2017 has been a great year for learning in UNISON – here’s a quick tour of some of the highlights…
January
We began 2017 by launching our Moving On toolkit – a great resource for ULRs to help colleagues make the most of their skills and experience and move forwards in their careers.
February
In February learning reps from across the union gathered at UNISON Centre for our annual ULR conference. The theme this year was Learning in a changing world and we heard from general secretary Dave Prentis, Zoe Clayton from the Open University, Dave Eva from Unionlearn, and dyslexia specialist Kim Brown.
And the team from Dorset branch was presented with an award from the Campaign for Learning, recognising their efforts for Learning At Work Week.
March
Women Byte Back, a one-day event celebrating and empowering women in IT, took place at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park
See some highlights from the day:
We also launched a learning chat over on the Organising Space. ULRs and other UNISON activists and staff have been sharing tips and successes there ever since!
April
Our updated Learning for Everyone toolkit, full of hints and tips for making learning happen, was released. Have you got your copy yet? Email learningandorganising@unison.co.uk if not!
It was a good month for reading, too, with World Book Night, and Corby branch launching their Reading Ahead challenge with guest author Louise Jensen.
May
Bristol University UNISON branch signed a learning agreement with the employer, together with their counterparts in Unite, making it easier for staff to get access to lifelong learning opportunities.
Many branches marked Learning At Work Week, with everything from a Picnic and Poetry event to a stunt with drag queens!
June
We took learning to UNISON’s national delegate conference in Brighton, where our ULRs shared their stories and talked about how union learning can be a real positive asset around which to organise.
And we launched our dyslexia e-note, exploring what it’s like to have dyslexia and how UNISON branches can help
July
UNISON members who work in schools in the North West were able to take advantage of a whole week of courses and workshops organised in the region. With topics, from Promoting Positive Behaviour to British Sign Language, the week was wide-ranging and well-received.
Meanwhile, at Unionlearn’s conference we were delighted to see three of our ULRs – Carol McGrath from Leeds City branch and Jane Eyre and Bev Herring from Blackpool Health – receive awards for promoting literacy and numeracy respectively.
August
August is traditionally a quiet month – which meant that we were able to get our heads down and get ready to launch this new website! Our aim was to make it easier for you to find out information about UNISON learning – we hope you’ve found it useful!
And of course it’s also exam results month. We were very proud of UNISON member Karen, who aced her GCSE Spanish!
September
September saw the launch of the Learning Lincs project – a pioneering initiative which sees branches representing workers from many different sectors organising and promoting learning together in Lincolnshire.
Members of national UNISON committees got to grips with the reading in a Dealing with Paperwork course. And we also launched our Introduction to Apprenticeships e-note.
October
Southampton UNISON branch organised a Power to be You course to develop members’ confidence and improve self-esteem.
The first of several events to raise awareness of Apprenticeships for UNISON branch activists was held in Newcastle. Further ones would follow in Taunton, Leeds and Birmingham.
November
November was a busy month! ULRs from the South West and from Cymru/Wales enjoyed a residential training weekend at Croyde Bay to take their skills to the next level.
Meanwhile, the first Stepping Up workshop at UNISON Centre saw ULRs meet to share tips on making reading challenges work and explore creative writing.
And UNISON was very proud to be named the WEA’s Strategic Partner of the Year.
December
What better way to round off the year than by reaffirming our partnerships with the WEA and with the Open University? It was a great opportunity to celebrate decades of extending learning opportunities to those who had traditionally been excluded from education, and to commit to working together into the future.
It’s been a great year for learning and we’re looking forward to carrying the work on into 2018 and beyond. A massive thank you to all our ULRs, branch education co-ordinators and lifelong learning reps for all your hard work and enthusiasm.
January photo © Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk