updateSPRING 2009

Southern and Eastern Region

London ULR Joanna Szmit

The new face ofunion learning

Celebrating learningin the workplaceAdult Learners’ Week and Learning At WorkDay are over after another successful year(which we'll cover in detail in the next editionof Update).They always help unions raise the profile of

workplace learning, as does World Book Dayearlier in the year, in which unionlearn alsoplayed its part, as reported on page threeopposite. A massive celebration of books andreading, World Book Day gives unions anotherhook with which to attract more people intotheir workplace learning centres, especiallywith the annual publication of Quick Reads,short and exciting books which are ideal foradults who are new to reading or who findreading difficult.A couple of months after World Book Day,

Adult Learners’ Week helps inspire thousandsof people to see what learning could do forthem, offering them the chance to catch up onskills they’ve missed out on in the past, ordevelop themselves for the future. And italways successfully raises the profile of adultlearning through media campaigns,conferences and parliamentary activity pulledtogether by NIACE, the adult learningorganisation.Learning At Work Day has been run by the

Campaign for Learning for the past decade aspart of Adult Learners’ Week and unionlearnhas always offered its support. It’s the biggestannual celebration of workplace learning, inwhich hundreds of union learning projects(among others) stage fun and interestingevents to help encourage more members andpotential members to take those crucial firststeps towards gaining new skills they can useat work and at home.This year’s overall theme of Skilled For

Success could not be more timely, with therecession making greater investment intraining and development a top priority, andthe Government offering more money andgreater flexibility for training through Train toGain. We’re proud that the Learning At WorkDay funds established in London, the South-East and East of England helped unionsorganise 265 events this year, and we knowthat all of them played their part in raising theprofile of workplace learning at this veryimportant time.

Barry Francis, Regional Manager

Record numbers of people started apprenticeshipslast year, record numbers completed their training,and the adult apprenticeship programme has proveda runaway success, Learning and Skills CouncilNational Director of Apprenticeships DavidWay toldan Apprenticeships Ambassadors Network event atCongress House in February.

“There’s a broad political consensus that we need to growapprenticeships,” he said. “A major re-positioning ofapprenticeships is vital for young people and the economy.”

Compass Group UK & Ireland Managing Director Ian El-Mokadem pointed out that research by Warwick University forthe Apprenticeships Ambassadors Network revealed that allemployers are reporting a good payback on their investment inyoung people.

“Employers in our sector say the payback is pretty quick; inengineering, there’s more to learn but even there the paybackcomes in two to three years,” he said.

“If there’s one message to take away it’s thatapprenticeships make sound business sense – as far as I’mconcerned, it’s a no-brainer.”

BT Openreach apprentice Rekisha Lewis told the event thateven though she left school as recently as 2000, apprenticeshipsweren’t discussed by teachers and careers advisers at the time.

“Apprenticeships makes you passionate about the work youdo and the company you work for because you know they’veinvested in you and you very much feel valued,” she pointed out.

The TUC has published a new guide to help union repsencourage more employers to take on apprentices. You candownload Apprenticeships Are Union Business from:http://tinyurl.com/bbln3d

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Training thenext generation

Apprenticeships helpyoung people feelvalued at work, saysBT’s Rekisha Lewis

©Jess

Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk

Kate’s 2006 novel Labyrinth wasnumber one in the UK paperbackcharts for six months, selling over 1.5million copies, and was followed bySepulchre last year.

PCT Chief Executive Tracy Sanderswas delighted that such a big name inliterature was supporting the work ofthe PCT’s union learning reps in StJames’ Hospital in the city.

“The ULRs have made a hugedifference in motivating staff to takeon new challenges and in sign-postingpeople to the right course for themand the funding available: as ateaching PCT, learning is a core aspectof what we do,” Tracy commented.

Unionlearn Regional Manager BarryFrancis said the PCT’s excellentrelationship with the trade unions wasbringing real benefits to staff, byincreasing their skills, and also to thePCT itself, by developing talent withinits ranks.

“By empowering staff to return tolearning, union learning reps are reallyhelping people to change their livesthrough education,” he said.

World-renowned author Kate Mosse gotthe chance to find out about the successfullearning partnership between PortsmouthCity Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) andits trade unions when she launched herQuick Read The Cave on World Book Day.

Union learners and ULRs atFirst Bus got the chance tomeet Coronation Street andLoose Women star SherrieHewson when the Quick Readsauthor marked World Book Dayat the London bus company’sWestbourne Park depot.

Sherrie revealed that she’d leftschool without any qualifications andthe only further education she’d hadwas a brief stint at acting school.

“This made me feel left out and a bitof a second class citizen” she said. “Butnow I’ve written The Tannery for QuickReads and shown that I have somethingin me to say: I’ve got it out and on paperand I want to encourage you all to dothe same.”

