Salford University’s UNISON Union Learning Representative (ULR) Eamon Valentine fully appreciates the value of learning, as it underpins both his job and his union role.

Eamon became a ULR several years ago ("Lets's just say Unionlearn had something to do with it!") and subsequently became Education Officer, chair and shop steward.

Eamon said:

The ULR role resonated with me because in my work I was helping people from all over the UK and beyond who were trying to juggle studying with a whole range of personal, financial and cultural concerns. Helping people who are already learning in their quest to achieve is as big a part of the ULR role as is helping them get access to learning in the first place."

Eamon's own learning journey has been a varied one.

I left school with a few CSEs (that'll give my age away!) and went into the textile trade, doing a range of clerical, warehousing and delivery work. During this time I took computer courses and a management course at evening classes so I could progress. I worked for local plastics and technology companies using those skills and later when I moved to work at the University and got involved in the union I undertook further training which has given me skills such as meeting chairing, handing workplace concerns and of course the ULR and Education roles, as well as a lot of IT training from the employer to cope with new and changing systems."

More recently he’s been keen to work on his personal development, and trips on the East Lancashire Railway – a heritage steam line running from Heywood to Rawtenstall – resulted in him undertaking a day’s experience of driving, firing and guarding a steam locomotive under supervision.

It wasn’t cheap, and I was lucky enough to get it as a present, but I'd say to anyone – do try this if you can – it’s a great experience and the certificate makes you feel like a proper train driver – well sort of! The railway relies on volunteers which I might do when I retire, and even the footplate rides and ordinary passenger trips offer a lot of learning too along the way, with all the recreated stations, signage, staff in historic uniforms and what have you. But apart from having a great time, the thought struck me more than ever that day that learning really is a gift, whether you receive it as a present or through some other means, and it’s one we should all value and appreciate."

The University signed off a policy of working with the union on learning in 2005 and there were some successful early efforts to gauge interest through learning at work days. Eamon said: 

We can't do events at the traditional time of May because it clashes with student exams and we're all too busy. But in spite of that they've been successful events, with attendees turning up to pick up information, sign up for course, take assessments and do skills reviews."

Eamon has also been involved in some of the more interesting projects which Unionlearn has been a part of, and as a result he has seen manual and clerical colleagues at the University take up a range of formal and informal learning. This includes a caretaker enrolling on an OU astronomy course through  unionlearn’s local work with Aimhigher, and a cleaner who was a migrant worker with qualifications from his home country who took up a management programme at Bolton University through unionlearn’s part in the North West Universities Association’s Higher Level Skills Partnership which resulted in him being promoted to a supervisory role. Eamon said:

These examples show that your job role does not necessarily link to your level of achievement. However, we do have people with quite serious confidence issues, including among some clerical staff with quite responsible roles. The Value My Skills Cards we've used recently have given us some great ideas for addressing this by showing people what they already can do and what the gaps are that they need to think about filling.

We also encourage learners to self-help. For example, we had a group of domestic staff struggling with the progression from Level 2 to Level 3 vocational qualifications and we encouraged them to set up their own discussion group so they could talk it through with each other in a confidential space. As a ULR I always want to help, but they are the ones doing the course, and when it comes to the practicalities of coping with it they can often come up with solutions between them as well if given the time and space to do so."

Eamon has been in and out of the workplace for three years following a serious injury, but luckily the Branch has kept the agenda moving. Eamon said:

Our stewards did a great job picking up on the agenda and offering what support they could around skills while I was off work and I think this shows the importance of  ensuring learning is integrated into union activity."

Recently though, some new potential ULRs have come forward, and Eamon and the Branch are looking forward to them getting involved. Eamon said:

Although we have seen staffing reduced over the years we are still quite a large, dispersed and diverse workforce, and the extra support for people in challenging times will be most welcome."