Valerie Cooke is a Union Learning Rep and Shop Steward with Usdaw at Tesco Extra Bishop Stortford store. She was inspired to support workplace learning after attending an Usdaw Academy – and hasn’t looked back since.

Valerie explained:

I got into learning after completing a Check Out Learning campaign during my time as an organiser on Usdaw Academy 1 in 2011.”

I was keen to seize the opportunities the union had to offer in lifelong learning and was eager to become more involved in learning so I became a Union Learning Rep in as soon as I could after getting back to my store”.

Val has used her digital skills to help and assist her members. This includes helping members download and print their payslips and helping members set up new email addresses. This will have a further impact in the future as Tesco will also put their holiday bookings and overtime online in the near future.

Val said:

I can see that members are struggling with this and I see it as an opportunity to utilise the Partnership Agreement to the full. This has helped my members grow in confidence in using this latest technology.”

She has also helped two deaf members of staff by helping and assisting company training and signposting another member to English courses being run at a local College.

Val explained:

I have been deaf from a very early age and Tesco have supported me in the workplace and have made reasonable adjustments so I understand the issues.”

She enjoys her current role as Checkout Team Support and will use what she has learnt to help her self-development in the future.

Val said:

The changes that Tesco are going through with restructuring and redundancies give ULRs a further challenge. ULR’s can do skill checks and help with the wring of CV’s and signpost members to courses that ensure that their skills are relevant to the current and future job market!”

Val is committed to her own development as well and hopes to work for Usdaw in the near future.  She signed up for the TUC Diploma in Employment Law course and completed it online.

Usdaw Project Worker Fred Behardien said:

Val has a lot to offer her members” says Project Worker Fred Behardien “and they have got a lot to look forward to with Val as their ULR.”