Chapter 7: the place of learning
Chapter 7 - the place of learning
Contents
Influencing the national framework for education and training policy has been a major focus of the General Council=s work in the past year. The TUC has lobbied for labour market policies and strategies for lifelong learning which develop skills for sustained employability and widen participation in learning.
A good working relationship has been established between the TUC, national organisations and the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) at ministerial and official levels, enabling the TUC to respond constructively to the Government=s plans for lifelong learning.
7.2 Trade unions as partners in lifelong learning
The past year has seen growing recognition from the Government, employers and key partner organisations that trade unions have an indispensable role as advocates, negotiators and providers of education and training. The General Council have committed a large part of their work to helping trade unions build up their capacity to act as partners on workplace learning. The TUC Learning Services Task Group, chaired by Jimmy Knapp, has developed a range of imaginative proposals for a high profile role for trade unions in learning. The report of the Task Group is set out in appendix one.
The TUC has also worked closely with the DfEE to establish the new Union Learning Fund which was set up to support trade union innovation in workplace learning. Advice and assistance with applications to the fund have been given by the office to a large number of affiliates. A panel, made up of DfEE officials, CBI and TUC representatives, has assessed the bids and announcements will be made shortly.
The office has also supported the development of the TUC Bargaining for Skills projects which help trade unions work with employers on learning initiatives. A new accredited TUC Education Service course, Trade Unions and Lifelong Learning. Bargaining for Skills, and an updated edition of Learning in the Workplace. A Negotiators= Guide, launched in September 1997, have helped many union representatives to acquire the skills and experience to develop trade union strategies for learning in the workplace.
Two TUC reports showed that effective strategies for investment in skills depend on social partnership between unions and employers. In April the TUC submitted evidence to Access for All, the House of Commons Education and Employment Committee Inquiry into post-16 participation. The TUC=s report on Productivity and Social Partnership, prepared for the G8 Trade Union Summit in April, illustrated how unions promoted best practice in learning and the reorganisation of working time.
7.3 A policy framework for lifelong learning
The General Council have contributed to the development of education and training policy by publishing a range of reports and through TUC representation on a number of task groups and committees. The TUC=s position has been informed by composite resolution 8 which called for a new statutory framework for training, composite resolution 9 which argued for new measures to support lifelong learning, and resolution 30 on manufacturing.
Tony Dubbins, the General Council member with responsibility for this area, has represented the TUC at events and meetings during the past year. Regular meetings of the TUC National Training Network have enabled national officers of unions to contribute directly to the development of TUC policy and exchange information on policy developments. Learning Matters, a new quarterly TUC newsletter launched in January 1998, has informed affiliates and partner organisations about the latest in union policy and practice in lifelong learning.
In July 1997 the Secretary of State for Education and Employment established the National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (NAGCELL), chaired by Professor Bob Fryer, Principal of Northern College, to inform the Government=s work on lifelong learning. The TUC is represented on the advisory group by Sarah Perman, Economic and Social Affairs Department.
Learning for the Twenty-First Century, the first report of the group, was published in November 1997. It called for the creation of a new learning culture which embraced the home, the community and the workplace, action to tackle inequalities in access to learning, and the strong involvement of trade unions. A further report, Workplace Learning for the Twenty-First Century, produced by a sub-group, chaired by Jim Sutherland, then Director of Education and Training, UNISON, called for a new collective bargaining framework for education and training.
The recommendations in Learning for the Twenty-First Century influenced The Learning Age, the Government=s Green Paper on lifelong learning, published in February. The paper outlined a vision for lifelong learning which was markedly different from the previous administration=s. It called for a new agenda for learning to support employability, citizenship, and community renewal. Tackling the so-called >learning divide= was also a key theme. The paper outlined a wide range of proposals, including priorities for public spending, a new credit framework, and plans for the Government=s two flagship programmes, a University for Industry (UfI) and Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs).
