Richard Burden MP sees that learning is uniform for fire service
Birmingham Northfield MP Richard Burden will today (Friday 10 October) see how his constituents are benefiting from union-led learning during a visit to the learning centre at West Midlands Fire Service at Northfield. He will meet union learning reps (ULRs) from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and UNISON as well as learners and hear from his constituents about how they had improved their skills. During the day courses will be run for community learners and staff, who wish to take courses, will be able to undertake assessments.
Unionlearn Regional Manager Mary Alys and as well as ULRs from UNISON and the FBU accompanied the MP on the visit and highlighted the achievements of union-led learning in workplaces in the Midlands. Unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation, has supported the project with funding from the Union Learning Fund* (ULF).
Richard Burden MP said: 'I am delighted to visit the Fire Station and it's great to hear how my constituents are benefiting from improving their skills. As a member of a trade union, I am pleased to see how union-led learning is helping Fire Service staff to gain new skills and with that goes increased confidence. Fire Service staff contribute to one of the most essential services in our community and I am pleased to see them, their families and their communities benefit from learning.'
Mary Alys, unionlearn* Regional Manager, said: 'As a trade union member Richard Burden is familiar with all the benefits membership can bring. Unionlearn is able to support the learning and skills agenda through trade unions to make a real difference to individuals' lives. I am delighted that he has been able to see at first-hand the excellent work done by union learning reps, here in Birmingham. They are part of the network of over 20,000 union learning reps across the country. The Union Learning Fund (ULF), administered by unionlearn, is making hundreds of projects like this possible across the country.'
NOTES TO EDITORS:
All unionlearn press releases can be found at www.unionlearn.org.uk
Media enquiries:
Wanda Wyporska T: 020 7079 6950 M: 07795 844728 E: wwyporska@tuc.org.uk
Press release (400 words) issued 10 Oct 2008
