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National and Regional
 UNISON courses are
friendly and informal and the
Learning
and Organising Services have been specially designed for adults. Training
involves practical activities and working with groups of other UNISON members
and activists. You don't have to listen to long lectures or take exams.
Time off for training
Stewards, health and safety reps and branch officers have the right to paid time
off for training in their union duties in most workplaces. Lifelong Learning
Advisers and Learning Reps also have entitlements since 2002 which applies to
part time activists as well.
UNISON advises activists and members attending courses to give several weeks
notice to employers and to provide managers with information about the course as
required.
Taking credit
Some UNISON courses are accredited via the Open College Network (OCN). OCN
credits are recognised by many training providers and colleges and are at the
level of GCSEs or A Levels. If you wish to work towards OCN credits you have to
keep a record of the activities on the training course and submit a portfolio at
the end of the course.
It's up to you whether you want to be assessed for credits or not. Much of the
assessment will be done by you and the course tutor, who will be able to help
you with putting together your portfolio. There are no exams.
UNISON
UNISON Open College
1 Mabledon Place
London WC1H 9AJ
Telephone: 020 7551 1154
Facsimile: 020 7551 1758
Email:
open.college@unison.co.uk
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning Advisers and Representatives is part of the government's
initiative to involve all people who have been out of a learning situation for a
while and encourage them back into learning and achieve a qualification with
full support from the employer. Although it is for everyone, it is hoped many
people once aware of this long term government backed project will take up this
offer.
If you have any queries, concerns or wish to find out more about Life
Long Learning,
Email us
You can also get more information on UNISON's national website,
Learning
and Organising Services for life long learning courses and all the information
you need to know about grants, courses, news, contacts and other links which can
all be
found here.
The role of the Lifelong
Learning Adviser and the union Learning Representative
Lifelong Learning Advisers (LLAs) are usually
UNISON members who have recently completed a learning programme themselves. They
tend to come in to Union activity on a voluntary basis through a commitment to
learning for themselves and their colleagues and through the desire to raise
awareness of what a difference learning and training can make.
Union Learning Reps are existing workplace reps
who share the commitment to learning of the Lifelong Learning Adviser and who
want to develop learning in their own workplaces. They are currently trained to
negotiate and represent around learning issues.
Both Lifelong Learning Advisers and Learning
Reps are enthusiasts and advocates for learning in their own workplaces. Their
precise role will vary according to their own circumstances. Some of the roles
taken on by advisers and reps are:
Raising awareness of lifelong learning issues in
the workplace,
Raising awareness of lifelong learning
opportunities amongst members and potential members
Helping to identify and articulate the learning
needs of particular groups of members/potential members
Raising awareness of the UNISON partnership
approach to lifelong learning
Liaising with employers on lifelong learning
opportunities in the workplace
Raising awareness of lifelong learning issues
within the branch
Working with UNISON branch officers and
especially the Branch Education Co-ordinators to promote workplace learning.
Contacting and talking to members and potential
members about how UNISON can assist them in their development
Creating a positive experience of what UNISON can
do for and with members in the workplace around learning issues and thereby
creating a culture in the workplace in which UNISON membership is seen by all as
a positive benefit to them, especially in areas where we have traditionally
found it difficult to recruit members to UNISON.
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