The General Council=s response to The Learning Age welcomed the breadth of the Government=s objectives and its focus on helping more people back into learning. It strongly supported the paper=s emphasis on the positive contribution that unions could make to extending opportunities in the workplace, and outlined practical proposals for a strong trade union role, building on the good practice developed by the TUC Bargaining for Skills projects and the ideas generated by the TUC Learning Services Task Group. Our response also argued that including training in the new law on union recognition would facilitate union involvement and help the Government to achieve its plans.
The absence of a strong statutory framework for training was criticised by the General Council in their response. The General Council called for a modern system of rewards and incentives to employers, and individual entitlements to learning, as proposed in composite resolution 8. Loans for part-time students, a comprehensive system of adult guidance, and help to tackle basic skills were also recommended.
Our response to The Learning Age also urged the Government to secure adequate funding to achieve their plans for lifelong learning. Building on the points made by the TUC in its submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review, the General Council called for the further and higher education sectors to be put on a stable financial footing, an expansion of the Modern Apprenticeship programme, and long term funding for the sustainable development of the University for Industry, Individual Learning Accounts and careers guidance for adults.
The Government=s responses to the two prominent reviews of higher and further education were published alongside the Green Paper. Earlier in the year the General Council had published its responses to Learning Works, Baroness Kennedy=s review of further education, and Higher Education in the Learning Society, Lord Dearing=s inquiry into higher education. Our responses urged the Government to take action to address the critical issues raised by both inquiries, in particular the emphasis on widening participation, equity, quality and rigour. The response to the Dearing inquiry was in line with composite resolution 13 on higher education. A separate meeting of the education unions in December (see below) discussed TUC action to follow up these reports.
The TUC has continued to press the Government on the need for effective action to meet the skill needs of industry and tackle skills shortages in the economy. It has called for effective measures - both voluntary and statutory - backed by social partnership to deliver the skills that the nation requires to increase the competitiveness of enterprises and enhance the employability and career progression of employees. These issues were highlighted in composite resolutions 8 and 9 passed at the 1997 Congress.
The General Council welcomed the Secretary of State=s initiative in establishing a Skills Task Force to >develop a national skills agenda which will ensure that Britain has the skills needed to sustain high levels of employment, compete in the global economy and provide opportunities for all=. The General Council is represented on the Task Force by Tony Dubbins, John Edmonds and Ken Jackson. The Deputy General Secretary made a presentation to an open forum meeting of the Task Force, arguing the case for a statutory framework for training as called for in composite resolution 8. In presenting the case, the TUC argued for an individual entitlement to workplace learning, backed by financial incentives, with obligations on employers to train their employees.
The DfEE also set up a Consultative Group on Recruitment Trends to take an overview of the extent and nature of current recruitment difficulties and skills shortages with a view to informing meetings of the Skills Task Force. The TUC is represented on the group by Bert Clough, Economic and Social Affairs Department.
DTI Workforce Development Working Party
The General Council has also put the case for a statutory framework for training to the Department of Trade and Industry through membership of its working party on workforce development. John Edmonds, Jeannie Drake, Tony Dubbins and the Deputy General Secretary represented the General Council on the working party. The working party, chaired by the Minister of State, Ian McCartney, was one of a number of committees set up to advise the President of the Board of Trade on the Competitiveness White Paper (see chapter 4). The TUC submitted papers proposing interventions to increase employer commitment to develop the workforce and meet sectoral skill needs.
National Training Organisations
A new network of National Training Organisations (NTOs) was introduced during the year to strengthen the sectoral dimension in identifying and meeting skill needs. Their responsibilities include promoting occupational standards such as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), Modern Apprenticeships, New Deal and the Investors in People Standard. The DfEE has set up a Recognition Panel to vet all submissions for NTO status and Ms Drake represents the General Council on the panel. Over 60 have now been recognised and the TUC is encouraging unions to be represented on their boards. The TUC is establishing a network of union representatives on NTOs, with the assistance of the National Council for NTOs and the DfEE.
National Vocational Qualifications
Developing and monitoring occupational standards and vocational qualifications, including NVQs, are the responsibility of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority(QCA), which has replaced the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ). The new body which came into being on 1 October 1997 has a very wide remit. It advises the Government on and reviews the curriculum, assessment and qualifications in schools, colleges and the workplace.
