Learning @ Home is unionlearn’s new campaign to help everyone make the move to online learning, explains Service Manager Ian Borkett.

Unionlearn’s new Learning @ Home campaign is the one-stop shop for union learners looking to improve their skills online during and after the coronavirus crisis.

The campaign is aimed at everyone: people currently working from home instead of at their usual workplaces; key workers in hospitals, supermarkets, delivery services and elsewhere; and workers who have been furloughed.

The Learning @ Home landing page on the unionlearn website is your ever-expanding guide to learning new skills during lockdown and beyond, packed with online resources from unionlearn itself and many of its key partners.

Whether you were already planning to sign up on a course or looking into what’s out there as a result of the pandemic, Learning @ Home is the best place to start, explains unionlearn Service Manager Ian Borkett.

Ian said:

This is going to be an open-ended campaign that’s going to continually develop as more resources become available – and when they do, we will put them up on the landing page.”

It’s the one-stop shop for learners, for ULRs and for other reps promoting and supporting learning, which they can visit to see what new developments are taking place in this space.”

In addition to supporting learners, the new campaign will be supporting ULRs and other reps promoting learning, too.

Ian explained: “By regularly visiting the landing page, ULRs and other reps will be able to signpost and encourage and support learners they’ve worked with to these online tools, resources and free courses.”

“In addition, we’re going to be looking at offering ULRs and learners a series of interactive of learning and skills issues including positive mental health and wellbeing, creative writing and learning at home in a range of initiatives and activities planned over the coming months.”

With the temporary closure of many workplaces making face-to-face contact between ULRs and learners all but impossible, many ULRs are already embracing the challenge of supporting learners remotely – and unionlearn is determined to offer more help as the weeks go by.

Ian said:

ULRs are looking at alternative methods of support – keeping in touch through picking up the phone, over Facetime or Skype calls or online messaging services or setting up support groups on Facebook and other social media Platforms.”

The real thing about ULRs is how creative and innovative they are and they always come up with amazing solutions to challenges – I don’t see this as any different and I know they will be out there now looking at different methods that they can use to best support their learners.”

Learning new skills has long been part of the NHS’s five-step journey to better mental health and wellbeing.

And the new NHS guidance to looking after ourselves during the crisis spells out how it’s important to keep your mind active through enjoyable activities like pursuing a favourite hobby or picking up something new.

Ian said:

At this challenging time, learning is a great way of helping to ensure your positive mental health and wellbeing remains high by participating in some new and interesting and exciting learning opportunities.”

But learning a new skill in lockdown has the added advantage of helping learners adapt to changing circumstances when restrictions ease, he says.

As well as helping with their mental wellbeing during this period, learning will also ensure they are better prepared for when we get through the other side of this crisis.”

This article first appeared in the Summer 2020 Learning Rep