working together: nextstep and trade unions · working together: nextstep and trade unions...

Working Together: nextstep and Trade Unions

February 2005Of interest to local Learning and Skills Council, TUC, individual trade union and nextstep colleagues

PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES

The Learning and Skills Council and the TUC workin partnership at a strategic and operational levelto develop where feasible coherent information,advice and guidance systems to meet the needsof individuals in the workplace.

This document seeks to provide guidance tonextstep contractors and their wider deliverynetworks to help them develop joint workingrelationships with trade unions and the TUC,so helping them to increase the benefits ofinformation and advice to employed people in unionised workplaces and support theGovernment’s skills agenda.

The document refers to information, advice and guidance (IAG) partnerships (IAGPs), whichof course operated under previous contractingarrangements. From August 2004 IAG serviceswere re-branded as nextstep.

Local LSC, the TUC and nextstep contractorsshould use the content of this publication toinform the development and agreement of localmemorandum of understanding.

Of interest to local Learning and Skills Council, TUC, individual trade union and nextstep colleagues

This document seeks to provide guidance to nextstep contractors and their widerdelivery networks to help them developjoint working relationships with trade unionsand the TUC, so helping them to increasethe benefits of information and advice toemployed people in unionised workplacesand support the Government’s skills agenda.

The document refers to information,advice and guidance (IAG) partnerships,which operated under previous contractingarrangements. From August 2004 IAGservices were re-branded as nextstep.

The document will be of interest tocolleagues in nextstep delivery networks,trade unions, the TUC, the Learning andSkills Council (LSC) and local LSCs, and the Department for Education and Skills,and should be used to inform thedevelopment and agreement of objectivesand key performance indicators withinnextstep contractor business plans.

February 2005

01Working Together: nextstep and Trade Unions

Summary

Executive Summary

Introduction 1

Purpose 1

Scope 3

Background 4

The context 11

Working with Trade Unions 19

How do we do it? 19

Link up with TUC Learning Services 22

Be proactive in contacting local unions and respond positively to their contacts 31

Understand the trade union and TUC agenda 36

Be aware of the role of and constraints on union learning representatives 48

Focus collaboration on specific activities, and be flexible and imaginative 55

Maintain a communication flow and cultivate relationships 72

Form strategic alliances with the TUC, trade unions and the Learning and Skills Council, and other key players 74

Establish joint working andreferral protocols 75

Where appropriate, use trade unions as a deliverer of services 79

Conclusion 81

Annexes

A:The Trade Union Learning Agenda

B:A Working Protocol for Information,Advice and Guidance Networks and TradeUnions

C: Case Studies

D: Good Practice from Information,Adviceand Guidance Partnerships

E: Useful Contacts

F: Useful Publications

Contentsparagraph


nextstepDelivery Networksand Trade Unions

nextstep networks and trade unions need to work together to support the Government’sSkills Strategy. Collaboration will help tomaximise the benefits of lifelong learning to clients, by enhancing nextstep services to employees in the workplace, and will bemutually beneficial to networks and tradeunions because it will help each to achievetheir delivery and participation targets.

This document is intended to support local nextstep networks in their planningand delivery of IA services, particularly topeople in the workplace, by exploring waysin which to form links with trade unions and the TUC.

The guide sets out the policy context inwhich collaboration between nextstepnetworks and trade unions should beviewed.The contents show that goodpractice is already underway, and offerspointers that could help nextstep networksto understand the issues affecting tradeunions and their members, and providepractical tips on how to get involved withunions and the TUC in operational andstrategic ways.The document draws on a range of research carried out for the TUC and the Learning and Skills Council(LSC) between 2002 and 2004, and oninformation provided by local LSCs and their then information, advice and guidance(IAG) partnerships through quarterly reports on the IAG initiative, 2003–04.

Nine key features were identified in theresearch that can contribute to successfulengagement between IA networks andtrade unions.

• Link up with TUC Learning Services.

• Be proactive in contacting local unionsand respond positively to their contacts.

• Understand the trade union and TUCagenda.

