Learning with Unite

Union-organised learning is a great way to recruit new members and highlight the benefits of being in a union – that was the message that came out of Community Learning Day in Bristol this week.

Unite’s Tony Benn House in Bristol threw open its doors to host the day-long event organised by the local Unite Community branch. It gave members and the general public a chance to talk to learning providers such as N-Gaged Training, the National Careers Service, TUC’s unionlearn and Unite learning reps.  They also signed up for free online courses care of Learn with Unite.

Members of the Bristol area Unite Community branch, with support from Unite Community coordinator for the South West Brett Sparkes, were on hand to talk about the benefits of signing up to the union. They also used the day to premiere a new video about the work of Unite Community branches across the South West.

Learn with Unite’s Matt Gillett who signed up people to free online courses, also gave demonstrations of the IT Basics course and talked about how resources could be accessed through the Learn with Unite website.

“When people find out the benefits of online learning and the support Unite learning reps can offer them they are very keen to sign up,” Matt said. “Most people start off with IT Basics to give them a grounding on using computers, and then they access other courses ranging from functional skills to family history.”

Learning what the union is all about

Increasingly important

“With a third of workers at Bristol City Council without an email address, sessions like this are becoming increasingly important – particularly given the drive to digital by default, when many services will only be available online,” he added.

“You can also save a lot by managing utilities and buying online so Unite is really happy to support members’ access to this training.”

The day offered more than IT training, with attendees able to find out about other available courses, both online and classroom-based.

Assessments were carried out by Tomorrows People to identify skills gaps and transferable skills people may not realise they have.

Unite regional chair Kevin Terry was impressed by what he saw.

“The Unite community branches are doing some great work, and it’s good to see events like today happen so they can spread the word about the support that’s available,” Kevin said.

Union for the community

“Community Learning Days, like today in Bristol, support members and are an introduction to the union for many people – showing that Unite is not just a union for industry, but also a union for the community,” he added.

This was a sentiment echoed by Bristol area branch secretary Steve Shepard.

“We now have about 800 members across the area, and for them Unite has been very important,” Steve said. “It has supported them through learning and skills, and inspired many to become engaged in trade unionism for the first time.”

“What is also important to understand is that our branch membership is very fluid – people join a community branch, but when they find work they will leave the branch,” he added. “However many will then join the union in their new workplace, and some will inspire others in that workplace to sign up.”

The idea of using training and education to encourage people to join a union is nothing new, and in Bristol it’s working very well.

Nigel Donnelly is a Unite learning rep who sits on the Regional Executive and also on Bristol City Council’s skills committee. Nigel dropped in to explain what has been achieved at the council and how he has found the learning and skills agenda an ideal way to recruit new members.

“When I started in the call centre at Bristol City Council there were five Unite members; since I started organising training courses through the union, that number has risen to over 50 and is growing all the time,” he said.

Unite community empowering people to learn new skills

Reaching out

“This is something that is happening across Bristol,” Nigel added. “We have been working with the Council to offer functional skills and ESOL courses that support hard to reach workers – which the union is ideally positioned to help.

“The Unite ICT learning platform has been really useful and we are working on progressing learners through English and maths to apprenticeships.”

Unite community coordinator Brett Sparkes hailed the day a success.

“We have been able to show people the support they can receive by joining the union,” he said. “Lots of people have signed up for free online learning courses and had the opportunity to have a skills assessment.”

“A number of people have asked if there will be more events like this as they want to tell friends about them – and I’m sure there will be. The day has shown that the Unite Community branches are ideally positioned to reach out and use learning and skills to place unions at the heart of their community.”