Chapter 9 - Skills and Learning

Chapter 9: Skills and Learning

9.1 Introduction

The past year has seen progress towards recognition by the Government and other major stakeholders of the key role trade unions play in determining and delivering learning and skills policies. This is evidenced by the increasing involvement of representatives of the General Council in bodies, such as the National Skills Task Force. There has also been considerable practical support from the DfEE to promote union-led learning and skills partnerships through the Union Learning Fund and in respect of initiatives such as individual learning accounts and basic skills. The TUC's new Learning Services agenda, as set out by the General Council Task Group, chaired by Jimmy Knapp, is supporting innovations such as 'union learning representatives' and 'collective learning accounts', all aimed at increasing learning opportunities for union members, especially those who have missed out on such opportunities in the past. The General Council continue to involve unions in policy development on skills and learning, through meetings of the National Training Network of union education and training officers , Union TEC Directors and the TUC's RDA Network.

9.2 A strategy for skills

National Skills Task Force

The General Council are represented on the Government's National Skills Task Force by Tony Dubbins, John Edmonds and Sir Ken Jackson. Its first report identified skill shortages and skill gaps and suggested ways in which they could be tackled, highlighting the need for better labour market intelligence. The General Council, on considering the first report, indicated that the major policy issue for the Task Force was how to meet company demand for skilled workers in the short term, at the same time as developing a longer term strategy for raising the skills of the workforce as a whole.The Task Force's second report made proposals on providing a high level of skill for young people as a whole, equipping people with key skills needed for employability, and having better labour market information to help students make informed choices. General Council members of the Task Force had particularly welcomed the proposal that all young people up to the age of 25 should be entitled to publicly-funded education and training up to and including a level 3 qualification The third report will make proposals concerning learning at work for adults. The office, in consultation with the General Council members of the Task Force, has presented a paper to the Task Force, outlining the need for a statutory framework. It set out a range of voluntary and statutory policy interventions, including clear obligations and fiscal incentives to encourage employers to provide vocational training and lifelong opportunities, including the right to paid educational leave, as set out in Resolution 84 of the 1998 Congress.

Young people's right to study

The TUC has briefed unions on the legal right of young people to continue their studies after leaving school. The legal entitlement, which comes into force on 1 September 1999, gives 16-17 year olds the right to paid time off to study for qualifications. The new right will affect an estimated 110,000 16 and 17 year olds in employment, but not qualified to level 2, and studying for such a qualification. The young people will be able to take paid time off to study in a college or away from the workplace. The TUC, whilst supportive of the new right, was critical of the fact thatthere is no legal obligation on the employer to provide time off for study. The enforcement of a young person's right would be through Employment Tribunals, which they may feel reluctant to use. The role of trade unions would thus be important in assisting young people to effect their entitlement and this could become an important element in the TUC's New Unionism work.

Vocational qualifications

The National Skills Task Force have also made recommendations concerning upgrading vocational qualifications and the wider use of key skills within workforce training. The TUC continues to be represented by Bert Clough of the Organisation and Services Department on Vocational and Occupational Standards Committee of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The TUC, through membership of the Committee, has made a full contribution to the Authority's consultative process on both improving the value of NVQs and other vocational qualifications and securing flexibility for adult learners within the national qualifications framework. The TUC and unions continue to assist unions access training for their members leading to vocational qualifications, through Bargaining for Skills and Union Learning Fund projects.

National Training Organisations

The network of National Training Organisations is now almost complete. Their responsibilities include setting and promoting occupational standards, as well as initiatives such as Modern Apprenticeships. Jeannie Drake continues to represent the General Council on the DfEE's Recognition Panel which vets all submissions for NTO status. The TUC has continued to advise and assist individual unions on securing representation on NTO boards.

Training Standards Council

The Council's role is to oversee the development and implementation of a quality assurance framework for training providers, embracing self assessment and external inspection. The Council's inspectorate has already prepared a series of reports, advising on necessary action.The TUC is represented on the Training Standards Council by Linda Kelly, who has replaced Martin Bamford.

National Learning Targets

The General Council supported the new national learning targets which were launched by the Government in October. These are broadly in line with many recommendations made by the General Council, including an extension of the employers' target to small organisations and a learning participation target. There will however need to be additional incentives if all the adult learning targets are to be met by the end of the year 2002. A seminar was co-hosted by the CBI and TUC on 25 May on how to deliver the adult learning targets, at which the General Secretary and Director General of the CBI spoke. The General Secretary continues to represent the General Council on the National Council for the Education and Training Targets.