The TUC has continued the close working relationship it had with NCVQ with the new authority, particularly in relation to vocational and occupational standards. The TUC continues to press for representation on the Authority itself. The TUC is represented by Mr Clough on the QCA=s Advisory Committee on Vocational Qualifications and Occupational Standards.
There is now recognition that NVQs need to be promoted more effectively if they are to lead to greater penetration in certain sectors and be available to many more employees. The TUC is working with the DfEE to devise a more effective strategy. The TUC Bargaining for Skills projects are doing much to increase the awareness of union members to the benefits of NVQs and assisting union representatives to negotiate training leading to the qualifications. Union representatives are also taking TUC education courses which qualify them as NVQ assessors in order to advise their members through the assessment process.
The key to good training provision is effective quality assurance. That is why the Secretary of State has established a Training Standards Council to advise him and the TEC National Council on the quality of training in England offered by training providers and supported by public funding.
The task of the Council will be to oversee the development and implementation of a quality assurance framework for training providers, embracing self assessment and external inspection. The Council=s inspectorate will prepare assessment reports and advise on necessary action. Good working relations have been established with the TUC. The TUC is represented by Martin Bamford, formerly a national training officer at the TUC=s National Education Centre.
An important way of raising and maintaining skill levels is benchmarking them against occupational standards and good practice. This can be done through skills competitions. UK Skills plays an important role in this work and the Deputy General Secretary represents the TUC on its board. The TUC has produced a joint leaflet with UK Skills to stimulate trade union support and involvement in such competitions.
Another method of recognising good practice in training is through national training awards. The TUC is represented by Mr Clough on the National Training Awards Judging Panel.
7.5 Training and Enterprise Councils
Much of the work on developing union capacity in workplace learning has been done in partnership with Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs).
All TECs have now agreed in principle to have a union director on their boards. Out of the 78 TECs, 72 have a union director with the rest in the process of making appointments. The TUC continues to provide materials for directors and to hold an annual two day meeting for them. Among the issues discussed at this year=s meeting was the Government=s TEC Review, the role of Regional Development Agencies, the University for Industry and Individual Learning Accounts. Representatives from the DfEE, DTI, TEC National Council and a Regional Government Office made presentations to the meeting.
The TUC has established a Union TEC Directors= Liaison Group, representative of regions and unions. The role of the group is to influence the DfEE on TEC policy. A meeting was held between the group and the Minister responsible for TEC policy, Kim Howells. The main issue discussed was the future of TECs.
The TUC has also influenced Government and TEC National Council policy through its representation by the Deputy General Secretary on the TEC Assessors Panel.
The Secretary of State announced plans in May for a review of TECs. The review will be about their future role and not about their replacement by other bodies. It will include the remit of TECs, funding arrangements, irregular payments and fraudulent claims against TECs, and local accountability.
The TUC has welcomed the review and the DfEE is fully involving the TUC in the process. A meeting was held in June between the TUC, led by the Deputy General Secretary, and Kim Howells and Barbara Roche, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the DTI. The meeting had a preliminary discussion of the review as well as the future relationship between TECs and RDAs. A consultative paper will be published in July and the TUC will consult unions and union TEC directors before submitting comments to the DfEE. Following the review, strategic guidance for TECs is to be published in November.
The TUC continues to work in partnership with the TEC National Council as a result of the National Accord agreed with the Council in 1996. A joint guide Working together for Lifelong Learning was launched at a reception in Congress House in April by the General Secretary and Andrew Smith, Minister of State, DfEE.
The guide outlines the positive outcomes of unions and TUC regions working in partnership with TECs through TUC Bargaining for Skills projects as a result of a national evaluation. The projects help to increase union capacity in promoting, negotiating and delivering lifelong learning at the workplace. They are now established in every TUC region and include three quarters of TECs. The guide also makes proposals for supporting and developing union partnerships with TECs. The Economic and Social Affairs Department continues to support the project workers through materials and briefings.
