “I have the confidence to work for apprentices and pestered the Leanne Talent and served Unite member is already anywhere, and the opportunity to boss until he gave him a start. Richard Sagar enjoying his well-paid first job on the progress as far as I want to go, with a Richard was in his second year at while Leanne massive redevelopment of BBC lifetime qualification that is portable, Dumfries and Galloway College when (below) shares Broadcasting House in London. not just in the UK, but worldwide,” he won its award for best apprentice, her experiences And a few months ago, he was one Richard told the gathering. later going on to win the West of as a Merseytravel apprentice at of just three members of Team UK “These opportunities should be Scotland and Scottish prizes, which the event who brought home a Gold Medal open to anyone who wants to follow made him a natural to compete for a from the WorldSkills competition in an apprenticeship – the rewards are place in the UK’s WorldSkills squad. Calgary, Canada. there for those who work hard, and From there he went on to win the No wonder he was one of a few commit to the training.” Gold Medal in electrical installation dozen young people invited to Although his qualifications would at WorldSkills in Calgary, beating Number 10 for a celebration of have been good enough for him to counterparts from 31 other countries apprenticeships hosted by the Prime go to university, Richard opted for to the top spot. Minister in the autumn, where the the vocational training route because guest-list also included political he felt he wasn’t at his best in the heavyweights Peter Mandelson and classroom and was keen to develop Pat McFadden (from the Department his hands-on skills. On the up

A record 234,000 people started apprenticeships in the 2008/09 academic year, according to provisional data released by the Office for National Statistics. The figures also showed 126,900 people completed apprenticeships during the same period, representing the highest ever number of starts and completions in an academic year.

10 » winter 2010 Apprenticeships « Feature «

The long journey from college prize “I can honestly say that this to international gold took over two opportunity has changed my life: 12 Make a date with years’ work, training and preparation months ago, if someone had said I which meant that “competitions have would be stood in Downing Street Apprenticeship Week been pretty much part of my making a speech, I would have apprenticeship”, he says. thought they were having a laugh!” Apprentices, employers, unions and providers His martial arts experience stood she says. come together to celebrate the value of him in good stead in Calgary (he’s Adam Matthews says he couldn’t apprenticeships during Apprenticeship Week, also an experienced Thai boxer). have picked a better time for his which this year runs from Monday 1 February to “I’m a naturally competitive person, apprenticeship at Cardiff City FC. Not Friday 5 February. and I’m used to giving it all or only is the club knocking on the door Organised by the National Apprenticeship nothing,” he says. of the Premiership, but he himself Service (NAS), the week features employer Too old to compete when has enjoyed an extended run in the events, job swaps, breakfast briefings and WorldSkills comes to London next first team. apprentice challenges in a series of national year, Richard will be mentoring As well as a BTEC National and regional activities to celebrate the talents whoever succeeds him as the UK Certificate in Sport and an NVQ Level and skills of apprentices. hopeful for the electrical installation 3 in Sport, Adam has also secured a honours. “I can give a perspective to Level 2 coaching badge, which gives More information: the competitor that a training him the chance to continue working http://tinyurl.com/ylpsfms manager can’t – I know the practical in the beautiful game if his dreams side, what’s going to work, what’s don’t all come true. “Education not going to work,” he explains. provides me with the passport to Accompanying Richard at the success – whatever happens on the Downing Street reception were football field,” he points out. Cardiff City football apprentice Adam TUC General Secretary Brendan “A year ago, if someone Matthews and Merseytravel Barber said the event highlighted the had said I would be stood counterpart Leanne Talent. value of apprenticeships to both “When I got a place on business and the wider economy. in Downing Street making a Merseytravel’s apprenticeship “Unions are playing a big role in programme, I was – as they say – working with employers to increase speech, I would have thought over the moon: Merseytravel is a the number of apprenticeships and they were having a laugh!” huge organisation and my we want to do everything we can to apprenticeship gives me the build on the success the country’s opportunity of working in a number apprentices have already achieved.” of different areas of the business,” Leanne says. She appreciates all the support she’s had from her union UNISON and her employer, enjoys learning on the job and meeting lots of new people, and has already completed an NVQ in Business Administration. But she couldn’t quite believe it when she found herself at the most famous address in the country for the apprenticeships celebration last year, where, alongside Richard and Adam, she spoke about her experience.

Unite Joint General

Secretary Derek k u .

Simpson (second left) o c . l

and Head of Lifelong a t i g Learning Tom Beattie i d t r

(far left) introduce o p e

some of the union’s r / d

apprentices to r u

Business, Innovation H s s e

and Skills Minister J : s

Pat McFadden o t o

(second right) h p l l A

winter 2010 « 11 k u . o c . l a t i g i d t r o p e r / d r u H s s e J : s o t o h p l l A After meeting many apprentices at unionlearn’s Downing Street reception, Kevin Brennan explains how the Government is expanding work-based training opportunities for young people. My name is Kevin and

Did you enjoy unionlearn’s recent What’s your overall impression of Why does the Government set so Downing Street reception the state of the work-based much store by apprenticeships celebrating apprenticeships? training system at the moment? for the future of the economy? I thought it was a great event: it I’ve been lucky enough to see I think bringing together the was really good to see unionlearn several workplace training elements of vocational training, bring young people involved in providers and I think that there’s technical training and key skills in a apprenticeships from around the been a renaissance around work-based training programme country into Downing Street so that apprenticeships and work-based Apprenticeships has a very strong track record, and we could hear their stories and how training over the past few years that Minister Kevin although it was allowed to wither apprenticeships are benefiting we can all be proud of. Brennan chats on the vine prior to 1997, we now them, and they can see the value The trade union movement and with apprentices have more than three times the the Government, the TUC and unionlearn have played a hugely at the unionlearn number of apprenticeships than employers place on positive part: the way union learning reception in we had then. apprenticeships. reps up and down the country have Downing Street Increasing skills levels in this way (above) and There’s no substitute for meeting been able to get out there and meets one of his is the best way to produce a good people who are actually going encourage people into training and own constituents, outcome for the economy and also through the system: it’s all very well skills qualifications has been Cardiff City FC’s for the individuals concerned – and to sit in your office and read absolutely fantastic. rising star Adam that combination makes submissions, with all due respect to The icing on the cake is the way Matthews (below) apprenticeships so important. them, but actually to understand we have been re-establishing what’s happening out there, you apprenticeships as the gold standard need to talk to people on the of work-based training, working very frontline – and who better to talk to closely with the trade union than apprentices themselves? movement and employers, so I think And I was very glad to see Cardiff it’s pretty vibrant and pretty healthy City FC’s Adam Matthews at the out there. reception: as the Minister for Apprenticeships, it’s always great when you can hold up a shining example from your own constituency!