9.3 The learning and skills framework

Government Review of Post 16 Education and Training

The Goverment published it plans in June to restructure post 16 education and training, other than higher education. The White Paper, Learning to Succeed,followed the Government's review of TECs, to which the General Council submitted comments, New TECs : New Partners. The TUC was represented on the DfEE's Consultative Group by Mr Clough. The General Council submitted a paper to the DfEE in the lead up to the White Paper. The document Post 16 Education and Training: Funding and Organisation Arrangements called for a new framework to meet more effectively the needs of individuals and employers, provide entitlements to learning, and secure greater employer commitment to train their workforce through rewards and penalties. The General Council called for a national planning and funding body for post 16 education and training. It recognised however that any new funding arrangements for school sixth forms must not result in a levelling down of provision and that there needed to be full consultation with the teacher unions. The submission also stressed the need for union representation on any new bodies, which needed to share responsibility for skills strategies with Regional Development Agencies and National Training Organisations. The TUC met the Minister, George Mudie, to underline these issues.

The General Council, in their preliminary consideration the White Paper, broadly supported the establishment of a National Learning and Skills Council with local councils, responsible for post 16 education and training, on which trade unions would be represented. Concern was however expressed at the assertion in the White Paper that the new councils would give employers unprecedented influence over the education system, even though they would not be in the majority on them. The General Council noted the assurances concerning the funding of school sixth forms and the intention to consult with teacher unions. It also stressed the need for the interests of employees, such as TEC staff, to be protected during the transition period. The new system would be judged on how it widened participation in learning, enhanced quality, and increased both state and employer investment in education and training. It was important that any new system did not create a binary divide between vocational and non vocational education. The General Council will issue a final statement on the White Paper in October, after consulting unions.

Adult Guidance

The National Learning and Skills Council will also have responsibility for the adult guidance service. The DfEE in its consultative paper had proposed local information and advice services, with additional funding. The General Council comments were set out in the submission, A New Framework for Adult Advice and Guidance. It welcomed the proposed local services and the funding commitment. The paper emphasised the need for high priority to be given to advice and guidance for those disadvantaged in the labour market, freely accessible to those with low incomes. The General Council stressedthe need for adult guidance workers to be properly trained and accreditedand noted that union representatives completing TUC courses were now being accredited as front-line advice and guidance workers.

Union TEC Directors

Union TEC directors have been fully consulted during the TEC and Post 16 reviews. Two meetings were held between the Union TEC Directors' Liaison Group, convened by the TUC, and the Minister to discuss a number of policy issues, including the future of TECs. The DfEE also made a presentation on the post 16 review to the annualbriefing meeting of Union TEC Directors in June. Other issues discussed were the National Skills Task Force Report, Regional Development Agencies, the University for Industry (UfI), TEC workforce development plans, and the TEC equal opportunities standard. A special meeting of the Union Directors was held in July to discuss the White Paper, particularly its implications for TECs.

Investors in People

Over the past year the TUC has worked with Investors in People UK to develop the standard. A major review of the standard was launched at the start of 1999, with two further reviews, the Strategic Review of Assessment and Recognition and the Review of Practitioner Development. Tony Dubbins represents the General Council on the Investors in People Board and the TUC office is represented on the UK Strategic Forum and the review bodies.

The TUC's work has focussed on building the role of trade unions within strategies adopted by enterprises to become Investors in People. The TUC's Bargaining for Skills projects have been supporting unions in this capacity building. The General Council have supported the view that a partnership approach to achieving the standard is the best way of securing the commitment and involvement of employees and increasing the returns to employers on adopting the standard. The General Council have supported the need for a stronger focus on individuals' training and development needs, particularly that of basic skills, within the standard and for it to become closely linked with lifelong learning initiatives, such as employee development schemes, individual learning accounts and the UfI.

9.4 Learning Services

Learning Services Task Group

At the 1998 Congress, Jimmy Knapp, Chair of the TUC Learning Services Task Group, presented a report that proposed an ambitious and innovative programme of work with the key purpose of building the unique union role on learning. Focusing on the Government's 'Learning Age', the task group proposed measures that, if successful, would maximise the union role in UfI, Individual Learning Accounts and the national basic skills strategy .The report also suggested ways in which unions might work with providers and other partners to widen participation and assist in raising standards by setting up union-friendly gateways to learning, and testing ways of kitemarking quality that assist officers and representatives negotiate learning opportunities with confidence. At the heart of the proposals, was the commitment to set up and support a network of union learning representatives who would support learning at the workplace .