She was speaking alongsideunionlearn Director Liz Smith, FurtherEducation Minister Siôn Simon andLondon First Bus Managing DirectorAdrian Jones.

“Quick Reads are making a hugedifference helping people to improve

their reading skills, their confidence andtheir job prospects as well as helpingtheir families,” the minister said. “Theproject is an impressive partnershipbetween the book trade, education,libraries, unions and employers, andputs adults on the path to accessingmore formal learning.”

First takes workforce learning anddevelopment very seriously, workingclosely with Unite the union over the

past five years to launch over 50learning centres around the UK, all ofwhich use Quick Reads alongside otherlearning resources to help delivervocational and non-vocational coursesfor First employees.

To date, more than 60,000 learnervisits have been recorded and morethan 9,300 vocational qualificationsbeen awarded.

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Quick Read, big payoff

©Rod

Leon

©Jess

Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk

Feature interview

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Making hisMarkon union learning

Born in South Wales in 1963, Mark startedwork at 16 in the DHSS as a clerical officer,serving in the benefits service for 21 years,including seven years as a part-time workerto enable him to look after his children.

After holding a wide range of lay electedunion positions, including being responsible

for employment tribunal cases, he was arank-and-file branch secretary from the DSSSheffield branch of PCS when heunexpectedly won the union’s generalsecretary election in December 2000 (hewas re-elected for a second term in 2005).

Regarded as one of the new breed of

elected general secretaries emerging in theBritish trade union movement, Mark is onthe left, and is a passionate believer inpublic services. He is married to Ruth andhas two children, Rhys and Imogen.

Mark Serwotka CV

©Karen

Robinson/PCS

You left full-time education asa teenager in the 1970s. Wasschool a positive experienceoverall for you?School was not a positive experiencefor me. Like a lot of my contemporaries,I wanted to leave and get a paid job assoon as possible. In the years thatfollowed I did regret that and wanted toreturn to full-time education. But bythen I was in a low-paid Civil Servicejob and couldn’t afford it: theopportunities offered by unionlearnwere not around then.

What was the most importantthing you learned on the unioneducation courses you took asa lay member and activist?Until relatively recently, there werenot that many education coursesbeing run for lay branch reps. On thecourses I was able to attend, I didbenefit greatly from the discussionsthat took place with other activists onthe common problems we faced.

You made the unusual leapfrom the shopfloor direct tothe general secretary’s office.Did the union educationcourses you had been on helpyou make that transition?To be honest, I don’t think that anytraining course could have preparedme for that! It was the experience ofbeing an activist for 20 years that wasessential. I was determined, however,to do what I could to promote unionlearning. So, in an indirect way, theexperience I had of union educationdid help me when I becameGeneral Secretary.

What are the major learninginitiatives currently underwayin PCS?We have major Union Learning Fundprojects underway in England, Wales,Scotland and Northern Ireland. A keyelement of these is to recruit and

support ULRs and make sure thattheir work is part of the mainstreamwork of the union.

We are also increasingly negotiatingon learning and skills issues (includingthe recommendations from the Leitchreport on skills) with our employersand with the Sector Skills Councils thatcover our area. We have learningagreements with a wide range ofemployers. We are currentlynegotiating a framework agreementon apprentices in governmentdepartments and agencies to helpprotect our members’ jobs and termsand conditions, to allow existing staffto re-skill through an apprenticeship,and to ensure that the apprentices getthe best possible training and support.

PCS has mainstreamedlearning and embedded ULRsinto union structures. How doyou think the development ofworkplace learning has helpedstrengthen the union duringthe last decade or so?We now have 1,400 ULRs and arerecruiting and training about 200every year. We know that the role ofULR has brought in a lot of newpeople to union activity: 43 per centof our ULRs are new activists. Ofthese, 19 per cent go on to take upother roles in the union. This newlayer of union activists can onlystrengthen the union.

As well as the brilliant job they doin helping members get access tolearning, our ULRs also bringthousands of people into contactwith the union, many for the first time– in our previous Union LearningFund project, 16,500 people tookpart in PCS learning events/briefingsorganised by ULRs.

Our ULRs are also making a bigcontribution to the wider work of theunion – for example, many ULRs playa leading role in our campaigns onpay and job security and in ourcampaign against the fascist right.

You were unable to speak atlast year’s unionlearn SERTUCconference at the last moment:what would have been yourkey message to learningactivists?My first point would have been tocongratulate the ULRs in the regionon the excellent work they are doingto help union members develop theskills they need to get on at workand to lead fulfilling lives.

My second point would havebeen to remind the ULRs that theyare union learning representativesand that if this excellent work is tocontinue through what may bedifficult times ahead, it has to bepart of the core work of the union.

The leadership in unions has aresponsibility to embed and supportthis work. But this will be easier ifULRs continue to work closely withtheir branches and continue to takepart in the wider organizing andcampaigning work of the union.

What’s the most importantnext step you’d like to see theGovernment take to strengthenworkplace learning?ULRs have a statutory right to paidtime off to perform their duties and totalk to their members. There isn’t asimilar right for members to talk totheir ULRs. The current Time to Trainproposals will give individuals theright to raise training issues with theiremployer, but there isn’t a right forunions to deal with this collectively,to negotiate on training on behalf oftheir members. Learning and skills isnot an issue that employers areobliged to negotiate on.

I would like to see the Governmentfurther recognise the key role ofunions in increasing the skills levelsof the workforce by giving membersthe right to paid time off to talk toULRs and by giving the unions thelegal right to negotiate on learningand skills.

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PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka explainswhy union learning is a top priority

Veteran ULR Tom O’Callaghan travelled to BuckinghamPalace to receive an MBE for his services to lifelong learningin the transport industry in March.

Then just a few weeks later, one of the newest learningreps on Tom’s team, Joanna Szmit, was chosen as the face ofthe nation’s ULRs when unionlearn hit its target of training22,000 a year ahead of schedule.

Tom was one of the founders of Learning on the Move,the learning project at the bus company which has helpedhundreds of staff gain 2,000-plus accreditations betweenthem over the past decade.

Picking up the honour was not the first time Tom hasmixed it with establishment big names: on World Book Daylast year, he drove the Learning on the Move learning busthrough the gates of Downing Street, where he was one ofseveral Metroline learners and ULRs who took tea with thePrime Minister and Skills Secretary John Denham.

“I see the MBE as something to help me to champion thelearning cause even more. I see what I do as helping peoplewho want to be helped – it’s not an achievement, it’s whateveryone should do,” Tom said.

“In a time of recession, more and more training is what willbe required and Learning on the Move can be part of that.”

Metroline Chief Operating Officer Sean O’Shea was quickto offer his congratulations: “Tom’s enthusiasm andcommitment to Learning on the Move has now beenrecognised at the highest levels within the country and forthis he should be rightfully proud.”

And TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said he wasdelighted to hear about the award (as was the entireunionlearn team): “This is richly deserved and reflects realcredit on the work which Tom does as a union learning repat Metroline.”

Just a few weeks after Tompicked up his MBE, his ULRcolleague Joanna Szmit (knownto everyone as Asia, pronouncedAsha) was chosen to representthe 22,000 ULRs unionlearnhas trained – one year aheadof schedule.

Unite ULR Asia, who arrived inLondon from Poland five yearsago, is a single mother but findstime to help colleagues at thePerivale bus garage further their

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They’re queuing up to honour bus

Two union learning reps at West London bus companyMetroline hit the headlines for their contributions toworkplace learning earlier this year.

Celebrating ULRs

Photos©

JessH

urd/reportdigital.co.uk

Unite ULR Joanna Szmit helps promoteworkplace learning with Metroline Head ofTraining Neil Colston (left) and ULR TomO'Callaghan (right and below with MBE)

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learning ambitions and increase their skills.She is also a vital link to her countrymen and women

throughout the company and feels she has a real role inhelping to create and maintain social cohesion.

“I’m very happy and very proud to represent the 22,000trained ULRs,” she says. “When I came here from Poland Icouldn’t believe I’d be doing this, but with the support of myunion and fellow ULRs, I have, like many others, gained newand valuable skills.”

Congratulating Joanna, unionlearn Regional ManagerBarry Francis, said he was “delighted” that the ULR chosen torepresent the 22,000 trained across the country came fromthe Southern and Eastern region and “extremely proud” of allthe union learning reps who have given their time, effort andenthusiasm to help others to engage with learning.

“Here in the Southern and Eastern region, trade unionsand ULRs have supported tens of thousands of local peoplein the workplace to learn, progress and change their lives –this is a great example of what the trade union movementcan do to fight social inequality, through empoweringworkers to aspire to the best.”

DIUS Secretary of State John Denham, who presentedJoanna with an award at a Westminster reception to mark thetraining achievement, congratulated the unions onsuccessfully reaching their target.

“This is a fantastic return on the Government’sinvestment in union learning – keep up the good work andtrain many more,” he said.

Dr Jan Mockrzycki, the Vice Chairman of the Federation ofPoles in Great Britain who also attended the Westminsterreception to mark the ULR milestone, said the recognition ofJoanna’s work was a real sign of how Poles have integratedand contributed to British society.