The TUC holds regular discussions with the TEC National Council on policy issues of mutual interest and union TEC directors and TUC officials are members of committees of the Council. The General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary made key speeches at this year=s TEC National Conference.
7.6 National Targets for Education and Training
The General Council have continued to support the National Targets for Education and Training and have widely promoted the targets in the TUC=s work on education and training. The targets are a set of challenging goals for raising Britain=s skills levels into the next century. The General Secretary is a member of the National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets (NACETT) and has played a key role in advising the Council and the Government on the future of the National Targets.
Throughout the past year we have continued to argue that partnerships between unions, employers and providers are essential in the drive to meet the targets. Skills for 2000. Action to Raise Skills Levels, published by NACETT in December 1997, outlined the TUC=s action plan for contributing to progress towards the National Targets.
A wide-ranging review of the targets was launched in January 1998 with publication of the Government=s consultation paper, Targets for Our Future. The review was prompted by the Government=s wish to ensure that the targets focused on the areas of education and training that were critical to the success of the UK economy and reflected the new administration=s aim of widening access to learning. There were also concerns that the existing set of targets were complicated, lacked ownership and were difficult to measure.
New targets which promoted higher skill levels and increased participation in education and training were called for by the General Council in its evidence to the Government=s review (see box).
The TUC=s response to the consultation recognised that skills levels had risen in many of the areas covered by the targets but expressed strong concern that skills levels in the UK continued to lag behind similar countries overseas, with progress not fast enough to meet all the existing targets by the year 2000. We also noted that without a major shift in public policy to promote skills, including a new statutory framework for training, new targets were likely to be unachievable. The Government was expected to launch the new National Targets this summer.
7.7 The University for Industry
The TUC has been campaigning for a key role for trade unions in the University for Industry (UfI), the Government=s proposed flagship programme on lifelong learning. Practical proposals for trade union involvement have been drawn up by the TUC Learning Services Task Group and by NIACE, the national organisation for adult learning, through a research project for the TUC and the DfEE (see below).
John Lloyd, National Education and Development Officer, AEEU, was a member of the University for Industry Design and Implementation Group, which offered initial advice on the development of the scheme. Roger Lyons, General Secretary of MSF, has been appointed to the board of the University for Industry, chaired by Lord Sainsbury.
The University for Industry will be a public-private partnership to boost competitiveness and employability. It aims to break down barriers to learning, using new technology to bring cost-effective, accessible and flexible opportunities for learning to businesses and individuals, in the workplace, at home and in the community. The Government=s plans were outlined in the University for Industry Pathfinder Prospectus, published in March 1998.
The General Council=s response to The Learning Age set out a number of recommendations for the successful development of the University for Industry. It argued for guidance services for adults linked to the UfI, a network of high quality learning centres with strong trade union input, and expressed caution about relying too heavily on new technology to deliver learning programmes.
A thousand union representatives took part in activities designed to help them prepare for the University for Industry on Learning at Work Day, during Adult Learners= Week. The activities were run by the TUC Education Service during trade union education courses.
In December, the TUC and the DfEE commissioned NIACE, the national organisation for adult learning, to undertake research into the role of trade unions in the University for Industry.
The researchers interviewed union officers and representatives and visited a number of workplaces and TUC Bargaining for Skills projects to survey trade union activity on education and training and collect examples of good practice which could influence the development of the UfI. A seminar for trade union officers was held in April to discuss the issues emerging from the research.
Partners for Learning. Opportunities for Trade Unions and the University for Industry, the final report of the project, published during national Adult Learners= Week in May, set out a series of principles to underpin the future UfI model. The authors of the report concluded that trade unions could have a key role in stimulating demand among their members for learning, and negotiating with employers for UfI products and services, and time off for study. Recommendations included union-UfI membership schemes, union-employer managed learning centres, and union-led UfI access courses. In May the TUC published guidelines for unions on preparing for the University for Industry.
