Chapter 14 - National Education Centre

Chapter 14

national education centre

14.1 Introduction

The National Education Centre is going from strength to strength in relation not only to its commercial client base but also to its development work with trade unions. During the past year the NEC has obtained many new commercial clients including the London Borough of Camden, ROMEC Securities (part of the Post Office) and PCS Capitals Driving Centre.

In the past the NEC has concentrated on the professional development of the full time trade union officer, implementing the NVQs at levels 3 and 4 for this purpose. Significantly the NEC is increasingly being asked by unions to investigate organisational issues. In many cases this takes the form of project managing the Investors in People programme which many affiliates are now undertaking or carrying out organisational reviews for individual unions. This is a significant development in the role of the NEC and is closely related to the work described in chapter one on the millennial challenge.

14.2 Organising

The NEC has been working with the New Unionism project to deliver the Organising Academy programme. This is now in its second year and last year the NEC enabled 22 of the candidates to achieve the Diploma in Organising awarded by the Open College. Many unions are now asking, through the bespoke consultancy work, for organising courses, these range from straight forward courses for full-time officers to working with managers on change management to incorporate the organising agenda. On the basis of this record, the Labour Party has asked the NEC to run its new programme for 25 new organisers who are being recruited in preparation for the next general election campaign. The NEC has developed a programme and a diploma to recognise the work being undertaken by these organisers. It is a year long programme with 18 residential days at the NEC stretching into the year 2000.

14.3 Management Centre

The Management Centre is now up and running and a series of management courses that will be delivered in the centre are being advertised through the national courses brochure.

In conjunction with the University of North London the TUC will also be providing a Certificate in Management for full time officers who have management responsibility. The Certificate in Management is a postgraduate management development programme tailored to meet the needs of the trade union movement. The broad aim of the programme is to improve the quality of trade union managers through critical evaluation and practical understanding of the range of current management thinking and techniques, complemented by the skills necessary to implement decisions effectively. The Certificate in Management programme will be contextualised to meet the needs of trade unions and encourage the active participation of the delegates throughout the programme. In partnership with Cranfield University, the NEC will berunning a course for senior managers within the trade union movement entitled Building our Future. The programme is in three modules, one based in Europe. They will focus on the strategies needed to take the trade union movement into the next century. Great interest has been shown in both these initiative.

The NEC is also continuing with consultancy and bespoke work on management development, this being one of the main areas of development unions require when going for the Investors in People standard.

14.4 Organisational Reviews

One major area of consultancy work being developed is that of carrying out organisational reviews for trade unions. The NEC works closely with client unions in looking at the union's structures, systems, strategy, staff and skills, and at the shared values held by the union. This enables the consultants to get a clear picture of the union as an organisation and therefore will help management plan strategically not only in response to the internal market pressures but also by acknowledging any external threats to the organisation. The NEC is in the unique position of being able to bring cutting edge consultancy experience, through a team of consultants and carefully chosen associates, together with an in depth knowledge and experience of the trade union movement.

14.5 National Courses

Approximately 550 full time officer took part in this programme last year. The programme is popular because of the high quality of provision; the relevancy of the topics, and provides one of the few times that officers from various unions can come together and discuss issues that can translate across the union movement. The style of the national course booklet is being revamped in line with the new marketing strategy that we will be implementing at the NEC. The way the courses are clustered together will also be different in the following year. This is with a view to accrediting many of the courses now offered.

14.6 Consultancy Work

The NEC's bespoke work has continued to expand enormously. Over 200,000 full time officers attended either bespoke courses or seminars run by the NEC last year. Having an NEC Training and Development officer liaising with specific unions has helped the development of this area of work and has proved to be a great success. Due to the variety of demands that received the NEC have contracted a number of associates who are specialists in specific areas and who the NEC will be able to bring in depending on the nature of the consultancy and the training that may be required. In this way the NEC can provide a very tailored approach to the needs of the affiliate. At present it has been possible to deliver this service at a rate below market prices.

14.7 Investors in People

The NEC has played a major role in enabling unions to bring in development reviews. The development review process is the key to implementing Investors in People. The NEC has tailor-made the development review process for a number of major affiliates. And requests are now being received from outside the union movement in relation to this area of work. The NEC has linked with North London TEC to enable unions to obtain funding for this area of work.

IiP UK, as part of their professional development process, have asked the NEC to put on a one day programme for practitioners in working within a unionised workplace. This will be piloted this year and hopefully be part of their full programme in the year 2000.

14.8 Professional Trade Union Officers S/NVQs

The TUC has continued to be the lead organisation for delivering these qualifications designed for officers who organise and negotiate. Many union officers are now undertaking these awards and the first successful group will achieve their awards in December 1999.

More flexible systems of delivering S/NVQs have been implemented in 1999 including bespoke training and national programme workshops. A candidate's study guide pack introducing S/NVQ assessment requirements has been produced and will be available on line in 2000. Candidates can also claim S/NVQ evidence through attending mainstream NEC programmes.

In the future the S/NVQ standards are to be redrafted offering a choice of units reflecting the Organising and Partnership agendas. The revamped S/NVQS can be linked to management NVQs which will also be offered by the NEC.

European delegations have been very interested in the NVQs and their possible contribution to professionalising officers training in Europe. And Both North London TEC and the ENTO have funded S/NVQ developments.

13.9 Information Technology Services (ITS)

In order to give a focus to this key and expanding area of work a specialist unit has been created at the NEC called Information Technology Services (ITS). ITS manages all the NEC's activities concerned with information technology. Activities including brochure and bespoke courses as well as consultancy. Recent consultancy has included Information Technology skills audits and advice on the use of the World Wide Web for a trade union organisation.

The new growth area has been in the development of the use of information technology in the delivery of training. ITS has pioneered world-wide-web based training. This work has in part been made possible through involvement in two European projects. ETUEnet11 has enabled the ITS to further develop its methodology and materials for teaching teachers to spread the basic skills union staff and members need to make use of internet-based resources and services. Through ETUEnet11, ITS, in conjunction with LO-Sweden, is offering training to 18 confederations. Within ETUDE the TUC has the lead responsibility for the development of educational methodologies for the provision of training via the web.

ITS, in partnership with a software company, is developing software which provides a virtual classroom for those involved in web-based training. Plans are being developed to launch this product as part of a commercial venture. The key markets are affiliates, the voluntary sector, further education and local government.

ITS is playing a significant role in the TUC Ufi/ADAPT through its web-based training capability. ITS is also involved in a Ufi/ADAPT project focused on web-based training in the multimedia industry. It is also anticipated that ITS will become involved in a third Ufi/ADAPT project aimed at opening up e-commerce to SMEs in the electronic/electromechanical sector supply chain.

ITS has also been involved in supporting a number of Trade Union Fund Lifelong Learning projects; developing web- based training and web-based information, advice and guidance support.

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