12 » winter 2010 Apprenticeships « Feature «

What is the Government doing to lift the status of vocational education, which has long been treated as the poor relation in the UK? Getting the kind of parity of esteem for vocational education remains a key challenge: as a minister, it’s sometimes frustrating when you see headlines in the popular press about ‘dumbing down’ when you’re attempting to get vocational education parity of esteem with academic education. We’ve done a huge amount to try and overcome that by investing over £2.7 billion in the fabric of our further education colleges in recent years, by making the investment in Train to reach to a situation in this country In addition, I think we also need to Business, Gain and Skills for Life and the where three-quarters of people improve the information, advice and Innovation and Skills Minister expansion of and investment in under the age of 30 will have gone guidance that people receive when Pat McFadden apprenticeships. through either higher education or considering careers to make sure talks to Norwich We’ve expressed the view in the vocational training and they know the benefits of going City Football Club new Skills Strategy that we want to apprenticeships up to Level 3. down a vocational path. apprentices at the unionlearn I’m your minister reception

What would you most like to see How can the Government, the I also think that union learning reps achieved in your time as Minister TUC and unionlearn continue to have a big role to play in trying to responsible for apprenticeships? work together to promote drive up that demand for learning and As the Minister responsible for apprenticeships? skills in the workforce, particularly apprenticeships, I think we have to What’s really good is the common promoting apprenticeships in the focus on delivering more and more agenda we have around workplace and persuading employers high-quality apprenticeship apprenticeships: the partnership that they should be starting opportunities for young people, that’s built up in recent years apprenticeship schemes. particularly at the moment – we all between the Government and trade Union learning reps can reach the know that recessions hit young unions has been a massive success parts that others can’t reach: they’re people hard because they may not story, one of the things we’ve a network of people who care have the skills and qualifications managed to do in Government I’m passionately about the businesses and experience and they’re trying proudest of. they work for, who want to make to get hired rather than already I think there’s a big role for trade them a success and ensure that being in work. unions in helping us to convert people have a high-quality So we need to make sure now that young people who are currently in employment experience and high- we’re doing as much as we can to jobs without training into quality training. get employers to recognise what apprenticeships because there’s still I actually think supporting union young people can offer and the a large number of young people out learning reps has been one of the importance that they have for the there with jobs where they don’t best value-for-money schemes the future of businesses and also for the have proper training. Government could have undertaken. future of the country. Focusing on trying to increase the numbers of young people being able “Supporting union learning reps is one to get into apprenticeships is my top priority at the moment. of the best value-for-money schemes the Government could have undertaken.”

winter 2010 « 13 » Feature » Apprenticeships

With the Low Pay Commission set to report in February on improving apprentice pay, this is your guide to why things need to change.

Why do we need to reform the system of apprentices’ pay? More than half of all apprentices are currently exempt from the National Minimum Wage (NMW): young apprentices under the age Next stop, of 19 and older apprentices in the first year of their course are currently not entitled to the NMW. Under a separate arrangement, C S apprentices not entitled to the L better pay : s o

NMW should be paid at least t o h

£95 a week. P

Can’t we just improve the weekly So what’s the solution? How will the new rate help? pay rate for apprentices? The TUC argues that the best The better you pay apprentices, No. While the weekly rate has approach is to introduce three the more likely they are to been an excellent first step, it is new age-based hourly rates complete their training. Research still a very low rate and weak based on the existing NMW rates: The better we pay by the Learning and Skills Council enforcement means some T £3–£ 3.18 for 16- to 17 -year-olds apprentices, the last year showed that apprentices employers are still getting away T £4.05 –£ 4.29 for 18- to 20 -year- more likely they who quit before completion were are to complete with paying apprentices as little olds ( 19 and 20 , first year of their training receiving significantly lower as £2 an hour or nothing at all in apprenticeship only) average pay rates than those who a few cases. In addition, it hasn’t T £4.87 –£ 5.15 for over- 21 s (first went on to finish. In addition, an protected all apprentices from year of apprenticeship only). apprentice minimum wage could being forced into excessive The TUC estimates that between help close the massive gender working hours, with around 11 ,000 and 14 ,000 apprentices pay gap: male apprentices are 40,000 apprentices regularly would be better paid as a result. currently paid on average £ 10 .32 working over 40 hours a week, Female apprentices and those in an hour while their female and 10 ,000 working more than low-paying sectors such as early counterparts earn just £ 6.55 . 48 hours a week. An hourly rate years education and hairdressing would discourage employers from are most likely to benefit. making apprentices work very long hours.

“Today’s apprentices will play a “We’re really pleased that so It’s a union thing crucial role in the future of our many made the effort to economy and unions are working contribute to the launch of our with employers to increase the regional initiative – it shows the number of apprenticeship starts,” importance that trade unions, Unionlearn is explained unionlearn Regional employers and Government alike pushing the message Manager Dave Eva at the North- are attaching to the role of that apprenticeships West event in Liverpool. apprenticeships,” he said. are union business Unionlearn Union Development “We’re determined to build on Co-ordinator Tony Saunders was the work we’ve already with a series of delighted that 100 participants undertaken and will be providing regional seminars to attended the event to find out training and resources to ULRs share information more about apprenticeships in and other union reps to support and good practice. the region. and improve apprenticeships.”

14 » winter 2010 Investors in People « Update « People power

A new approach to Investors in People involves How IIP can help three main areas of change: this is what it will your union mean for you. The new approach offers unions a Greater focus Extended recognition number of opportunities to better The new approach is much more To encourage the use of this link Investors in People with the flexible and tailored to the specific extended framework, three learning agenda and improve the needs of the organisation. The additional stages of recognition have quality of members’ working lives: starting point is ‘what does the been introduced (Gold, Silver and T The new focus makes it easier organisation want to achieve?’ Bronze) to recognise the additional for employers to see the links and the discussion is on how the achievements of those organisations between skills development Investors in People framework that choose to work with this and the organisation’s needs can help. extended framework and go beyond and objectives and so the Standard. encourage the take-up of More choice Investors in People. The Investors in People framework T The extended framework goes has been extended to offer The High Five offer from into much more depth in key organisations greater choice. It still areas of union concern such as contains the Standard, which Investors in People equality of opportunity, staff represents the national benchmark • It is based on an extended framework, consultation and involvement, of good practice, and organisations which includes, but reaches beyond, the career development and work- will still need to show they can meet scope of the Standard. life balance. The evidence the 39 evidence requirements to • Its purpose is to customise assessments to requirements in the framework become an Investor in People. your needs: you decide how much of the provide unions with a blueprint However, the extended framework framework you wish to be assessed against to help employers develop a contains another 157 additional depending on your priorities. workplace culture, which evidence requirements. • The feedback you receive will be tailored to champions learning, staff So, for example, if an organisation your needs and expressed in your language. involvement and respect and wants to improve the way it provides dignity at work. equality of opportunity in learning • Over and above the Standard, you can achieve T The new Bronze, Silver and and development it can use the Gold, Silver or Bronze awards depending on Gold recognitions and the relevant evidence requirements as a how many evidence requirements you meet. increased emphasis on annual benchmark. It then develops an • Annual Review will now be available to all, assessment provide an action plan to meet these evidence meaning that Investors in People can now be opportunity to embed requirements and be assessed tied into your annual planning cycle. continuous improvement. This against them to see if it has helps unions to ensure that improved and has met the Investors in People is built into requirements. discussion and consultation and not seen as something that happens every three years.