The research informed the development of proposals on the University for Industry by the TUC Learning Services Task Group (see appendix one) which are the basis for a bid by the TUC for ADAPT funding.
7.8 Individual Learning Accounts
One of the ways the Government wishes to give people more responsibility for their own learning is through the introduction of Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs). The principle behind such accounts is that they are dedicated to saving and borrowing to learn. People who save in their accounts will have full ownership of them and will be able to withdraw their own money at any time and for any purpose. By the year 2000 the Government aims to develop a national framework of accounts. They would be available for everyone to pay for and undertake learning, including that provided through the University for Industry.
The Government is kick starting the process by using ,150 million of TEC funding to open one million accounts. ,150 will be paid into the first million accounts against a contribution of at least ,25 from the account holder. Many accounts will be targeted by TECs on certain groups such as those without qualifications and in low skill jobs. TECs are working with local partners to run development projects for ILAs. TUC regions and trade unions are partners in some of the projects.
The DfEE has involved the TUC in consultations on the development of a national framework. Mr Clough is a member of the Government=s Advisory Group on ILAs. The TUC has published initial guidelines for trade unions on ILAs. The guidelines support the view that individuals should have the opportunity to save and borrow for their own learning, provided that it does not result in a transfer of responsibility for job-specific training from employer to employee. The DfEE prospectus reiterates this principle.
The TUC guidelines also emphasise the need for employers to make a contribution to the accounts and that this could best be done through the collective bargaining process. They also stress the need for the publicly subsidised TEC accounts to be targeted mainly on those with low skills although they warn that many of these low paid people will have difficulty contributing ,25. The guidelines also call for free quality advice and guidance to assist low paid workers to access and use ILAs. Any national system would also have to offer alternative financial arrangements eg credit unions, for those not deemed credit worthy by high street banks. Many of these issues will be tested through the TEC development projects and through ILA projects arising out of the Union Learning Fund.
A number of recent reports have shown that a significant proportion of the adult population has poor literacy or numeracy skills. Research conducted by the Basic Skills Agency in 1997 found that 13 per cent of adults had low literacy levels, with six per cent very poor levels.
Improving basic skills is a key priority in The Learning Age, with the Government setting a target of helping 500,000 adults each year by 2002. Trade unions are expected to play an important part in developing their own provision for members, and in encouraging employers to provide more opportunities for people to improve their basic skills at work. Bill Callaghan, Economic and Social Affairs Department, continues to act as the TUC=s representative on the board of the Basic Skills Agency.
In June the Government established a Working Group on Post-School Basic Skills, chaired by Sir Claus Moser, to advise Ministers on improving basic skills provision for adults and ways of meeting the 500,000 target. The TUC is represented by Ms Perman on the group. The group is expected to report by the end of 1998.
1998-99 has been designated The National Year of Reading. The year is a key strand in the Government=s National Literacy Strategy and aims to engage people in Britain in a celebration of reading as well as helping people improve their levels of literacy. The TUC has warmly welcomed the year as a valuable contribution to the development of lifelong learning. A briefing paper, published in June, advised unions on ways of supporting the year through workplace and union programmes and family literacy strategies.
7.10 Trade unions and adult guidance
Giving people access to lifelong learning depends on helping individuals make informed choices about study and career progression. This requires impartial, confidential and high quality information, advice and guidance. The TUC has been increasingly involved in developing and promoting policies with partner organisations, such as the Careers Services National Association, as well as giving practical support to union representatives who provide basic guidance to their members. An important initiative has been the development of national standards in guidance by the Guidance Council with which the TUC has been working closely.
The TUC established a project with the National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling (NICEC) to develop trade union and adult guidance strategies. The project which was sponsored by the DfEE involved the researching of case studies, a consultation workshop held for union officers and guidance professionals in November, and the publication of a joint TUC/NICEC/DfEE briefing Trade Unions and Lifelong Guidance. The briefing identifies union roles in making guidance services more widely available to their members and provides a model of good practice.
