unionlearn.org.uk | Spring 2015 Monika wins ULR of the Year award • Building through learning • Moving on in mid-life • National Numeracy Challenge • Industrial Partnerships • New eNotes SPREADING OUR SKILLS MESSAGE Health unions win WE ARE ALREADY INTO THE ELECTION NHS learning deals campaign. What’s our message to all the parties? That low-paid does not mean low-skilled. It is a core trade union message we need to get across whenever skills come up in the election campaign. Far too often, commentators assume that low-paid means low-skilled. Not so. Many jobs in retail, catering, hospitality or social care would have been paid much more 20 years ago than they are today. That’s because today’s economy does not properly recognise skills. Small wonder there has Health sector unions everyone has access to been a boom in low-paid jobs leading to the so secured two new learning our resources, which cover called ‘hourglass’ economy with more high-paid agreements in the East brushing up English, Maths and low-paid jobs but fewer in the middle. Midlands in the autumn, the and IT skills, online training first at Chesterfield Royal for health care assistants, “Employers That’s because many of the Hospital NHS Foundation right through to clinical will recognise previously middle-paid jobs Trust in October and the information on drug error have slid down into low second at Kettering General and accountability.” skills, train pay. Measured by skill, the Hospital NHS Foundation It took a three-year to fill gaps economy looks much less Trust in December. campaign led by the Royal like an hourglass, more like “Chesterfield Royal is the College of Nursing (RCN) and help a straightforward column. first Trust in the country to and supported by UNISON staff progress That’s why gaining skills is launch the NHS Employers and the Royal College of because so important to getting and Learning for Life campaign Midwives (RCM) to persuade keeping a better job. by signing a partnership Kettering General to sign that makes agreement with the unions,” its Learning for Life business In the upcoming election says RCN Learning & agreement. sense.” campaign, we need to Development Facilitator “Thanks to the tireless ensure that our message is Irene Murray. work to secure this heard loud and clear: a sustainable economy with Learning for Life is the agreement by Pat Edkins, decent jobs must recognise and reward skills. development initiative RCN’s senior rep at run by the NHS Social Kettering, we can now Once employers need to pay the proper rate Partnership Forum (SPF), celebrate the success of they will take training more seriously. They will which brings together reaching a stage where recognise existing skills, train to fill the gaps unions, employers and the employer is fully on and help their employees progress because that other key health sector board,” explains Irene. makes sense in business terms. Linking pay to stakeholders to discuss the “We are all winners, as skill helps build a more productive economy. workforce implications of our members and their health sector policy. colleagues will have access “The signing of the to trade union learning and Tom Wilson is Director of unionlearn Partnership Learning for the benefits of the support Life Agreement between the of union learning reps.” recognised trade unions and Both agreements commit the employer at Chesterfield to giving ULRs reasonable Royal will bring real benefits time off to carry out their to all staff working at the duties and both create joint Funded by the Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) and the European hospital,” Irene adds. union-management groups Social Fund. Learning Rep magazine is published three times a year by unionlearn, “With the support of to oversee development of Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. our union learning reps the learning agenda in their Written and edited by Astrid Stubbs and Martin Moriarty | Designed by TUC | © unionlearn, 2015 Cover photo: Monika Paczkowska by Mark Harvey/iD8 Photography (ULRs), unions can ensure respective workplaces. Top author meets materials; plan training Usdaw readers programmes for learners; REPTECH and gives them the Best-selling author Martina information they need to Cole presented certificates perform better in their role. New ESOL to shopworkers who The Climbing Frame can resource completed the 2014 Six also raise a ULR’s profile Book Challenge when she in the workplace, as one Unionlearn visited Usdaw’s Learning user pointed out: “It made the workplace that support has teamed Zone at the Argos Home me more visible as I’ve technician registration and up with Delivery Store in Castleford, shown it to management access to more CPD. the British West Yorkshire in October. and used it to help organise The project will also Council to Martina also talked to continuous professional build partnerships with produce a new Usdaw members about development (CPD).” professional bodies and online resource to her writing career, Unionlearn is other stakeholders to help unions organising signed copies of always