Getting more information A range of information and additional publications is available on the Investors in

k People website: u . o

c www.investorsinpeople.co.uk . l a t i For advice or information, g i d t contact the Investors in People r o p Centre in your area. To find e r / s i your nearest centre, call r The new IIP r a

H approach offers 020 7467 1900. n h more choice to o J

: organisations o t o looking to achieve h P the Standard winter 2010 « 15 Short, sharp solutions

ULRs have used Quick Reads to bring about astonishing changes in learners’ lives

16 » winter 2010 Quick Reads « Update «

The Quick Reads initiative has already made a massive contribution to learners Telling it like it is and tutors across the country – and is all set to go even bigger on World Book Day Learners talk about how important Quick Reads have been to improving their reading and this year. writing in the new DVD by NIACE and Coracle Films, which was premiered at the LSIS The difference Quick Reads have Prime Minister Gordon Brown has conferences. made to learners across the described Quick Reads as “one of Their comments include: country was demonstrated to the great success stories of the adult learning providers and English language”. “Looking at people who could read and write, I tutors at three national Skills for Bestselling authors Andy McNab, used to think: ‘How intelligent that is’, and Life Conferences held in London, Val McDermid and Cathy Kelly, the more I tried, it never ever sunk through. Leeds and Birmingham in the together with television personalities When I had my own children, that’s when I autumn. Rolf Harris and Alvin Hall, are among realised that I have to read and write. After Participants had the chance to the authors who provide brand-new reading Quick Reads I found myself reading watch a new DVD featuring learners books for the fifth anniversary list. without really noticing. The more you do it, in literacy and English for Speakers “The Quick Reads initiative has the more excited you get and the more you of Other Languages from Leeds, had a remarkable impact on the lives want to learn.” Redbridge and Tameside, illustrating of learners and the role of tutors,” “I got to the point where I thought I was stupid just how effective Quick Reads have says NIACE Campaigns Team Leader because I couldn’t read and I couldn’t write. I been in helping learners overcome Richard Crabb. found out I was dyslexic. Coming back to their fears of reading and discover “We hear time and time again how learning I was so scared. I walked in and the joys of books. Quick Reads have filled a much- nearly walked back out again but I knew I had This year, Quick Reads marks its needed gap in the teaching of to do something. With the Quick Reads it was, fifth anniversary on World Book Day, literacy to adults. And you only have as a beginner, fantastic because it’s not too Thursday 4 March. to hear the learners’ stories to much to begin with and as you get better you Since its inception in March 2006, appreciate the astonishing effects want more of them. It’s the best thing I ever over 1.25 million books have these books have had.” did because it’s improved everything.” reached hundreds of thousands of new readers and helped to change “I kept thinking: ‘Why didn’t I have this when I the face of adult literacy in the UK was younger?’ Then I could have had a and Ireland. lifetime of enjoying books, instead of being afraid of them.” “Before, I was reading Harry Potter, but that book was very hard. In that book there are big “We hear time and time again words. I can’t understand the meaning. At first I read this Quick Read then my English how Quick Reads have filled a really improved and then I can read really much-needed gap in the thick books, just like Harry Potter.” “I like reading books: I didn’t used to like them teaching of literacy to adults.” at one time, but now I can’t put them down.” Leeds City College tutor Marjorie Lynette says: “I think the thing with the Quick Reads is, you get a story that appeals to an adult intellect, but is presented in language and a style that means it can be accessed by beginner and emerging readers. People feel pleased that they’re part of a book group, there’s a bit of kudos with that.” You can watch the film at: http://tinyurl.com/ybark4p For more information visit www.quickreads.org.uk

winter 2010 « 17 » Interview » Quick Reads We’re off to see the financial

With his new Quick Read Money Magic , finance guru Alvin Hall hopes to teach more people how to conquer their financial problems. By Martin Moriarty

Watching him on TV or reading “Somedays on Sundays we’d wake Originally enrolled at Bowdoin his books, it’s easy to imagine up and there’d be very little food in College in Maine to study sciences, it finance guru Alvin Hall has the house, so we would get our was another chance encounter that always been good with money. fishing poles and we’d walk to the changed his mind, when a teacher in Yet despite the financial fluency river about a mile away from the a compulsory English class read and elegant wardrobe he’s known for house and we’d go catch mullet or aloud a story by the award-winning these days, it wasn’t always thus: bream and that would be the chronicler of the Deep South, after escaping the rural poverty of his breakfast, along with grits and eggs Eudora Welty. childhood, Alvin nearly buried – if we could get eggs from one of “I couldn’t get the sound of his himself under a mountain of our neighbours.” voice out of my head after the class, I personal debt as a young man. An avid reader as a child, he would just couldn’t, and I realised it was all But once he cut up the credit cards consume anything he could get the voices I had heard all my life; I that had fuelled his disastrous his hands on, from his mother’s had not realised there was a shopping habits in the early True Stories magazines to literature that would speak so 1980 s, he sat down to escapist adventure classics like profoundly to me, and that’s when I figure out where he’d gone The Count of Monte Cristo . changed from science and math to wrong in the past and how And escape was very much English,” he says. he could avoid making the on his mind as a child. “My It was after he’d finished his first same mistakes in the future. entire life from age nine degree, completed a second at the Nor did he stop there. He forward was about nothing University of North Carolina, and got also decided he was going to more than getting away. I was a job as a teacher that his money learn exactly how money determined: I never talked troubles began. worked – and then set about about it, I never expressed it, It all started when he took out teaching the rest of us, most I just did as well in school his first credit card, and discovered famously in the UK through his as I could because I figured that when the bill arrived at the end BBC series Your Money Or Your out if I got the best grades, of the month, he didn’t have to Life , first screened 11 years ago. I would get into a good settle the whole thing: welcome to There certainly wasn’t much school,” he says. the wonderful world of the money around during his Although his mother minimum payment. childhood. The eldest of seven and grandmother supported him, it When he reached the spending children raised by his mother and was schools integration in 1968 that limit on the card, he got another. grandmother, Alvin grew up on a changed his life, as it did for so many Once that was maxed out, he small subsistence farm in the Florida black people of his generation. applied for a third. By the time he’d Panhandle of the 1950 s and ’ 60 s. Starting at a school that had been acquired his fourth, he’d His mother had to travel to whites-only before then, he met a accumulated thousands of dollars of Tallahassee to find work as a day teacher who recognised his abilities debt and lost his ability to enjoy a maid to white families: the going rate and entered him onto the Project good night’s sleep as a result. was $ 25 a day, and it was a really Upward Bound programme, which What helped him climb out of debt good week if she managed to find was designed to develop the skills was not just his facility with numbers three days’ work. and motivation of students from low- but his youth as a farm-boy. “We were what you call in the income families. “You work on a farm, you have to South ‘dirt poor’, which means we “It was that programme, that single solve problems quite realistically. If owned the land on which we lived thing, that gave me the ability to see the crop isn’t doing well, you have to but we had nothing else, we had no further than just where I was going,” come up with a solution because it’s money,” he recalls. he says. your food! If the pigs are getting a

18 » winter 2010 Quick Reads « Interview « Alvin Hall CV Born in 1953, Alvin was the eldest of seven children raised by his mother and grandmother on a subsistence plot of farmland in Florida. After studying at university and teaching wizard English literature, he started working on Wall Street in the 1980s, rising to become executive director of the New York Institute of Finance from 1987 to 1990 before leaving to start his own company, Cooperhall Press, which designs and delivers courses about the securities and futures industry. He presented the award-winning BBC TV series Your Money Or Your Life for four years from 1999, and has made regular appearances on The Apprentice – You’re Fired! He is currently working on a new BBC series on social entrepreneurs due to be screened in the spring. The author of several titles about finance in addition to his new Quick Read, Alvin has also written a successful children’s book, Show Me The Money , which has been translated into nearly 20 languages. He lives in New York City.