An important outcome of the project was the design of a course module on supporting individual learning, funded by the DfEE, which will equip union representatives to give their members front-line advice and guidance. The course materials have been designed by the TUC Education Service with the support of a guidance professional, with the course being piloted towards the end of the year.
The General Council have continued to support the Investors in People Standard as a useful tool for helping organisations to achieve business goals through the training and development of the workforce. Tony Dubbins represents the TUC on the board of Investors in People UK and the office represents the TUC on Investors in People UK=s Strategic Forum.
Thirty per cent of the workforce are estimated to be in organisations which are either committed to or recognised as Investors in People. The TUC has pushed for trade unions to be at the centre for strategies to achieve the Standard. The updated edition of Learning in the Workplace. A Negotiators= Guide included new information about the Standard to help union representatives work with employers.
Building on partnership projects developed in 1997, the TUC and Investors in People UK have discussed a number of plans for future cooperation on the Standard. Proposals are being explored for improving advisers= and assessors= knowledge of the role trade unions can play in organisations going for the Standard, including improving the content and delivery of training programmes. The TUC will also play a prominent role in the forthcoming review of the Standard.
7.12 European and international policy
The TUC has continued to work with the ETUC and TUAC (the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD) on training policies at European and international levels.
The TUC is now represented on the Monitoring Committees at national level for ESF Objectives 3 and 4 programmes (see Chapter 5). >Objective 3' is the programme that aims to help combat exclusion from the labour force and >Objective 4', which is being applied in the UK for the first time, supports projects that help to facilitate the adaptation of companies and workers to industrial change. The TUC has published a guide to the Objective 4 programme, Helping workers and companies adapt to industrial change. The Objective 4 programme in particular is focused on the key objectives of the Government=s agenda in The Learning Age.
As part of the EU consultation with the ETUC over Structural Funds policy, the TUC held a seminar in November on programmes to assist regions undergoing industrial decline. Regional Affairs Minister Richard Caborn was the keynote speaker. In May the TUC responded to the Commission=s proposals to reform the EU=s structural funds from 1 January 2000, in particular in the light of the proposed enlargement. A preliminary consultation with the DTI took place in February. The response generally welcomed proposals to use the funds to pursue the policies brought forward under the Amsterdam Employment Title. Specific areas of concern were outlined in respect of the impact of the proposals on UK regions, continued support for projects to help workers adapt to change and upskill, the need to strengthen the application of measures to combat racism, and to provide the opportunity for genuine social partner involvement in the programmes.
The TUC is represented by Liz Smith, North West TUC, on the ETUC team of observers at the Leonardo Committee and on the UK National Coordinating Committee. The Committee has considered the future of Leonardo, the European programme which supports innovative transnational actions on vocational training, after the year 2000. The TUC and the ETUC pressed for a strengthened role for the social partners, simplified procedures for project management and accounting, and complementarity with the structural funds.
European Commission Advisory Committee
In the past year the European Commission Advisory Committee on Vocational Training has considered three key areas of work: the second phase of the Leonardo programme, the development of European pathways for workplace training and a report on access to continuing training in the European Union. Tony Dubbins and Rita Donaghy are the TUC=s representatives on the Committee.
Education was a key theme of the UK Presidency of the European Union. The General Secretary spoke at the UK Presidency conference on lifelong learning in Manchester in May. Case studies and workplace visits throughout the conference highlighted the value of social partnership in workplace learning programmes.
The TUC strongly supported TUAC=s statement, prepared for the April 1998 G8 Trade Union Summit, which urged national governments to implement active labour market policies and plans for lifelong learning. The TUC has participated in a number of OECD/TUAC seminars and research projects, including one on learning regions, and another on the transition from school to work.
7.13 Investing in young people
Ensuring that young people have access to high quality education or training in schools, colleges and the workplace has been a long established goal of the trade union movement. The General Council have continued to encourage policy makers to invest more in the skills development of young people so that they are able to make a successful transition from education to work.
