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.