“My entire life from age nine forward was about getting away: I just did as well as I could in school because I figured out if I got the best grades, I would get into a good school.”

winter 2010 « 19 » Interview » Quick Reads

disease, you have to come up with a can’t enjoy a meal out with friends of information feel like common solution else you don’t eat!” he says. without calculating how much it’s sense,” he says. But in addition to his financial costing them. Ostriches let bank One of the key issues was the fluency and practical mindset, statements and credit card bills pile amount of technical financial there’s a third element to his success up unopened in a drawer. Cynics vocabulary (he includes a list of in the world of financial self-help: his think what’s really important is the key terms at the end of the book emotional insight. next get-rich-quick scam. such as APRs and compound It was, he says, while putting Alvin’s argument is that we should interest). together the first series of Your all be aiming for balance. “You “You can’t substitute, you just Money Or Your Life that he really should be able to enjoy shopping have to learn them – but if you twigged that money problems without over-spending; to save want to make your financial life almost always had a significant without becoming stingy; to deal better, it’s like learning a foreign emotional component, with many of with money matters without language: if you can master these us associating powerful feelings of becoming too fearful; and to make words, you’re on the right course.” guilt, shame, denial and fear with good money plans without Honoured to have been asked to money (aided and abetted by the becoming cynical.” contribute to the Quick Reads companies that encourage us to While he’s always cultivated a series, he’s full of praise for the believe we can solve our prose style that’s informative and publishing initiative for putting out problems through shopping). clear, Alvin admits writing Money a title that he hopes will prove Alvin believes we all need Magic wasn’t wholly straightforward. useful in the financial state we’re in. to start by working out our “The challenge for me was getting “By doing this, Quick Reads are own money style – Big the tone of the book right and the really offering the public a very Spender, Cheapskate, information at the right level so that important service,” he says. Ostrich, Cynic or some it would not be intimidating, so that It all ties in perfectly with his own combination of those it would sound to the readers like a determination to spread financial big four. friendly practical voice understanding. “One of my key Big Spenders talking to them – not philosophies is that I give all the think that what somebody talking down information like this away: I want they want and to them, and not everybody to learn what I learned – what they need somebody trying to and more – and if they can take it are one and the show off what he and make their lives even better same thing. knows, but somebody than I’ve done, I’m happy, I’m Cheapskates making every new bit very happy.” o c n a r F m i J : o t o h P

What are you reading?

The book I read I think that The book I’ve read every year is James everybody deserves most recently which Baldwin’s Go Tell It to read Truman kept me fascinated On The Mountain . I Capote’s Breakfast was Lena Horne’s first read it when I At Tiffany’s – it’s a biography, Stormy was 15 or 16 and I much darker, more Weather by James never get tired of intriguing story than Gavin. I read it on reading it – there’s the movie, and it’s the plane home something about another of those and then I re-read that book which books I also read a it when I got home, really has always good deal. it was that good! spoken to me.

20 » winter 2010 Open University « Update « I can! Openings up Course Openings are introductory- level courses that have been specially designed to help you find out what it’s like to study Park keeper and GMB member with The Open University (OU). They are perfect for new Chris Ward explains how he’s learners and you can fit the course in with your other preparing himself for a new commitments, as long as you career by taking an Open can find around six hours a week for study for around University Openings course. 20 weeks. Find out more at: I want to retrain as a primary http://tinyurl.com/ school teacher but when I yftc 9n9 talked to the teachers at my daughter’s school, they said I’d be mad try and undertake full teacher training with two children under five! So I thought I would look at doing some related courses in the meantime to put myself in a better position for when I do go on to more substantial learning – and I got the opportunity to do that for free through a UNISON-led scheme at the London Borough of Barnet. The Openings course Understanding Children has been brilliant from my point of view. The resources have been very easy to use, the tutor has been very accessible and k constructive, and we’ve had u . o c . three face-to-face tutorials in l a t i g

the workplace as well which i d t has been really good. r o p e

The content of this course is r / d r

absolutely ideal for me: not only is u H the subject matter relevant to what I s s e J want to go on to do, two of the three units are : o t o

about children in the age range my own are h (Charlotte is four and William is two). P The whole underlying ethos of the course is about familiarising people with skills to study again and I found that very useful: I was at college 15 years ago and did two years of a degree course but when I signed up to try to complete it a few years ago, my study skills weren’t able to keep up. I found developing the study skills very helpful, the tutor was very helpful in making the academic points, and the activities within the course were very useful for reflecting on how you learn and recognising what it is you’re doing while you’re reading and preparing notes and preparing for an essay. I’ve gained personally and professionally: I couldn’t recommend the course highly enough – the more people who know about it the better.

winter 2010 « 21 » Feature » Continuing Professional Development I hate you, miss!

Teaching unions are taking a range of measures to help their members develop the skills to deal with bad behaviour in the classroom. By Astrid Stubbs

With more and more problem Teaching unions including the NUT, “It is the constant minor pupils disrupting lessons, NASUWT and ATL are equipping interruptions, the low-level things, teaching unions are stepping in members to cope with such issues that cause difficulty,” she says. to help their members develop with a range of Continuing Sarita was a full-time class teacher new behaviour strategies. Professional Development (CPD) in a secondary school and became a Sixty per cent of teachers have to courses in managing classroom supply teacher last year. deal with pupils swearing at them or behaviour. “I went on the course because I refusing to do any work every week, The NUT courses include a set was looking for strategies about according to a poll conducted by the designed specifically for supply making the class as successful as National Union of Teachers (NUT). teachers, who face a particular set of possible and, because I am now Twenty per cent of teachers are issues, often coming into class at supply teaching in primary schools sworn at every day, 40 per cent have short notice, and needing to establish too, I wanted strategies to deal with a been assaulted, and almost half a rapport with their students from the different age group.” have been threatened with violence, outset. according to a separate poll by the Sarita Kitson, a supply teacher in Teachers’ Support Network. West Sussex who attended the most A national survey by teaching recent course, says she didn’t take union NASUWT reveals that part to learn how to deal with serious significant amounts of teaching time misbehaviour in the classroom – are lost every day as a result of this despite the fact that such incidents disruptive behaviour. generate headlines. Analysis of the responses from over “I think we all know what to do in 10,000 teachers and headteachers cases of serious misbehaviour, for estimates that primary schools lose instance if someone throws a chair,” 16 days’ teaching time every year to she says. disruptive behaviour, while secondary schools lose 26 days (when figures from the survey are scaled up).