The TUC has welcomed the Government=s Investing in Young People Strategy. The aim of the strategy, unveiled in December, is to increase the number of young people achieving level 2 qualifications. It contains ten key measures, including widening the range of vocational options for 14-16 year olds, and introducing a single school leaving date at the end of June. It also developed the New Start strategy to re-engage in learning disaffected young people from 14 upwards, and introduced National Traineeships to complement the existing Modern Apprenticeship route. The office has worked with the Government on its proposals through DfEE working groups and committees.
An important new legal entitlement for young people is a key aspect of the Government=s plans. Investing in Young People will introduce a >right to study= - a legal right for young people to continue study or training after leaving school. The new right will allow all young people aged 16 and 17 who have not achieved level 2 qualifications to take paid time off during their working hours to continue study or training. The legislation, a key part of the Teaching and Higher Education Bill, will amend section 63 of the 1996 Employment Rights Act.
The General Council warmly welcomed a right to study. The TUC had long argued for such a right for young people. The entitlement will affect over 100,000 16 and 17 year olds in employment, but not in education and training. A briefing paper for trade unions, published in January, urged trade unions to play a key role in supporting a right to study through collective agreements with employers and advice for young people. The TUC will work closely with the DfEE and the DTI on implementing the new entitlement.
The Low Pay Commission=s report on the National Minimum Wage (see chapter 2) will have a significant impact on the future training and development of young people. The Commission recommended a Development Rate, supported by structured and accredited training for 18-20 year olds, and for new workers aged 21 or over up to a maximum of six months. The Commission recommended that the Development Rate should ultimately be >solely dedicated to clearly identifiable and accredited training.= Working with employer organisations and the Government, the TUC will help to develop coherent strategies for accredited training to support this proposal.
7.14 Unions and education policy
1997-98 was an important year for reforms of the education service, as the new Government moved to swift implementation of their plans for raising standards in schools. The TUC supported the education unions on sectoral issues where it added value to their work.
An informal meeting with the NUT and NASUWT, chaired by Mr Callaghan, was held immediately after Congress. A more formal meeting of all teacher unions, chaired by the Deputy General Secretary, was held in December. This meeting discussed the follow up to composite resolution 12 on funding, composite 13 on higher education, and resolutions 48 and 51 on class size and footwear. Coordinating union responses to the Government=s proposals for a General Teaching Council and plans for more inter-union cooperation were also explored.
Further assistance was also given to unions representing staff in higher education in coordinating their activities following the Dearing Report.
Other meetings between the office and affiliates have focused on union relations with the new Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the GovernmentÕs plans for lifelong learning, and the NUT and NASUWT=s campaigns on bureaucracy and workload.
Work-related curriculum programmes are now an established feature in schools and colleges and are seen as a valuable way of motivating students, raising levels of achievement and helping to prepare young people for the world of work. The TUC has worked with QCA on a number of projects to improve careers guidance for young people and work-related learning at Key Stage 4.
In November the General Secretary launched A Better Way to Work, an important new resource pack for teachers, at the National Work Experience Conference at Stoke Rochford.
The pack was commissioned by the TUC from SCIP at the Centre for Education and Industry at the University of Warwick. Its development was overseen by a steering group made up of trade union officers. The resource is an active learning pack, written for use with students aged 14-19. It fits with the aims of careers education and guidance and preparation for work experience. It consists of activities and case studies on the role of trade unions, employment rights, and health and safety at work. A separate simulations book containing four longer simulations was published at the same time.
There has been huge demand from schools, colleges and trade unions for A Better Way to Work. Over 1,500 copies have been distributed free to schools. Ten regional workshops with over 200 schools participating have helped teachers learn how to use the materials.
A further project, now underway, will lead to the development of a TUC Education Service course to help trade unionists acquire the skills and experience to work directly with young people in schools and colleges.
The Economic and Social Affairs Department continues to deal with thousands of requests each year from students requesting information about trade unions and the world of work. In addition to written materials, students are directed to biz/ed - Business Education on the Internet - which includes information for students about trade unions and the TUC. Over 3,000 people visit the TUC pages every month. The site can be accessed via the TUC=s own site at http://www.tuc.org.uk.
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