During the last year, in line with Composite 18 of the 1998 Congress, considerable progress has been made in implementing this agenda and integrating it with other initiatives that increase skills and support workforce development . In effect, 'learning services' is now an umbrella for a range of linked activity driven both by the TUC and unions nationally, and by TUC Bargaining for Skills and union-led actions in the regions.

Resources to support the programme have come from a variety of sources, includingpartnerships with TECs (TUC Bargaining for Skills projects), European (Adapt) funding

and the DfEE union Learning Fund.

There has been considerable interest in all this activity, within and outside the trade union movement. For example, a meeting was arranged in June between the Prime Minister's Policy Unit and the TUC to discuss the Learning Service Agenda, which was attended by a wide range of union national education and training officers.

TUC Bargaining for Skills:

These regional TUC/TEC projects are a key part of the regional and local learning infrastructure, with over three quarters of TECs participating. The projects have raised awareness amongst unions about skills and lifelong learning initiatives, and amongst TEC staff about the union role at the workplace and its potential impact on employer- led activity. The projects have supported joint approaches to workforce development by assisting unions to identify learning needs of employers and employees and set up structures with employers to develop and sustain joint activity. They have also helped to ensure union involvement in the introduction of IIP, NVQs, Modern Apprenticeships and other initiatives. Bargaining for Skills has also continued to play a central role in securing union involvement in employee development schemes, ILAs and in building the capacity of representatives to represent and support their members on learning

The Bargaining for Skills projects are now making a significant contribution both to the TUC's Learning Services agenda and to the agenda of the RDAs, particularly their work on regional skills strategies. Their role in ensuring the long term employability of members was recognised in the recent White Paper Learning to Succeed which proposed that Bargaining for Skills activity should be integrated into the Local Learning and Skills Council's action plans.

The Union Learning Fund

The Union Learning Fund (ULF) was announced in the Green Paper, The Learning Age. The intention of the Fund was to promote activity by trade unions which was innovative and supported the Government's objective of a 'learning society'. £2million was allocated for the financial year 1998/99 and the Secretary of State for Education and Employment then allocated £2million for each of the subsequent three years, in recognition of the early successes ofthe first projects. Liz Smith, National Officer, Learning Services, represents the TUC on the DfEE's advisory panel, which assesses the bids. The TUC has facilitated a programme of support for unions running the projects, with the DfEE and the ULF evaluator, York Consultancy. The first six months of ULF funded activity was completed in March 1999 with 45 projects from 21 unions receiving funding of up to £50,000 each. All these projects contributed to the DfEE's objectives of building union capacity and increasing employee involvement in learning.

Union Learning Projects Activity · setting up and extending employee development schemes and other workplace learning initiatives · making skills and qualifications accessible to atypical workers · building employer /union learning partnerships · developing new qualifications with NTOs · raising awareness of learning opportunities within the workforce · set up and train networks of union learning representatives

A further 48 projects have been funded during 1999/2000, some of which build on the work of the first year, and others that test out new and innovative ideas .The experience of unions was disseminated at a very successful conference in June 1999 addressed both by the Secretary of State and the General Secretary.The Secretary of State has increased the money available this year, which will allow some additional bids by specialist unions to be supported, and resources for new projects that address the basic skills needs of members. The TUC has consulted affiliates about the structure and organisation of ULF during the remaining two years of this Parliament, and the results of the consultation will be reflected in the prospectus for 2000-2001 which will be published in the Autumn.

The TUC Learning Services ADAPT Project

The project funded through ESF provides a framework for a wide range of TUC and union action on learning. The aim of the project is to develop trade union capacity to play a key role in UfI and wider workplace learning. The ultimate target group is non-learners in the workplace, with the aim of increasing their participation in learning and skill development. The project is founded on the premise that unions have a unique role to play in supporting and encouraging non-learner participation. Its aim is to assist union representatives to help their members access learning opportunities.Specific initiatives include developing a network of "union learning representatives",and helping union members access individual learning accounts, basic skills and UfI services. The project is supported by a national steering group of unions and other partners. These include the Basic Skills Agency, the national TEC Council, the Campaign for Learning, NIACE, the Employment NTO and the National Open College Network.

