Skills for the Future Fund

The 'Skills for the Future' fund was set up in August 2009 to support unions provide learning and skill development opportunities for workers and worker's representatives. The fund supports unions, working in partnership with employers and agencies in the South West of England, to respond to the economic downturn by enhancing workers' skills and employability and thereby retaining skills and employment in the region. It also supports the development of a 'whole organisation' approach to identifying, managing and delivering learning and skills solutions that allows for the innovation of unions and their partners.

Unions hold contracts with unionlearn until March 2011, to deliver services within the South West of England, excluding Cornwall where other funding support is available. The fund sponsors unions to:

• ensure support is given to workers at risk of redundancy or at risk of exclusion from learning and development opportunities
• provide learning and skill development opportunities, including the training of union learning representatives

Unions and Sectors

Nine unions now hold Skills for the Future contracts. These contracts, which range in value from £8,844 to £89,284 within a total fund of £651,150, are bringing support to workers across many sectors; Construction, the Creative Industries, Finance, Marine, Manufacturing, Distribution, and the Public Sector including the Emergency Services.

Working in Partnership

The unions; BSU (Britannia Staff Union), Equity, FBU (Fire Brigades' Union), GMB, PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union), POA (The Professional Trade Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers), UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians), Unite the Union and USDAW (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) are working with more than forty partner organisations to deliver services. These partners include employers, learning providers, sector skills councils and business support agencies, information, advice and support agencies and additional unions not already involved through their own contracts.

This partnership approach is reflected in the SftF Steering Group which assists unionlearn to manage the fund and also includes representatives from unions, employer organisations, funders and a wide range of skills and support agencies.

What is being provided?

The fund supports unions to increase participation in learning by those most at risk of exclusion and it enables unions to give additional support to workers who are at risk of redundancy. Unions holding contracts to support workers at risk can offer support within any eligible workplace where the need arises during the contract term. This assists unions to respond in a flexible and timely way.

Unions can also use the fund to develop longer term responses to workplace or sector learning needs. As well as direct support for the delivery of learning and skills packages, this includes supporting union learning representatives, the development of workplace learning committees and learning centres and work resulting in the signing of learning agreements and the 'Skills Pledge.'

Management and Funding

The Skills for the Future fund is managed by unionlearn in the South West and provided by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA), The European Social Fund (ESF) and the Skills Funding Agency, and the 'Union Learning Fund'(ULF) funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. Additional support comes from Jobcentre Plus* and TUC unionlearn. Union's partners also provide funding support for the work being undertaken.

Skills for the Future supported work is now taking place across the whole of the South West, excluding Cornwall where unionlearn's Convergence and Crunch projects offer support. Download the Skills for the future Contracts Booklet [PDF].

You may also be interested in 'Coming out on Top', a trade unionist's guide to offering support and services to members in the South West of England who are facing redundancy'.

If you would like further information about unionlearn's work in supporting employability, learning and skills in the South West please contact the South West unionlearn team on: e: unionlearnsouthwest@tuc.org.uk or by phoning 0117 947 0521

Briefing document (500 words) issued 30 Sep 2010

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