22 » winter 2010 Continuing Professional Development « Feature «

:cg^X] ndjg XVgZZg Wn aZVgc^c\ E lî] jaa dji VcY i]Z C The next NUT courses for supply teachers are in: `ZZe \j^YZ JI id i]Z CJI 8E9 egd\gVb bZ '%%.$&% T ºDjg 8E9 \ ^kZh Sheffield on 18 –19 February 2010 X eVgi^XêVcih d cÃYZcXZ id i]Z h`âah Vc dkZgXdbZ i] Y i]Zn [VXZ ^c Z X]VaaZc\Z XaVhhgddbh h VcY hX]dda Christine Blo h#» wer, NUT ge T The NUT pr neral secret o ar vides high q y Wrexham on 25 –26 March 2010. your teac uality learn hing car ing for y ATL provides a set of e de er. Our con ou through velopment tinuing pro out programme fessional offers not- , designed for-profit le by teachers profess arning opp for teacher ional judge ortunities t s, of ment and hat enhanc teachers an support the e For more details of courses for all teachers d school lea work and a ders. spiration For s a decade w courses, including e h even f ave deliver ree someti ed high qu to mes, if you ality at low teachers’ c are an NUT cost – areer need member. R CPD can s and evide esponding be maximis nce of how leade ed, our CPD the impac rship in sc aids teach t of visit www.teachers.org.uk/cpdcalendar hools and t ing, learni he educat ng and For NUT ion service. ICT course Cracking Behaviour, s the u to boost y se of ICT in our confide pr classrooms nce and inc ogramme t , and the N rease o help you UT’s nation and in you develop in al training r role in th your profe C e union, s ssional life JI 8E9 ee page 3. ]^\]a^\]ih '%%.$&% l Yjg^c\ Behaviour âa ^cXajYZ/ • ex pansion of the most c ‘behaviou oherent pr r’, which is ogramme o open to all f CPD on teachers in • develop England a ment of ou nd Wales Management in the r p with th rofessiona e National l learning p Uni College for artnerships versities of School Lea The NASUWT has produced a Behaviour Cambridge dership an a d t nd Cumbria he • the star t of a series prim of Internat ary and sec ionalising L b ondary tea earning CP 14 –19 Classroom and y ch D a grant fro ers and sch courses for m the Depa ool leader rtment fo s – made po • a r Internatio ssible Management Pack as a practical resource ffordable C nal Develop PD that ment confid school lead ence to su ers can rec pl pport perfo ommend w anning and rmance m ith building c anagemen apacity for t, successio Using Your Voice to sc n • o hool impro pportunitie vement s to recoup the NUT m for teachers alongside a number of Pag embership es 2 and 3 o fee. o f this pull-o pportuniti ut supplem es in autum ent list all

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She found the course boosted her “We recognise from our trade confidence hugely. “It clarified my union work there is very much an professional and legal status – for unmet CPD need,” he says. instance reminding us about the law “But in terms of being a provider of on restraint and re-establishing what CPD, we recognise an audience that we can and can’t do,” she says. that does not have anyone else trying “It was also good on practical to meet their common needs, measures such as just standing up although supply teachers do in straight and establishing from the essence exactly what others do, beginning that this is your class. which is manage a group of children “It gave me the confidence to use and provide good learning. my professional knowledge and “They have to do it in a special way, judgment and it was most useful in often several times a day or in lots of providing the chance to find networks different schools or classes so they and share others’ experiences and are having to do a basic teacher job ideas.” many times over and very, very NUT CPD Manager Richard Stainton effectively, which other teachers have says proof that the Managing more time to do. It is the constant Christine, a London supply teacher, Classroom Behaviour course is useful “They are in a very special situation minor interruptions said: “I’ve had more time in these two to Sarita and her colleagues lies in and it is very demanding and yet that cause days to talk about children’s the fact that over 500 supply there is no professional support for difficulty in the behaviour than I did as a mature classroom, says teachers (NUT members and others) them. We have stepped in to meet supply teacher student on a three-year course on have taken part so far. some of that need.” Sarita Kitson managing behaviour!” “It works very well and we are The two-day seminar aims to Before they leave, participants obviously meeting an unmet need enable participants to review and identify aspects of the seminar that because we have been running the extend effective approaches to are particularly relevant to them and course for five years and the need classroom behaviour management plan how they will incorporate these does not seem to diminish,” he says. that match the special circumstances into their teaching over the Supply teachers are a group for supply teachers face. It also enables subsequent six or eight weeks. whom there is no line manager or supply teachers to review, exchange, Two months after the course, they employer to share the responsibility update and learn new behaviour are invited to take part in a short self- for their CPD, Richard points out. strategies. evaluation of how they have got on with implementing their plan and what they have learned from putting their learning into practice. Richard says the courses’ successful roadshow approach, which has taken it to 16 venues around England and Wales, enabling staff to take the course near their homes, has proved successful and will continue.

winter 2010 « 23 » Roundup » TUC Education with unionlearn

360 degrelee arning Whether it’s an award-winning project for hard-to-reach learners or a forum to discuss poverty and globalisation, trade union education in the Southern and Eastern region offers something for everyone. Reach out, we’ll be there

Lewisham College has been Highly Commended at the Association of Colleges Beacon Awards for its sterling work supporting hard-to-reach learners. The awards were announced at a ceremony hosted by comedienne and author Shappi Khorsandi at the AoC’s annual conference in Birmingham in November. Lewisham took Highly Commended in the Edexcel Award for Lifelong Learning, which recognises effective and imaginative approaches to encouraging adults to take up courses. The Trade Union Studies department at Lewisham delivers courses to hard-to-reach learners using mobile Tackling global poverty technology, allowing access to learning materials on the college’s intranet. Feedback has been impacted upon women in Ghana The Trade Union Studies department decided to overwhelmingly positive and the challenges it presented for target ferry workers, rail engineering workers, from the recent Gender, international development. construction workers, freelance journalists and public Globalisation and Poverty An important part of the course sector workers as their hours of work create a barrier to Reduction course run by the involved students identifying ways actually attending the college. Trade Unions Studies Centre in which links could be built with “We are delighted to receive the award,” said Rossina (TUSC) at South Thames trade unions in developing Harris, Head of Trade Union Studies. College. countries. “This will be well received One participant called it “very There were positive examples of by the trade union interesting and informative”, work being carried out in their own learners who while another said: “The rich unions ranging from ATL, BECTU, participated, many variety of viewpoints and NUT, PCS, UCU, UNISON and Unite. of whom were experiences exceeded my Didem Ozmir spoke about the returning to expectations.” Olympics Fairplay campaign and education and For two days, workers from the event finished on a celebratory have achieved hospitals, schools, colleges, local note with a college joint union success due to government, NGOs and trade meeting and social. the high quality unions explored the relationship “Although gender and equality support they between globalisation and issues are an integral part of all the have received inequality and the impact of courses we teach, this was the first from Trade Union globalisation on women in time we’ve put on a gender- Studies at particular. specific course, so it was very Lewisham College.” Adwoa Sakyi, president of challenging for us,” commented Ghana’s agricultural workers TUC tutor Angie Birtill. union AWTG, gave a very TUSC will be running the course Comedienne Shappi Khorsandi powerful presentation on the way again in March 2010. announcing the in which globalisation had Tel: 020 8918 7421. AoC Beacon Awards

