Skills Policy

The TUC has long campaigned to raise the skills of Britain's work force. It's good for the country's competitiveness and helps people find more fulfilling and better paid jobs. Here are links to our most recent policy and research work on skills, education and lifelong learning. You can find older material using the search facilities. The TUC is also actively involved in promoting lifelong learning through unionlearn.

Unionlearn was formed from the merger of TUC Education and Learning Services in May 2006. This new initiative has been developed by the TUC to help unions meet the education and skills needs of their members.

Unionlearn aims:

  • to help unions become learning organisations
  • to help unions to broker learning opportunities for their members
  • to research union priorities on learning and skills

For further information on unionlearn, visit http://www.unionlearn.org.uk


The most recent documents available on this subject are:

GCSE successes must not be thwarted by education cuts

Commenting on GCSE results announced today (Tuesday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

24 August 2010
The Origins, Role and Impact of Union Learning Representatives in the UK and other Countries

This year saw over 25,000 union learning representatives (ULRs) trained since 1999. This working paper outlines the origins and development of union learning representatives in England. It examines how ULRs have been a central feature of government-s...

PDF version available for download
17 August 2010
Right to request training will enable workers to improve their skills

Commenting on the Skills for Sustainable Growth consultation, launched today (Thursday) by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

22 July 2010
TUC calls for alliance of unions, parents and governors to tackle education cuts

Speaking at the education unions' rally and lobby of Parliament today (Monday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Wherever you look - from education to the NHS and criminal justice - services are being broken up, divided into competing pie...

19 July 2010
Conservative Minister praises unionlearn

The first Conservative Minister to address a TUC conference since the mid-1990s has today (Monday) given a resounding endorsement of unionlearn - the TUC's learning and skills arm - describing it as an "immense success".

12 July 2010
Academies Bill TUC briefing, July 2010

The Queen's speech set out the legislative framework for taking forward the range of major school reforms being planned by the Coalition Government, and as anticipated, a major thrust of the reforms involves a rapid extension of academy schools.

PDF version available for download
1 July 2010



Back to Industrial Issues.

This page http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial/index.cfm
printed 9 September 2010 at 08:37 hrs by 38.107.191.107