Unionlearn was established in 2006 by the TUC in order to provide an ongoing framework to support union led learning in England. The union learning agenda is itself a dynamic way of developing trade unions, responding to the needs of trade unionists and constitutes an important element of the union offer.
Further information about our history, mission statement and aims of the organisation, can be found by following the links below.
Our history
The history of union learning is a long and progressive one. It begins with the colleges established for the education of working people, which were set up in the late nineteenth century, closely followed by the founding of the Workers' Educational Association.
Our mission
The unionlearn mission statement:
Our belief is that the life chances of all people can be transformed through access to learning, throughout their working lives. Such learning opportunities must be available to the entire workforce, regardless of their employment status or educational background. Everyone should have fair and equal treatment to develop his or her potential, free from discrimination. We believe learning and skills can best be delivered collectively in partnership with trade unions.
Our purpose is to help unions open up a wide range of learning opportunities for their members. This will both promote their personal progression and develop their trade union role, strengthening workplace organisation. We will guarantee that all provision is of a high standard and continuously improves in both its quality and diversity.
Our goal is to become the centre of excellence for supporting high quality union-led learning. We also aim to become the authoritative organisation for promoting innovation and research and disseminating best practice in such learning.
Our success will be determined by the sustainability of this activity, through unions embedding learning and skills at the heart of their organisation.
Our objectives
- We will help unions to support their members to access and progress through lifelong learning based on quality standards
- We will help unions to engage with employers and providers to increase the quantity, quality and fairer distribution of learning opportunities
- We will strengthen union capacity over learning, including training and supporting ULRs and embedding learning within core union activities and structure
- We will help unions to secure effective union representation at the workplace through training of union representatives and union professionals
- We will deepen and extend partnerships with key stakeholders to sustain effective union-led activity
- We will embed a quality framework across all of our provision to drive up and maintain high standards and work towards a culture of continuous quality improvement
- We will continue to promote our activities and demonstrate the added value of union learning
- We will continue to monitor and improve the effectiveness of our organisation in order to meet our stated objectives, including implementing an equality assessment of both internal and external activity
Widening participation
Widening participation is a fundamental part of unionlearn’s mission and we work diligently to provide unions and ULRs with the support, resources and training they require in order to offer their members and other workplace learners an entirely unique learning experience.
It is imperative that we focus on hard to reach learners, who are not likely to access mainstream learning, such as, older workers, those with little to no qualifications and vulnerable workers with no easy access to learning and who we know are less likely to access further training. unionlearn, unions and our partners in learning are in a unique position to support those members and transform their lives.
One of unions’ key contributions to the learning and skills agenda is the ability of Union Learning Reps (ULRs) to engage learners that are otherwise hard for providers to reach.
For 10 years, the TUC and unionlearn managed a network of learning centres sharing a common approach to the delivery and support of learning.
Unions and ULRs now work with community groups to extend the benefits of committed learning champions beyond the workplace.
Learning changes lives. It also changes attitudes, provides better job prospects, transforms personal situations and breathes a new confidence into learners. However, many people are still not feeling the benefit of learning – the joy of reading to their children, the discovery of a new talent, or the simple pleasure of acquiring a whole new range of skills.
Adult & Community Learning
Informal Adult & Community Learning (IACL) is an umbrella term describing a broad range of learning that brings together adults, often of different ages and backgrounds, to pursue an interest, address a need, acquire a new skill, become healthier or learn how to support their children.
This kind of learning, usually unaccredited, is an important part of the wider learning continuum. It can be undertaken for its own sake or as a step towards other learning/training. It covers structured adult education courses taught by professionally qualified teachers, independent study on-line, and self-organised study groups.
Some learning will be in very short episodes and some may last years. It may happen in personal time or work time and be delivered by providers in the public, private or voluntary sectors, or organised by people for themselves through the many groups, clubs and societies where people get together to learn.
Common to much IACL is the way in which it contributes to increasing confidence and interest in learning which in turn encourages learners to progress to further learning opportunities.
During 2010-11, with unionlearn support, trade unions engaged with over 35,318 learners through informal adult community learning route. This included support for the following:
- Promoting IACL at work during Learning at Work Day in Adult Learners Week.
- Promoting IACL during the Celebration of Learning held in October 2010.
Another key player in promoting IACL are community learning champions (CLCs). These are enthusiasts who promote learning to friends, neighbours and people across their communities. ULRs are now working with community learning champions to promote learning in their neighbourhoods.
There will be information and resources posted here around IACL throughout the year.
Reaching communities - the community learning toolkit
This toolkit has been specifically developed for union learning representatives (ULRs), community learning champions (CLCs) and other learning advocates but can be used by any trade union and community representatives working to promote and support learning.
It has been developed in recognition of the wide range of benefits that can arise from trade unions and community learning champions working together, including reaching disadvantaged groups in the workplace and the local community, enhancing learning opportunities, sharing resources and approaches and learning from each other.
In the toolkit you will find information to support collaboration and the development of successful partnerships, including practical steps, ideas, inspiring case studies and resources.