Learning at Work Week is an annual event which gives organisations, trade unions and ULRs the opportunity to raise the profile of adult education and celebrate the power of lifelong learning to transform lives.

This year Learning at Work Week will take place from 15th – 21st May, it is a collaborative week seeking to engage a range of stakeholders, drive a shared focus among policymakers and champion adult learners and learning providers.

This year’s theme is Create the Future.

Learning at work can help us personally and collectively to create our futures enabling us to achieve life and work goals that shape our lives, families, and aspirations.

There is a busy week of activities planned that seek to highlight the importance of lifelong learning and celebrating the achievements of adult learners. To access unionlearn events go to: https://www.unionlearn.org.uk/events

TUC and trade unions have long campaigned for strengthened rights and support for lifelong learning to improve the working lives of our members. We have a proud history of Education and Learning and the Role of the Union Learning Rep has been essential in supporting workers to access learning over many years.

What is Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Learning is generally voluntary and self-motivated based on a pursuit to learn more, gain new skills or support professional development. It is self-motivated, informal, voluntary, and based on personal interests. Examples could be anything from learning to play a musical instrument or taking part in an online skills course.

Lifelong Learning is increasingly vital to employers, individuals and to the future growth and development of the Further Education Sector.

Benefits of Lifelong Learning for workers and businesses

We would all agree that people are the biggest asset to any organisation. Investment in the workforce will always bring benefits to both the workforce and business. Improving the skills of the workforce will be vital to increasing productivity, which has stagnated over the last 12 years, contributing to a lost decade of wage growth.

Main benefits to workers:

• Individuals will feel more confident, empowered and in turn will become efficient and more productive in their work.
• Enhancing skills will open other career opportunities for the individual.
• Individuals are more likely to stay in their place of work if they have opportunities to develop.

Benefits to Business:

• Retain workforce, at a time when we are in a tight labour market this is essential that businesses do not lose skilled staff early.
• Employers will stay with employer longer which will enable the business to avoid recruitment costs.
• Future proof business and if you look after staff the business will flourish.

Background to unionlearn

The Union Learning Fund (ULF) was set up in 1998 to support trade unions to widen access to learning and training in workplaces. The fund supported workplace projects across England. It played an important role in the adult skills agenda for over two decades and each year around 200,000 workers were supported into learning or training with union support.

These workers took part in all sorts of job-relevant learning and training, including basic literacy and numeracy, ICT skills, apprenticeships and traineeships, vocational training, continuing professional development and many other informal and formal courses.

An Independent evaluation of ULF estimated that £1 investment in the Union Learning Fund in Round 20 generated a total economic return of £12.87 of which £7.56 accrues to individuals and £5.31 to employers.

Despite the success of ULF the Conservative Government decided to cut the fund in March 2021.

Union Learning Reps

ULRs have been instrumental in championing the importance of training and development, working hard to boost the image and strengthen the organisation of their union within the workplace.

Role of the ULR in workplaces

The role of the union learning rep – a trusted intermediary who works and supports workers into training, learning and skills development.

• Support learning and development of all employees in a workplace, identifying skills gaps, opportunities for training and specific work barriers.
• Specific support for young people, via apprenticeships and pre apprentice routes, to gain skills and long-term job prospects.
• Support in work learning, negotiate learning agreements, learning forums, learning centres.

Action

As part of Learning at Work Week, why not start a conversation about learning and what your passion for learning is? It might be walking, drawing, sport, music, cooking, looking after pets the list is endless. Whatever it is, there is always an element of  learning that enriches our lives.

Why not support others to learn and become a ULR. To access resources go to: https://www.unionlearn.org.uk/resources