• Be aware of the role of and constraints on union learning representatives.

• Focus collaboration on specific activities,and be flexible and imaginative.

• Maintain a communication flow andcultivate relationships.

• Form strategic alliances with the TUC,trade unions and the LSC, and other key players.

• Establish joint working and referralprotocols.

• Where appropriate, use trade unions as a deliverer of services.

This document relates to IAG activitycarried out by the LSC, including thenextstep IA service, Union Learning Fundand Employer Training Pilots. It also hasrelevance to all other LSC programmes andto the wider Skills Strategy, including theLSC’s strategy to deliver a nationallyrecognised high-quality IA service for adultsas part of the National Policy Framework for Information,Advice and Guidance.

Intended recipients

The document will be of interest tocolleagues in nextstep networks, tradeunions, the TUC, the LSC and local LSCs,and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).


Executive SummaryPHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES

Purpose

1This document is intended to support local nextstep contractors in their planningand delivery of information and advice (IA) services, particularly to people in theworkplace, by exploring ways in which toform links with trade unions and the TUC.

2 nextstep contractors and trade unions need to work together to support theGovernment’s Skills Strategy; collaborationwill help to maximise the benefits of lifelonglearning to clients, by enhancing nextstepservices to employees in the workplace,and will be mutually beneficial to networksand trade unions because it will help each to achieve their delivery and participationtargets.

Scope

3This document relates to information,advice and guidance (IAG) activity carriedout by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC),including the nextstep IA prgramme, theUnion Learning Fund (ULF) and EmployerTraining Pilots (ETPs). It draws on a range of research carried out for the TUC and LSC between 2002 and 2004, and oninformation provided by local LSCs and their then IAG partnerships throughquarterly reports on the IAG initiative in 2003 and 2004.

Background

4 Under sections 5.1(i) and 12.6 of theLearning and Skills Act 2000 the LSCis responsible for securing IA services foradults in relation to learning and work.Until August 2004 this responsibility wasdischarged through the IAG initiative, whoseobjectives included, from 2002, engagementby IAG partnerships with trade unions toextend and improve IAG provision to learnersin the workplace. Since August 2004, theLSC has reformed the provision of IA serviceshaving tendered the management andprocurement of local service delivery andintroducing the national nextstep brand.

5The Skills Strategy, 21st Century Skills:Realising our potential, made severalrecommendations for improving IAGservices and, in response, the LSC developedits vision for coherent IAG services foradults and carried out major reforms to the IAG initiative.A key element of thereformation included a tendering andcontracting process for the procurement and management of the IA service for adults in local LSC areas.

6The LSC vision for IAG aims to improve the participation and achievement of adults in learning and work by ensuring that good-quality IA on skills, training andqualifications is at the heart of everythingthe LSC does.

7 It developed seven key objectives fordelivery of a successful IAG Strategy for Adults. Objective Two is to “develop aflexible IAG infrastructure that meets theneeds of the learning and skills agenda atnational and local level”, and the activitiesdesigned to achieve the objective include:

• defining the role of IAG within workforcedevelopment

• ensuring the objectives of the WorkforceDevelopment Strategy, as it relates toIAG, are implemented, including workwith union learning representatives,ETPs and Sector Skills Councils

• building the capacity of local IA servicesto support workforce development.

8The LSC has identified six national activitiesto be undertaken by IA contractors and theirwider delivery networks to support theseven objectives.Activity Six is “to provide a coherent service for employers andemployees by raising the profile of IAG inthe workplace in partnership with BusinessLink and other employer intermediaries”.

9The guidance to organisations tendering for the procurement and management of IA services expands on this theme. “Manyexisting IAG partnerships had alreadyformed strong links with trade unions.Union learning representatives and learningadvisers are doing valuable work withincompanies to promote lifelong learning to employees.The contractor will need to extend the relationship between theirsubcontractors and trade unions.Thecontractor, or its subcontractors, may alsowant to work in partnership with TUCLearning Services, a local trade union ortrade union learning representatives tosupport applications to the ULF to enhancenextstep services for employees in theworkplace.”

