Unions and the World of Work: essential lessons on workplace rights for students across Wales
Young workers often have a raw deal at work. They are more likely to work on a zero hours contract that other age groups. They are more likely to work in industries with a high staff turnover, and they are more likely to work in ununionised sectors. They are also more at risk of a workplace accidents in their first job than at other times in their career.
Teaching workplace rights in schools
Young workers often don’t understand their workplace rights, which can make them vulnerable to poor employment practices. This can have a detrimental effect on the whole workplace, as new people coming in believe that “this is just the way we do things”. They often have low expectations of work and don’t identify as having problems – they think this is just what work is like.
We want young people to have fulfilling, rewarding and safe careers. Which is why I was very excited to visit a delivery session of the Unions and the World of Work(UWoW) pilot at Caerleon Comprehensive School. UWoW is joint programme between Welsh Government and the Wales TUC building on the work of Unite the Union and the Scottish TUC’s Unions into Schools projects. It will see pupils at 35 schools learn about workplace rights, health safety and wellbeing, and the future of work.
It was truly inspiring to see how the pupils approached the problem solving element of the session. Coming up with creative slogans and reasoned arguments to challenge the unfair scenarios they were presented with. The feedback they gave was that they enjoyed the session and seemed keen to learn more.
Get involved with the Unions and the World of Work pilot
We are now looking for schools to run the Unions and the World of Work pilot. We have created a series of resources for students in year 10 and above. These resources can be delivered as stand-alone lessons or used in a cross-curricular way. They focus on issues such as the role of trade unions, collectivism, the future of work, knowing workplace rights, and positive messaging on equalities, the environment and skills.
If you have any questions about UWoW or if you would like your school to take part please email youthwales@tuc.org.uk