24 » winter 2010 TUC Education with unionlearn « Roundup «

Southampton goes U-Net

Unionlearn has launched a new “Learndirect offers flexible learning, U-Net Learning Centre in where learners can study via the Southampton, located in the internet from their home, workplace Trade Union Studies department or from the U-Net centre. They are in City College. able to proceed at their own pace The centre offers a range of and have the support of the tutor courses that lead to nationally when needed,” says coordinator recognised qualifications in maths, Alicja Adamczewska . English and IT, through learndirect. Tutor Valerie Arrowsmith says: Learners come from all walks of “Studying with U-Net could increase life and a variety of cultural and learners’ confidence, help them get ethnic backgrounds: what they have promotion at work or a more in common is the desire to improve rewarding job – even help them their skills and knowledge. with their children’s homework.” Coordinator Alicja Adamczewska (standing) and tutor Valerie Arrowsmith run the new U-Net centre in Southampton Helping ATL reps start right MiP gets training boost Activist Academy courses tailored audiences and goals. Many of the Training for union reps who are senior managers in for the ATL and taught at Ruskin projects focus on a particular region the NHS has helped the Managers in Partnership College, Oxford, are proving or sector but, if successful, each (MiP) union recruit 300 new members. highly successful. one could be rolled out nationally Designed for MiP by unionlearn, the training has gone By linking training, activity and across ATL regions and branches. down very well with union members. action, the Academy has helped ATL Madeleine Hill and Richard “I feel energised having spent time with like-minded members early in their teaching Marshall, both supply teachers in people and my faith, which had been waning, is restored, ” career develop skills and increase the North-East, are developing a says Antony Hooker, a Rewards Analyst/Independent their knowledge. regional network for supply Transplant Assessor and MiP member. It’s also provided additional teachers, who have fewer rights “I have struggled for several years faced with staff side support and resources to help reps than most part-time workers. colleagues who automatically see anyone labeled as build a stronger ATL in their branch, Other trainees are working on 'manager' as wanting to put staff down and exploit workplace, sector or network, say projects such as raising the union’s them,” he says. participating reps. profile in under-represented “There are managers like this, but as we know, many Trainees are working on a variety workplaces and addressing the more whose ethos is no different from staff side – of projects, which are wide-ranging issue of bullying in schools in the fairness, equity and honesty, plus some hard graft! I know in terms of their scope, target South-East. I am in for a struggle as I will be received with suspicion on both sides, however, I know that I will be supported by my fellow course attendees and the staff Paul leaps up the learning ladder of MIP.” MiP National Officer Paul Norris started learning Paul has now completed an George Sheppard says with a TUC Certificate Course in MA in Employment Law and feedback proved that the Employment Law – and it’s led Industrial Relations at Keele union training made people him all the way to an MA. University. better managers because Unite member Paul took the ”For a large number of people they better understood the course at the Centre for Trade attending TUC Courses, this will benefits of consulting and Union Studies at Colchester be the first time they have involving other union reps in Institute, where he also achieved undertaken any form of their workplaces. a Level 2 Certificate in Adult education since leaving school,” Literacy. says TUC tutor Mark Andrew. Union training His work and confidence “These courses are delivered makes better managers, says improved considerably and he in a way that helps people to George Sheppard was presented with a special develop skills, build their award by Colchester Trades confidence and revive their thirst Council to mark his achievement. for education.”

winter 2010 « 25 » Roundup » TUC Education with unionlearn

The largest-ever survey of reps trained with TUC Education has revealed huge support, with hundreds of examples of changes in the workplace identified by reps who have attended courses. Changing the world The training provided by TUC Education is helping union reps deliver an “inspiring” range of practical outcomes, according to “The most valuable thing I the largest-ever survey of gained from the courses was course participants. Reps reported courses they’d been the confidence to tackle on had helped them recruit members members’ problems, to break and get them involved, adopt more systematic working methods, them down into manageable develop relationships with parts and approach them in management, improve union team working, and draw up new a methodical way.” agreements and policies. The first such survey to be conducted solely online, the excellent response and high completion rate (over 1,000 reps were interviewed) offers confidence experience, became a learning rep The diesel emissions issue was a in the results. alongside other ULRs, workplace and problem in fire stations nationally Respondents covered a broad health and safety reps. and not fully understood when raised spectrum of trade unions, age She worked in the union team to with local management. Tim shared bands, union roles and union set up a new learning centre in the the issue with other reps from experience. bakery, which has around 200 staff, around the country and their UNISON ULR and safety rep working round-the-clock shifts seven support led to the issue being Anne Keen, who works as an days a week. Many staff have low resolved nationally. administrative assistant at Suffolk literacy and numeracy skills. Tim took TUC Education’s Diploma Coastal District Council, helped one Management agreed to donate in Occupational Health and Safety of her members who needed flexible the space for the learning centre course at the same time as hours because her child had and computers and a printer were negotiating with management attention-deficit hyperactivity installed. around the issue. He used the disorder (ADHD), which an after- Now there are weekly visits by staff example as part of his special project school club was no longer able to from the local college to run Skills for for the certificate course. He reports deal with. Life sessions. A library bus also visits that support from his TUC tutors gave Anne helped the member present weekly. There are ECDL tests on site him confidence to raise the issue at her preferred working patterns to and Kendra is the invigilator. station level and then at the regional management, giving direct advice Kendra reports that her own skills health and safety committee. and support and attending meetings have built up from a low level over a On satisfied rep reported: “TUC to discuss the issue. series of TUC courses. Participating in courses give reps the confidence Through her TU training, Anne had the learning and skills forum is also a and knowledge to do the job – learned that the local authority great help. without them, it is just groping management were required by law to She is now seconded full-time to around in the dark.” give proper and careful consideration her union role, partly to help set up a Another commented: “The most to the request. The result was a new learning centre in a second valuable thing I gained from courses favourable outcome and the member bakery in the area. was the confidence to tackle was granted the flexible hours. Fire Brigades Union rep Tim Davis, members’ problems, to break them In another example, BFAWU who works for the Fire Service in down into manageable parts and member Kendra Walker, who works Surrey, wanted to improve working approach them in a methodical way.” in Warburton’s bakery in Stockton conditions in fire station garages by The report, which was carried out and had no previous union lowering diesel emissions. by The Open Learning Partnership, a

26 » winter 2010 k u . o c . l a t i g i d t r o p e r / d r u H s s e J : o t o h P

Case studies

Tackling school fire risks

Paul has been a UNISON workplace rep and health and safety rep for seven years. He works as a caretaker responsible for two schools – one infant, one junior. He identified an issue within the school hall where examinations and evening adult education classes take place. He carried out a risk assessment together with reps from teaching unions, which showed the need to improve emergency lighting on the first floor. Fire exits were not accessible, there was no signage, and stairwell exits were locked with no crash bars. On the Stage 2 course he looked into the fire regulations, and had to study different scenarios and how to handle them. Especially useful was how to approach management and negotiate an charity dedicated to widening access ways of handling problems. appropriate course of action. These lessons to learning through the intelligent For some, the course directly helped to resolve the situation, according use of technology, made the experience was life-changing. to Paul. following key findings: T Three out of four reps gave T The great majority of respondents concrete examples of would recommend the courses to improvements they had made other reps. They believe them to be at work or in the union after Going green essential for carrying out their attending a course. These union roles, and they agree that improvements included Allen has been active in the FBU since 1989. He they have been able to apply recruiting members and is now a branch rep, ULR, health and safety rep, lessons from the courses in their getting them involved, membership secretary and branch treasurer. own workplace. Most said that adopting more systematic He works for the Fire Service and has to travel they learned more than they working methods, improved around different sites as health and safety rep expected on their course. relationships with for the area. T There was clear agreement on the management, better union Allen got involved in the TUC Green Camps, skills that are important for union team working, and new which run alongside the Tolpuddle Festival. The reps. The skills they felt they need agreements and policies. union committee now negotiates with the chief are closely related to their regular “To see the practical officer at monthly meetings. activities. In addition, nearly all outcomes of the training listed Green issues are raised – they include respondents agreed that using a by the reps in this survey is truly transport, buildings and carbon saving. There computer is of at least some inspirational.” says Head of TUC are now consistent recycling schemes at all importance to a union rep. Education Liz Rees. locations instead of isolated initiatives. T Respondents agreed that the TUC He finds it helpful on the courses to meet reps courses did develop these skills. The survey is from other unions, and also reps from The exception is computer skills, available from TUC comparable industries such as transport, which are not included routinely in Education. Email: logistics and office-based work. many of the courses. [email protected] He has run the first green issues session on T Reps gained confidence and a for your copy. the branch reps course, and is taking a TUC sense of confirmation in their role Education online course. on the courses. They learned improved ways of finding information and more systematic

winter 2010 « 27 » People The voice of experience New unionlearn Board Chair Dr Mary Bousted will be using her knowledge of education and the skills agenda to defend and promote union learning in the years ahead. “I have no doubt that in times of economic hardship we are going to have to defend union abilities to be better equipped to do learning and defend that their work and progress in their working lives.” investment in developing Mary reckons her experience as a teacher, higher education lecturer people’s ability to progress and union general secretary is going in their working lives. ” to be invaluable in moving forward the debate about the skills agenda. “Unions are uniquely well-placed to develop skills in the workplace – “I feel that we have worked hard to what a tremendous investment this be integrated and to raise the union is and what significant results there profile and I’m pleased this has been can be in terms of raising the recognised,” she says. working population’s skills level Mary’s defence of unionlearn will through unionlearn and through no doubt keep her busy for some working with unions to develop our time to come but should she ever members’ skills, abilities, and get the chance she’d love to improve knowledge base,” she says. her French and would like to take a A regular contributor to course in Thai cookery. newspapers and education journals who frequently appears on national media, Mary is both delighted and honoured to be elected chair of the ATL General Secretary Mary unionlearn Board, having been a Mary Bousted CV Bousted sets her focus as the member for three years and a newly elected Chair of the member of its audit committee for Mary began her career teaching English in unionlearn Board in the broader a year. London comprehensive schools, moving on to political context. “It’s an area of TUC work that I work in York University, Edge Hill University “There is an election coming up have been very involved in: I have and Kingston Universty where she was head and the Labour Party is committed to made that commitment because I of the School of Education. union learning and the Conservatives feel passionate about union learning The General Secretary of teaching union have said they think it is good idea and the learning agenda for working ATL, she also sits on the executive committee and funding is a good use of public people’s lives,” she says. of the TUC, and was a member of the money,” Mary says. For the ATL, her election is a unionlearn Board for three years before she “But I have no doubt that in times mark of the union’s growing was elected Chair. of economic hardship we are going involvement and profile in the TUC: it to have to defend union learning and has been affiliated only for nine defend that investment in years and now has two members developing people’s skills and their on the General Council.

28 » winter 2010 People « MBE for Barney as he bows out

Before joining the TUC and then “As a lifelong trade unionist, unionlearn, Barney worked in some receiving the MBE was the icing on of the region’s manufacturing the cake going into retirement as it giants and spent 20 years as a is recognition not just of personal Retired full-time convenor at Tyneside unionlearn achievements but of the engineering firm CA Parsons. Regional contribution that many of my “My time with the TUC and Manager Barney colleagues and fellow trade unionlearn has been truly McGill picks up unionists have made to improving inspirational and it has been a his MBE, joined our region in so many ways.” pleasure and privilege to watch as by (from left) Barney is succeeded as Regional union learning has burgeoned into daughter Pam, Manager by Elizabeth Killoran, wife Anne and Barney McGill, who has retired a meaningful and embedded part son Paul who was previously unionlearn’s as unionlearn’s Northern of thousands Union Development Co-ordinator Regional Manager, was honoured of people's in the region. shortly before his departure with working an MBE for services to lifelong lives,” learning in the North-East. Barney When Barney started work for says. the Northern Regional TUC 10 years ago, his brief was to develop a network of union learning reps; by the time he left, he had helped create a cohort of just under 4,000 ULRs in the region. “Much of unionlearn’s success in the Northern Region has been due to Barney and it is very fitting that his contribution has been formally appreciated in the form of his recent MBE,” says Northern TUC Regional Secretary Kevin Rowan. n o e L

d Mike Power, who edited The o R

: Learning Rep since the launch of o t …and Mike goes, too o unionlearn four years ago, retired h P as communications and marketing manager as the previous edition went to press. Appropriately enough for someone who organised unionlearn’s mould-breaking national conferences, Mike’s combined birthday and retirement party at Congress House was something of a multimedia extravaganza that bore little relation to the standard-issue nibbles and speeches affair. Kicking off with performances by Sing For Joy, the choir he helped set up with his wife Nina Temple, the evening featured a video farewell from Congress House Mike Power colleagues (each contributing a line enjoys a laugh in from a re-written version of New the shadow of York, New York) and even a Lenin as he signs mystery guest from his years as off at the end of his career in BBC correspondent in Bulgaria, in Congress House the form of Dimitrina Petrova.

winter 2010 « 29 » Contacts unio nlearn c ontacts All TUC email addresses are first initial followed by [email protected]