03

Introduction

10The ULF prospectus adds another policyperspective: “Union learning representativeswill be important sources of information to both members and employers about the new entitlement to free learning foradults without the foundation skills foremployability (Level 2), ETPs and the newadult learning grant that will be piloted aspart of the Skills Strategy. DfES, LSC,TUCand IAG partnerships will work together toensure union learning representatives haveaccess to information that will support thisrole.”There is more detailed informationabout the ULF at Annex A.

The context

11 The reason engagement with the tradeunion movement is so important to thesuccess of the IA programme and theachievement of the Skills Strategy lies in the role of trade unions and, in particular,of union learning representatives and TUCLearning Services, in bringing learning to theworkplace and raising awareness, amongstemployers and employees, of the linkbetween learning and the acquisition orrecognition of skills on the one hand andcompetitiveness, good industrial relationsand employability on the other.

12Union learning representatives have beeninstrumental in bringing thousands ofemployed people into learning since 1998(the vast majority of them “non-traditional”learners), for negotiating formal learningagreements with employers, and for bringinglearning and staff development to the top of the bargaining agenda. Furthermore, thepeople they are encouraging to participatein learning include significant proportions of low or unskilled individuals and of peoplehaving problems with reading, writing ornumbers. These individuals form a key targetgroup for the IA programme.

13 Union learning representatives are trainedto provide a basic level of information andadvice to their members consideringlearning, and to identify basic skills needs;however, in general, union learningrepresentatives are not equipped or able to provide in-depth IAG or basic skillssupport and their role when identifyingindividuals with such needs is to broker and refer to appropriate provision. In orderthat they can fulfil this role, it is self-evidentthat they need access to organisations and individuals that provide these services –the IA delivery network.

14The corollary to this is that nextstepnetworks, in delivering challenging targetsrelating to take-up by people yet to achievea Level 2 qualification and in supporting theskills agenda, will need to work hard to reacha major group of clients which, historically,they have not done to any significantextent. However, in workplaces nationwidethere are millions of people who fall into thetarget groups; this is why the LSC has saidthat “There is a strong need for closecollaboration between [networks] and keyintermediaries, including Business Links,trade unions and Sector Skills Councils”.

15 The Government’s national policyframework for IAG, underpinned by theLSC’s strategic planning framework forcoherent IAG services for adults, requiresthat users are entitled to expect the IAGservices they access to be quality-assuredthrough the matrix Standard; that frontlinestaff should be competent to identify users’ needs and refer them to appropriatealternative practitioners or provision; thatstaff delivering the core IA services must be competent to do so; and comprehensivesupporting, enabling and signpostinginformation must be made available.

16 Feedback from trade union centres thathave joined IA networks, and those thathave achieved the matrix Standard, is thatthe quality of the service they now offer ismuch higher, whether directly as a result of improvements in their own delivery, orbecause of access to a much wider range ofreferral options. If the quality requirementsof the national frameworks are to be met,and the front-line advice provided bylearning representatives is to be backed up by ready access to further support forthose who need it, then it is clear why theestablishment of strong and fruitful linksbetween IA networks and trade unions isessential.

17 There is additional background about therole of union learning representatives, thelearning agenda of trade unions and theTUC’s IAG initiative at Annex A.TUC andtrade union contacts are listed at Annex E,and useful publications at Annex F.

18 Meanwhile, where union or IA engagementhas been successful, the then IAGpartnerships report overall satisfaction and,in many cases, delight, with their workingrelationships with unions, citing as benefitsaccess to employed people and consequentpositive impact on delivery figures (and thisincludes a number of instances where tradeunion centres have become delivery centresfor the IA programme), improved quality ofservice to union members, where the centreconcerned has achieved the matrixStandard, and a greater insight into thetrade union agenda from other partnershipmembers.


How do we do it?

19 In the IAG partnerships (as they wereformerly known) where links with tradeunions are positive and productive, at least one, and often more than one, of thefollowing features is present. It is importantto remember, however, that no oneapproach or method that is featured in this document is a guarantee of success if adopted elsewhere.

