Learning with Unite

It’s only been open a few weeks but already the new Unite learning centre at Vauxhall Motors in Ellesmere Port is proving to be a “fantastic” success.

When Unite general secretary Len McCluskey cut the ribbon at the centre during his visit to the Cheshire car plant in August, it provided confirmation that workers there will have excellent educational opportunities for years to come.

The facility was the brainchild of John Cooper, Unite convenor at Vauxhall.

Having seen a drop in enthusiasm for the three other learning centres which had been on site for what he describes as “a considerable amount of time”, Cooper decided to act.

Open door

Some employers may have been keener to scale back rather than use workspace for another centre, but Cooper says, “I have got to be totally honest with you when, when it comes to Vauxhall we were pushing at an open door with this.”

The difference was that the new facility – with a focus on IT, English, maths and languages – is housed “in the main block where our staff members work”, at Hooton House, he says.

“We were mindful that if you did a survey of Vauxhalls or any other car plant for that matter you would find people who needed basic things like maths, English and so on and we were determined to do something to upskill our members,” adds Cooper.

Knock-on benefit

“Of course there was a knock-on benefit for the company because they got upskilled workers,” he went on to say. “The company provided the room, the internet access, desks and chairs.  All the union had to provide was the actual computers and equipment.”

This, he reckons, came at a cost of around £2000 to Unite, something Cooper describes as a drop in the ocean considering how “it upskills our members in whatever way they choose, it gives them confidence and gives them a skill they may be able to transfer somewhere else sometime in the future. It’s fantastic.”

The new learning centre – in association with West Cheshire College – took about six months to get up and running, and houses six computes, keyboards, printers and a projector.

Cooper says having the general secretary open the centre was something of a double celebration.

“We were in discussions with Vauxhalls about recruiting more people but we also wanted to do something about youth unemployment in the north-west.

“It’s been a great exercise so far. We have had people who are dyslexic come in to learn and the benefits, you have go to see it to believe it. People are getting an NVQ in maths that they probably thought they would never have in their lives”

One of the most welcome and progressive aspects of this partnership, according to Cooper, is not just that the centre will be used mainly by Unite apprentices (and only Unite members).

Rather, it’s the progressive attitude of a company prepared to see the importance of education which, as Cooper points out, “is not done in dinner hours or after work – this is done in working hours.”

Cooper, reflecting on what can only be seen as a success for all involved, concludes by saying, “The enthusiasm and pride is fantastic and that’s solely down to Unite the Union learning centres, given full support by Vauxhall Motors.”