“Taking on a volunteer role like this, to help not just herfellow Poles, but other employees at Metroline, is fantastic,and I congratulate her and her union Unite on receiving thisaward,” Jan said.

company ULRs

Marking World BookDay in East AngliaProspect union learning reps Sonja vanLeeuwen and Silke Kroeger organised a verysuccessful event to celebrate World Book Dayin March at the Cefas scientific research andadvisory centre in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Over 100 staff took part in the first event of itskind at the executive agency, which gave the union thechance to introduce the learning agenda and recruitnew members.

Activities included a book-swap which helped‘re-home’ over 100 titles on the day, a quiz to testliterary knowledge and the launch of a creative writingcompetition, while a stall run by The Book People soldover £1,000 worth of books (resulting in a £130donation to lifeboats charity RNLI).

But for many participants the highlight of the eventwas the arrival of Dr Who author and script editorTerrance Dicks.

The author of two Doctor Who Quick Reads (Made OfSteel and Revenge of the Judoon), as well as over 60other Dr Who books, Terrance also worked on thetelevision series during the 1970s and ‘80s.

Terrance shared some of his lucky break stories (healso worked on The Avengers adventure series and theITV soap opera Crossroads) and gave a fascinatinginsight into the design and production of the televisionseries, as well as signing copies of his Quick Reads.

In addition, over 40 staff chilled out with an Indianhead massage, which proved so popular that the tutor,from Well Being in the Workplace, was working flat out todeliver sessions during the event.

Joanna surveys theWestminster receptioncelebrating 22,000ULRs getting trained

Prospect Project Development Worker Nikki Simpsonintroduces author Terrance Dicks to Cefas staff

Contacts

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Unionlearn Southern and Eastern Region

Congress HouseGreat Russell StreetLondon WC1B 3LS020 7467 1251

Outreach offices

Haywards Heath 014444 59733Harlow 01279 408188London 020 7467 1342

Regional manager

Barry Francis bfrancis@tuc.org.uk

Regional union development coordinator

Jon Tennison jtennison@tuc.org.uk

Regional development workers

Mick Hadgraft mhadgraft@tuc.org.ukAdrian Ryan aryan@tuc.org.ukTrish Raftery praftery@tuc.org.uk

Field workers

Rickey Denton rdenton@tuc.org.ukJane Warwick jwarwick@tuc.org.ukSean Ruddy sruddy@tuc.org.ukNatasha Owusu nowusu@tuc.org.uk

U-Net support workers

Sarah-Louise Lacey slacey@tuc.org.ukPhil Spry pspry@tuc.org.uk

Regional education officers

Rob Hancock rhancock@tuc.org.ukAngela Perry aperry@tuc.org.uk

Administration

Sonia Dawson sdawson@tuc.org.ukKelly Hillock khillock@tuc.org.ukJohanna Garcia jgarcia@tuc.org.ukJaspal Ghtoray jghtoray@tuc.org.ukEmma Richards erichards@tuc.org.uk

Regional education office: 020 7467 1284

Cover photograph of Unite ULR Joanna Szmit by Jess Hurd

Over 80 ULRs from a wide variety of sectors got thechance to extend their knowledge of adult learningthrough a wide range of presentations at the ULRnetwork meeting in February at Congress House.

NIACE Regional Project Officer Victoria Sturdy gave apresentation and quiz on mental health and learning andYasmin Miller (who participated in the BBC Horizondocumentary How Mad Are You?) talked about her experiencesas a mental health service user.

Annette McCone from the Widening Participation scheme atBirkbeck College talked about the institution’s history (it wasoriginally set up for working people) and explained how repscould get involved in encouraging people into higher education.

Southern Trains ULR Ivor Riddell gave a presentation on howparents could protect their children from online dangers.

ESOL project manager Anne McKeown from the LondonStrategic Unit talked about the new ESOL project running inLondon and the South-West.

Union learning centres throughout the Southernand Eastern region attracted fulsome praise fromOfsted inspectors in their report on U-Net in April.

Ofsted placed U-Net among the best providers in thecountry, awarding a Grade 2 for all aspects of learningprovision, judging overall success rates as above nationalaverages and support for learners as outstanding.Unionlearn Regional Manager Barry Francis, said the reportwas a credit to the union learning reps throughout the U-Netcentres across the region that they were judged to be ‘highlyeffective role models’ by Ofsted.

“Ofsted’s praise for our work among non-traditionallearners and for ULRs proves what we have always said –that unionlearn reaches learners, other organisations cannotreach,” he said.

“I’m particularly pleased that U-Net has been recognised forits ‘strong ethos to widen participation in learning andpromote social inclusion’ and that success rates for Black andAsian learners have risen to well above the national average.”

Top marks from Ofsted

Linking together

©Rod

Leon

City College Norwich,which received aunionlearn Quality Awardlast year, is one of manylearning centres praisedin Ofsted’s new report