updating support the technician workplace courses in her best-selling the Climbing workforce, helped by English for Speakers thriller Revenge Frame, and uses the Memorandum of of Other Languages and latest crime the feedback Understanding signed with (ESOL). drama The from its annual the Science Council at the The interactive Good Life and users’ survey to 2014 annual conference. workbook aims to raise conducted a prize add new content awareness about ESOL needs and how ULRs draw, where the and improve existing • Click here to request a prizes on offer were an material, helping to make hard copy of the Technician and other reps can help e-reader, and vouchers from it even more useful for ULRs Registration Toolkit — a resource co-workers whose first for union negotiators and reps a supermarket chain and and other reps who work language is not English. Waterstones. with learners. ESOL: Language “The wonderful thing Recent additions include for life and work – Interactive module for about the Six Book a ULR events section for LASTLET CALL US KNOW FOR Challenge is that people promoting upcoming events; READERS’ SURVEY! union reps includes tips who don’t normally read, or information on free learning YOUR VIEWS on organising face-to- who think that reading isn’t websites; and a dedicated There’s still time to help us face learning with local There’s still time to their bag, are encouraged area with resources improve the Learning Rep providers and how to help us improve the to pick up a book,” said for supporting mid-life and give yourself the chance set up a workplace Learning Rep and give Martina, who is also an development. to win one of three £20 book language club. yourself the chance ambassador for the scheme. tokens by completing our “There are videos to win one of three for ULRs to watch and • Click here to register and log in new online readers’ survey. £20 book tokens by to the Climbing Frame The survey doesn’t take activities they can try, as completing our new Cagnoni/reportdigital.co.uk Stefan and Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk Jess Features, Fisher/Rex © John ULR thumbs-up for • Click here if you need help long to complete, and your well as tips about using using the Climbing Frame online readers’ survey. Climbing Frame responses will help us the workbook in the • Click here to complete the workplace,” explains current survey continueThe survey to improve doesn’t our The Climbing Frame, the communicationstake long to complete, with our unionlearn Policy Officer free resource to help union 30,000and your ULRs. responses Kirsi Kekki. learning reps (ULRs) support Technician Pathways willOnce help the ussurvey continue is Several of the unions learners and promote launches phase two complete,to improve we willour select that have done most learning in the workplace, threecommunications readers at random with who work on the ESOL has won a big thumbs-up Unionlearn has secured willour each 30,000 receive ULRs. a £20 book agenda contributed to from users in the latest further funding from The token. the development of the To say thank you, we annual feedback survey. Gatsby Foundation to workbook, including will pick three names BFAWU, UNISON, Unite ULRs say the finance a second phase of • Click here to complete the out of the hat to receive Climbing Frame the Technician Pathways survey and Usdaw. a £20 book token. helps them project, which will run for two signpost years up to autumn 2016. ▸ Look out for the • Click here to complete online launch on the learners to Phase two aims to the survey useful websites, engage more unions about unionlearn website. resources and negotiating strategies at LEARNING REP SPRING 2015 03 TSSA lights up chairs TSSA’s national lay learners’ lives forum of senior ULRs), helped run a stall at St Pancras International to promote the wide variety of learning opportunities available through the union to members and potential members. Other opportunities on offer during the week included guitar and Hindi Transport and travel union language tasters in London, TSSA lit the blue touchpaper Welsh language classes to a special week of in Cardiff, a Women into personal and professional Leadership Course in development activities called Scotland and a knowledge Rocket Launch Your Learning! lunch with the union’s in Bonfire Night week. employment rights adviser “The Spring Into Learning at The Quadrant, Network DORSET UNISON MARKS initiative earlier this year, Rail’s headquarters in 100 YEARS OF LEARNING when ULRs took control of Milton Keynes. organising the events, was The union has already very popular so we decided been raising its profile at With the help of South West unionlearn, Dorset to run another week this The Quadrant with regular County UNISON attracted more than 70 people autumn with even more learning and recruitment to a learning and history event at Dorchester’s activities,” explains TSSA stalls in the building, run Shire Hall in November to celebrate the 100th National Learning Organiser with the help of ULRs anniversary of the town’s first local government Sal Morawetz.