Jeremy recommended the establishment of regular school forums to allow senior leadership teams to hear the views of those closest to the running of the […]
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Today Lincoln MP Karen Lee and UNISON Assistant General Secretary, Roger McKenzie, will launch UNISON’s Learning Lincs project to support the training of public service workers across the county. Lincolnshire public sector employers will gather to listen to UNISON’s union learning representatives (ULRs) outline what they are providing. The ULRs, who work in schools, hospitals, councils […]
Ian began his learning journey when he left school in 2005, studying horticulture at college. He then completed an apprenticeship in the same subject, which led to a full time post as a gardener for Rochdale Borough Council where he began his 10 year UNISON membership. Before long, Ian took up a workplace union position […]
UNISON has been recognised by the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) as its National Strategic Partner of the year. The award marks ‘the degree to which a strategic partnership has enabled WEA to raise profile, influence the sector and raise educational aspirations.’ Roger McKenzie, assistant general secretary for organising and recruitment, said, ‘Our work with the […]
Last week, union learning reps (ULRs) from across UNISON gathered to share their experience and generate new ideas in promoting reading in the workplace at our Stepping Up workshop. They came from sectors including local government, healthcare, further education, and police and justice. Some had run the Reading Ahead challenge in their branches; some had […]
UNISON assistant general secretary Roger McKenzie has today signed agreements reaffirming two of the union’s most significant learning partnerships, with the Open University and with the WEA. The three organisations share a common goal: to widen access to education and training and to extend learning opportunities to those who have previously been excluded or discouraged […]
The National Extension College (NEC) has launched a campaign to make GCSE and A levels more accessible to adult learners. The five-point plan identifies barriers faced by independent learners and proposes ways of removing these. These barriers exist because the system is geared towards mainstream students studying in a local school or college. They include: […]
Teresa Donegan, head of UNISON Learning and Organising Services, and Jane Shepherd, national education officer, gave evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee at Parliament on Wednesday morning. The focus of the session was on recruitment and reskilling of older workers. The panel answered questions on addressing conscious and unconscious bias in the recruitment process, […]
Jo Southern, steward at UNISON Blackpool Health branch, has worked at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for 33 years as a healthcare assistant. In May 2017, she approached the branch’s union learning reps to see if she could get any help to improve her literacy and numeracy skills. They suggested that she attend assessment […]
We’re six weeks into 2018, and many new year’s resolutions have faded to a distant memory. But it’s never too late to think about changes you want to make, or to take steps towards making those changes happen. Where do you want to go? Maybe you want to apply for a promotion at work, or […]
Learning At Work Week is an ideal opportunity for union learning reps and other UNISON activists to promote learning in the workplace, to raise the union’s profile, and to start conversations about training needs with the employer and with colleagues. It can also be a lot of fun! Co-ordinated by the Campaign for Learning, it […]
In his years working with UNISON member learning at Birmingham City branch, Donald McCombie has organised a huge range of creative activities. In this blog he talks about that. I have always believed that within the membership of UNISON there lies a vast wealth of creativity. Mostly people are just lacking the opportunity to use […]
When Learning at Work Week (LaWW) began on Monday 14th May, all eyes were on the mezzanine at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to see how union learning reps (ULRs) Bev Herring and Jane Eyre would be launching this year’s packed programme of events at ‘the Vic’. Expectations were high after dancing drag queens kicked off proceedings […]
UNISON is delighted to announce a partnership with e-Careers that will allow our members to claim a discount on online courses across a whole range of subjects, from accountancy to web design. Visit the e-Careers site For countless numbers of our members, the way to improved career prospects is through learning, whether they want to […]
We have a calendar of great learning events lined up for you this autumn. Take a look – there’s something for everyone! For branch education co-ordinators… For the first time ever, we’re holding a seminar to bring branch education co-ordinators together from across UNISON. This is a chance to network, to find out what’s new […]