Union Learning Representatives

Progress has been made towards setting up and supporting a network of union `learning' representatives during the year. According to York Consultancy, about one thousand representatives or advisers were, or were about to be trained betweenSeptember 1998 and April 1999, as a result of Union Learning Fund activity. Additionally, other representatives received training, often linked to Bargaining for Skills projects. As a result of the mutual trust between representatives and members, the union `learning' representative has a potentially powerful part to play in delivering the union agenda. Whilst there are some differences in the way unions are developing this role (in some cases extending the scope of the current representatives in others, bringing new enthusiasts into union activity), there are many common features.

Functions of the Union Learning Representative · representing and negotiating with employers · promoting and marketing · front-line advice and guidance · supporting learning · working with providers

The aim of the TUC is to provide an inclusive framework linked to the existing tasks of voluntary officers, and is thus setting standards with the Employment NTO. As well as ensuring that effective and relevant training is available, the TUC is developing models for on-going support and backup for representatives including provision of information, links to external organisations and peer group networks. During the next year, data will be collected and analysed to establish up-to-date information on union learning representatives.

9.5 The Union Role in UfI

The TUC and unions are working closely with the developing UfI, in order to ensure that the benefits that result from accessible high quality learning through information communication technologies are available to members, particularly non-traditional learners. The General Council is represented on the UfI Board by Roger Lyons, who was also a member of the Transitional Board. The TUC has had a number of meetings with the UfI Chief Executive and senior management team to plan a wide range of activities.

Union Work with UfI · coordinating a `Trade Union cluster' ,within ADAPT · seeking ways of maximising involvement in 'hubs' and learning centres · negotiating access to UfI services with employers · publishing a guide and case studies on employee development schemes and UfI · joint promotional activities · planning new materials to help representatives support learners · disseminating information about UfI as it becomes available · developing distance learning, based on TUC Learn On-Line · examining ways of linking union and UfI membership schemes

9.6 Individual Learning Acccounts

The TUC and a number of unions have recognised that individual learning accounts (ILAs) can offer union members learning opportunities, not directly related to their job. The TUC is working with TECs and the DfEE to develop strategies on how unions can maximise the impact of ILAs on participation in learning and progress their own learning service agendas. This includes encouraging individuals with few or no qualifications to take them up, supporting them through adult guidance, working with employers to lever in additional funding, and establishing collective funds to fund lifelong learning. The TUC office is represented on the DfEE's External Advisory Group on ILAs by Bert Clough. Unions have been involved in other policy development fora, including a joint TUC/DfEE seminar in July. The key role of trade unions in ILAs was highlighted in the DfEE's progress report which sets out plans for the national framework.

The South West, London and North West Bargaining for Skills projects were involved with TECs in the pilot phase. The North West project, with support from the Union Learning Fund, developed and tested the collective model. With the ending of the TEC pilots, this work is now being sustained through projects in London/South East and the North West, funded directly by the DfEE.

All this activity has so far demonstrated that unions can and do motivate members to learn and that some employers recognise the advantage of workplace learning andwill contribute to joint funds. There are now exemplars of union representatives negotiating learning deals with providers based on economies of scale and collectivefunds underpinning ILAs. The TUC has published a guide on collective learning funds, an outcome of the North West Bargaining for Skills Union Learning Fund ILA project.

9.7 Basic Skills

The TUC has being increasingly involved in basic skills policy. Bill Callaghan has represented the TUC office on the Board of the Basic Skills Agency. The office was also represented on the DfEE's Working Group on Post-School Basic Skills, chaired by Sir Claus Moser, by Sarah Perman of the Economic and Social Affairs Department.The Moser Report found that significant numbers of adults lacked basic skills and recommended a national strategy to tackle these serious deficiencies. The Report identified practical ways in which trade unions could assist in delivering the strategy through its Learning Services Work. Bill Connor represents the General Council on the

Technical Implementation Group established to deliver the strategy.

In conjunction with the Basic Skills Agency, the DfEE (through the Union Learning Fund), the TUC and unions have developed partnership arrangements. These involve equipping union representatives to assist members with basic skills by negotiating learning programmes with employers and providers.They also include

developing union-friendly materials in the basic skills that will associate unions with good quality learning in the minds of members and potential members and testing out models of workplace learning that will widen participation

All this learning service activity is giving unions a pivotal role in the knowledge economy, where continuous skills development and commitment to learning is a pre-requisite of security,employability and prosperity and job satisfaction.

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