TUC Cymru: Wales Union Learning Fund engages over 100,000 learners in last three years

The Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF), established in 1999, remains a vital lifeline for workers who are too often excluded from traditional learning opportunities. New data, released during Adult Learners’ Week, shows that WULF is not only helping people upskill – it’s transforming lives.

Data collected by Wavehill on behalf of TUC Cymru shows that WULF is reaching workers who are often unable to access learning opportunities. 

•    Nearly 25 per cent of WULF learners report having a disability, highlighting the programme’s success in reaching those who face barriers to education and training. 
•    26 per cent of learners have caring responsibilities, a group that often struggles to access rigid, classroom-based learning. WULF’s flexible approach is making learning possible for them. 
•    Most WULF learners are aged 50–59, a demographic frequently overlooked for skills development. WULF is helping older workers stay competitive and confident in the workplace. 

Shavanah Taj, General Secretary of TUC Cymru said: 
“Everyone should have access to lifelong learning. I’m proud to see that WULF has reached over 100,000 workers in the last three years, and that it continues to reach workers who are often left behind. After 26 years of WULF I’m still meeting workers whose lives have been transformed by union-led learning. 

Mark Church wasn’t able to read and write until his union encouraged him to join a WULF essential skills programme – an experience he describes as feeling like he’d been ‘let out of a cage’. WULF training has given Pru Orridge the skills to be able to progress in her career from admin assistant to senior manager in HMRC’s Large Business Directorate. 

“But WULF doesn’t just change individual’s lives, it’s also good for employers and good for the economy. Employers like CAF see so much value in the training provided by WULF that they work together with the union to provide further learning opportunities. In the 2022-25 WULF project period employers across Wales co-invested over £2.5 million in learning and training.”

The recent research found a high satisfaction rate among WULF learners:  

•    93 per cent of respondents found the training either very or quite useful. 
•    When asked what they would have done if WULF training hadn’t been available, over half said they wouldn’t have done any training at all—a stark reminder of WULF’s unique value. 
WULF was also seen as vital in driving performance and progression: 
•    72 per cent of learners said their training had improved their performance at work. 
•    87 per cent felt encouraged to pursue further learning, and 29 per cent had already taken the next step. 
WULF is not just a one-off opportunity – it’s a gateway to lifelong learning. And it’s effective in building a culture of learning: 
•    36 per cent of learners said they would recommend WULF learning activities to colleagues. 
•    Even more impressively, 60 per cent already had – a testament to the programme’s impact and the solidarity it fosters among workers. 

Looking to the future, Shavanah Taj said:

“WULF is a huge devolution success story. So TUC Cymru is calling on all parties to commit to safeguarding and increasing funding for WULF, ensuring it is protected as a core pillar of Wales’s fair work agenda. Continuing to invest in WULF is the best way to ensure that workers are trained and ready to respond to the technological and low carbon transitions ahead.”