» Unionlearn » Southern and Eastern Regional Development Workers Tel: 020 7079 6920 Tel: 020 7467 1251 Bristol Fax: 020 7079 6921 Regional Manager Alan Shearn [email protected] Barry Francis Tel: 0117 947 0521 www.unionlearn.org.uk Union Development Coordinator Cornwall Director Tom Wilson Jon Tennison Geoff Hale Tel: 020 7079 6922 Regional Education Officers Tel: 01209 611 604 [email protected] Rob Hancock Regional Education Officer Angela Perry Marie Hughes Tel: 0117 933 4443 » National unionlearn managers » Midlands Standards and Quality Tel: 0121 236 4454 Ian Borkett Regional Manager » Yorkshire and the Tel: 020 7079 6940 Mary Alys Humber [email protected] Union Development Coordinator Tel: 0113 245 4909 Research and Strategy Gary O’Donnell Regional Manager Bert Clough Regional Education Officer Alan Roe Tel: 020 7079 6925 Pete Try Union Development Coordinator [email protected] Sharon Burke Business and Finance Regional Education Officer Matthew Fernandez-Graham » Northern Trevor Sargison Tel: 020 7079 6936 Regional Manager Tel: 0113 200 1071 [email protected] Elizabeth Killoran Communications Tel: 0191 227 5557 James Asser Union Development Coordinator Tel: 020 7079 6942 Beth Farhat [email protected] Tel: 0191 227 5576 » Union contacts Trade Union Education Regional Education Officer Aspect Judith Hibbert Liz Rees Ian West Tel: 07968 322 969 Tel: 020 7079 6923 Tel: 0191 227 5572 [email protected] [email protected] ATL Mark Holding Union Development Tel: 020 7782 1596 Judith Swift » North West [email protected] Tel: 0151 243 2568 Regional Manager BECTU Brian Kelly [email protected] Dave Eva Tel: 020 7346 0900 Development Officer (ULF) Tel: 0151 236 2321 [email protected] Catherine McClennan Union Development Coordinator BFAWU Dorban Ippoma Tel: 07795 606 982 Tony Saunders Tel: 020 8801 0980 [email protected] Liverpool office dorban58@yahoo Tel: 0151 236 2321 BSU Vikki Botham Manchester office Tel: 07717 805 521 » U-Net centres Tel: 0161 445 0077 [email protected] Helen Gagliasso Regional Education Officer Community Roy Rickhuss Tel: 0191 227 5567 Peter Holland Tel: 020 7420 4000 [email protected] Tel: 0151 243 2564 [email protected] Connect Anne O’Connor Tel: 020 8971 6052 » Website » South West [email protected] Jay Sreedharan Regional Manager CWU Trish Lavelle Tel: 020 7079 6943 Tel: 0117 947 0521 Tel: 020 8971 7340 [email protected] Helen Cole [email protected] Union Development Coordinator Equity Louise Grainger Ros Etheridge Tel: 020 7670 0214 [email protected] FBU Trevor Shanahan Tel: 07917 759 473 [email protected]

30 » winter 2010 Resources « Jay knows Jay Sreedharan, unionlearn’s website officer, answers FDA Martin Furlong some recent questions raised by site visitors Tel: 020 7401 5555 martin@fda.org.uk MU Pauline Dalby Q I’ve always wanted to do a Q I attended a ULR course a few years Tel: 020 7840 5516 degree but I’m nervous about taking ago but I feel I can benefit from more pd [email protected] the first step. training. Is there an advanced course I NAPO Ranjit Singh A People make the decision to get into can take? Tel: 07943 827 353 higher education at all times of life and for A I’m happy to announce that ULR stage 2 [email protected] all sorts of reasons. University is not just for is here! TUC Education has been working NASUWT Jennifer Moses, 18 -year-olds – in fact 60 per cent of hard to provide a new set of courses for Stephen Smith undergraduates in the UK are over 21 . ULRs. They feature some of the current ULR Tel: 0121 453 6150 To ease you into an honours degree you modules to form new stage 1 and 2 courses. [email protected] could consider taking a Foundation degree. Like the current ULR course, the new stage 1 NUJ Linda King Foundation degrees were introduced by the is for union reps who are new to helping Tel: 020 7843 3717 Government in September 2001 to provide a members with their learning requirements. If [email protected] practical alternative to more traditional you have already completed your ULR NUT Andrew Parry Williams academic programmes. They were training course, you might want to take the Tel: 020 7380 4800/4780 developed with employers to encourage next step and sign up to the ULR stage 2 [email protected] talented people of all ages into higher course. This new course will give ULRs the PCS David McEvoy education. This is a great route into higher opportunity to expand their knowledge and Tel: 020 7801 2727 ext 2360 education for a wide range of students from skills learnt during their current ULR course. [email protected] many different backgrounds. The Stage 2 aims to cover the following: PFA Alan Irwin qualification is broadly equivalent to the first T review and plan ULR’s own Tel: 07717 467 718 two years of a bachelors degree. development needs [email protected] They are practical in nature and are an T carry out and analyse learning POA Andy Rowett excellent way to combine critical thinking needs survey Tel: 07917 699 210 and academic skills with practical hands-on T know how to work with providers [email protected] experience, while also developing the and potential partners Prospect Rachel Bennett all-important attributes valued by today's T further develop skills in Tel: 020 7902 6687 employers – such as communication, supporting learners [email protected] problem solving and team building skills. T find out about learning projects RCN Linda McBride There are no set entry requirements. T plan and develop a campaign Tel: 020 7647 3855 Check with the university or college to see if around learning. [email protected] you have the necessary experience or TUC Education is piloting these new UCATT Jeff Hopewell qualifications to do a particular Foundation courses across the country early this year. Tel: 01302 360 725 degree, or search for Foundation degree For more information please contact your [email protected] courses at the UCAS website. Regional Education Officer at Unison Pam Johnson For more information, visit: www.unionlearn.org.uk/tuedContacts Tel: 020 7551 1267 T www.direct.gov.uk/en/ [email protected] EducationAndLearning Unite Tom Beattie T www.fdf.ac.uk Tel: 020 8462 7755 T www.findfoundationdegree.co.uk [email protected] T www.open.ac.uk Jim Mowatt Tel: 020 7611 2628 [email protected] Unity Gerald Crookes Ask questions, share information and Tel: 01782 280 588 create an online community [email protected] URTU Graham Cooper Whatever problems you have, the chances Tel: 07795 562 874 are that there’s a ULR out there who has [email protected] been there and solved it. The unionreps USDAW Ann Murphy discussion forum has over 13 ,000 members Tel: 0161 224 2804 registered at present. This is the perfect [email protected] place for you to swap ideas, and get help and support from other reps. Join now at www.unionreps.org.uk

winter 2010 « 31 Resources « Roundup « Free Order now from materials www.unionlearn.org.uk/freebooks And postage and packing is also free

Union professional development programme 2010 The professional development programme brings high quality, accredited education new and training to union officers locally. The Online learning with Union Professional TUC Education Development Programme prospectus This guide to TUC Education’s clearly shows which courses are inter-linked, online courses shows how the helping candidates to identify the most service has expanded. There are appropriate training for their needs. some 18 courses now available Apprenticeships are – all are fully described in the Union Business guide. It also contains a helpful This guide is for union Leaders in introduction to online learning, negotiators and reps. Its learning answers to some frequently purpose is to help This is a must-read for all asked questions, and a learner full-time officers and union ULRs, employers, union case study. reps get apprenticeships on officers and politicians. It the bargaining agenda. The is packed with solid case publication details what study evidence of how apprenticeships are, what employers and unions new makes a good one, and how working in partnership to organise around them. can benefit both the organisation and the workforce. new Your rights as an apprentice Learning representatives in the This is an essential advice UK & New Zealand leaflet for apprentices on The learning representative concept is their rights at work, training now being adopted by unions in other opportunities and advice countries. One such country is New on joining a trade union. Zealand. This research paper, written by Dr Bill Lee and Professor Catherine Cassell, compares and contrasts ULRs in the UK with learning representatives in New Zealand through the use of case studies. Spread the word about the work of ULRs and learning project workers by Working for learners ordering more copies This handbook has been of The Learning Rep . new updated and is a major source of Give them to information and advice for trade colleagues at work, unions and their representatives learners and anyone who are, or want to be, involved in interested in union accessing training for their members. learning.