That includes the ability to read, write, speak English and use maths.
Unions are pushing these skills to employers as vital for the learning opportunities of workers, their careers and the efficiency of businesses and services.
16 August 2010
Free Skillswise Maths App
You can work out sale discounts when shopping, split the restaurant bill, convert cm to inches and lots more. This is a BBC Skillswise pilot version and so they would like as much feedback as you can give about the download process and how you find using it.
22 July 2010
Count on us
Anyone who has been confused about the right change in a shop, struggled with their kids' long division or scratched their head over their pay packet knows that maths is not just a miserable classroom memory.
That's why unionlearn is teaming up with NIACE and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) with a new campaignand website maths4us.org.uk to encourage ULRs and others to help improve adult numeracy.
15 July 2010
Poor numeracy blights lives: Maths4Us is here to help
More than a fifth of adults in the UK do not have the basic numeracy skills needed for the complexities of modern everyday life, such as household budgeting, understanding statistical claims of political parties, calculating credit card interest rates or helping their children with homework.
21 April 2010
The power of words: Ian Clayton celebrates his daughter's life on World Book Day
It is the saddest story a man can ever tell – the death of his young daughter.
Ian Clayton, who describes himself as a storyteller, writer, broadcaster and performer, has done just that in his new book Our Billie. It tells of how he lost one of his twins, aged nine, in a canoeing accident in 2006 and how he was able to save her brother, Edward, from fast-flowing water of the river at Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales.
Ian will be reading from and signing copies of his new book at an event on Friday, April 23, held by unionlearn, the TUC's learning and training organisation, at the LOGIK Centre, Leeds University, to celebrate World Book and Copyright Day. The day is a worldwide celebration and tribute to authors and books and aims to encourage people to discover the pleasure of reading.
Yorkshire and the Humber
20 April 2010
Introducing the new unionlearn Quick Reads book - Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short gathers short stories about the world of work written by members of trade unions who won a competition run by unionlearn. Life's Too Short includes true stories from builders, bakers, care workers and the driver of a bus full of unruly school children. Get your free copy.
11 March 2010
Unionlearn authors toasted by literati at Number 10 celebration
Winners of a unionlearn writing competition won a special tribute from Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister's wife, at a reception at Downing Street to celebrate World Book Day.
1 March 2010
Quick Reads 2010
Ten new books are coming your way on World Book Day, 4 March 2010.
Hundreds of employers have used Quick Reads to improve the skills of their workforce. Many have reported a remarkable, positive impact on staff morale, attendance and productivity as a result. There are a variety of materials available to help you make the most of your Quick Reads. Including podcasts, downloads and other web links
30 November 2009
Don't just ‘Chatabout' it!
The Reading Agency has launched Chatabout, a unique new national network to support the growing number of reading groups for adults with literacy needs. Chatabout will help ensure that people who would benefit most from what reading groups have to offer will not miss out. The Reading Agency has a wealth of advice, support and resources for everyone working to engage and inspire adults to read for pleasure: they are invited to sign up now
27 July 2009
Johnny Ball reveals all about the importance of skills for life in Tees Valley
A much loved TV presenter and author famous for bringing maths to the masses visited Tees Valley on Wednesday 22nd July to inspire people to improve their numeracy and literacy skills.
Northern
5 March 2009
Author Gervase Phinn launches World Book Day with a Quick Read at HMP Moorland
Popular Yorkshire author Gervase Phinn will be launching his new Quick Read book, All These Lonely People, today (Thursday 5th March) at Hatfield Learning Centre, HMP Moorland, as part of a World Book Day event held by the Prison Officers Association (POA) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation. Gervase will read from his book, sign copies and answer questions from an audience of union learning representatives, learners and prison staff. The event will also see the launch of unionlearn's regional publication Union Writes 2008 – a collection of short stories written by trade union members. Gervase will be joined by Dr Alan Roe, unionlearn regional manager, Tom Wheatley, Governor HMP Moorland and Tom Robson from the POA National Executive Committee.
Yorkshire and the Humber
Skills for Life are the skills that we all need to be able to do our jobs, run a home, manage our money and enjoy a social life.