Union-led learning at West Bromwich Building Society (the West Brom) is not only encouraging the society’s staff and friends and family to take up the learning opportunities on offer, but is also helping the employer.

A manager at the West Brom wanted to recruit internally to a new analyst programmer position and offer career progression to an existing employee. The manager contacted the Staff Union West Bromwich Building Society (US) union learning team to see if they could help.

The team has been running its union learning project for around two years. It works with training providers to facilitate vocational learning and informal adult learning opportunities. These are offered to union members and non-members as well as their family and friends. In addition, it maintains a database of members who have expressed an interest in taking part in union-led learning, together with details of their skills and qualifications.

When the manager approached the team, Project Manager Sue Farmer had recently attended a union learning representatives’ (ULR) Forum which included an introduction on a new resource, Value My Skills. This interactive card game aims to help people interested in a new job, course, promotion or voluntary work to identify their transferable skills. Using the database, and with the Value My Skills resources in mind, Sue was able to identify members of staff who had relevant skills or qualifications. Sue said:

The manager was aware of our project and came to see us to see if we could help with potential candidates. He explained that it was unlikely that an internal candidate would possess all the skills he was looking for, but he wanted someone with the appropriate aptitude, willingness to learn and an interest in the business area concerned."

She alerted three members of staff to the internal job advert on the employer’s intranet, including Harry Allen, an IT graduate working as a savings administrator dealing with customers’ accounts. He had been working in the role for around three and a half years, and although he enjoyed the job, his long-term career ambition was to work in an IT role.

Harry explained:

Sue told me about the new role and then asked me if I’d applied and said she thought I should. I wasn’t going to go for the job because I didn’t think I met all the requirements, but she went through these with me and explained that they were looking for someone who could develop into the role. That gave me encouragement and the confidence to apply. It’s quite a big promotion and more in line with what I wanted to do. And it’s a lot more interesting!"

Sue continued:

I had been introduced to the Value My Skills cards at a ULR forum and we will be using them during Adult Learners’ Week to run a session encouraging staff to think about the skills they have but might not necessarily be using in their current role. The unionlearn Midlands team is very proactive in filling us in about the adult learning resources available and are a real support to us."

Unionlearn Midlands Senior Union Support Officer Lisa Stones commented:

This is a great example of how union-led learning helps employers as well as learners."

The Value My Skills cards can be used to start a discussion, plan for the future or provide the right words to describe skills in a CV, application form or covering letter and can be used by individuals or in a group. They are available from unionlearn (see https://www.unionlearn.org.uk/news/new-transferable-skills-card-game-unionlearn).