20 Trade unions are organised and operatedifferently from each other and, in somecases, arrangements within the same unionare different from area to area.The conditionsunder which learning representativesoperate are also radically different, accordingto the size of the workplace, the nature ofthe business, the attitude of the employerand the prevailing business conditions.Of course people are all different and thisapplies to learning representatives, tradeunion officials and TUC officers as much as to anyone else; their priorities, pressures,interests and freedom of movement, alongwith the other issues mentioned, are allfactors that will influence the way people goabout engaging with the union movement,what is achievable and the speed at which it will happen.

21See Annex A for a detailed background noteto TUC and trade union issues and activitiesrelating to learning and IAG.

Link up with TUC Learning Services

22 TUC Learning Services have played a keyrole in facilitating contact between (thethen) IAG partnerships and individual trade unions, and will continue to have that linking role for the foreseeable future.Learning Services are regionally organised,with officers responsible for promoting andmanaging trade union learning policy andactivities based at the TUC’s six regionaloffices. Each has at least one person who is responsible for promoting and developingIAG, although some have more; it may be,however, that IAG is not the only topic intheir portfolio of duties, which you need to bear in mind in your dealings with them.

23Learning Services staff have lists of IAcontractors and LSC contacts in each LSC area that their region covers, and alsocontacts with individual trade union offices,usually education or learning staff, as well as with full-time officials. They will also beaware of most of the unionised workplacesin their area, particularly those where union learning representatives operate,and depending on local circumstances and relationships they may also be aware of when and where training courses forlearning representatives are taking place,a useful awareness-raising opportunitywhich is covered later in this document.Of course, they will be well briefed on IAG, LSC initiatives and a range of otherlearning-related topics.

24The role of the TUC IAG workers is topromote IAG to trade unions and throughthem to employers and union learningrepresentatives in their areas.As part of thisremit, they will seek to identify unionisedworkplaces for which participation in the IA network would be appropriate andencourage engagement by the union(s)involved.Typically, the catalyst for suchparticipation has been an on-site or near-site workplace learning centre that has beenestablished through collaboration betweenunion and employer; unions are encouragedto have the centre accredited for the matrixStandard, and TUC brokerage has helpedbring the centre and the IA networktogether.

25 There are other examples. The ULF, forinstance, has been the start of a number ofjoint union and IAG partnership initiatives,including membership of ULF projectsteering groups by IAG representatives and the provision by the IAG partnership of drop-in, on-site IA sessions for workersand laptop and IAG software for unionlearning representatives.

26 The prospectus for the ULF includes as aspecific key theme “Improving access tolearning through high-quality IAG”.Theprospectus says that “ULF projects will wantto demonstrate how they will assure qualitydevelopment of their IAG provision”, and so “particular attention should be given tomaking strong links with IAG partnershipsso that union learning representatives canassist individuals in accessing professionaladvice and guidance in the workplace”.Withthis kind of encouragement, IA contractorsshould be pushing at an open door.

05

Working with Trade Unions

27 Conferences and other events organised bythe TUC have also played an important partin stimulating union and IAG partnershipcollaboration, with partnerships givingpresentations, running workshops and so on; there are examples of reciprocalarrangements, where the IAG partnership(or a regional grouping of IAG partnerships)has organised an IAG event and worked withthe TUC to involve union representatives as participants and workshop presenters.

28For those starting out on the road tocollaboration with trade unions,TUC LearningServices is an ideal point to begin. However,it is important to remember that contactingthe TUC cannot, on its own, bring automaticaccess to a particular trade union or unionisedworkplace; the TUC is not a union “headoffice” or overall command body for theunion movement. It cannot require individualtrade unions to do its bidding, nor can itdemand access to a unionised workplace.It is a facilitating organisation which will try to broker contacts, raise awareness ofparticular issues and promote IAG, in thecontext of learning, to its affiliates, but itmust always act with the consent of theindividual union(s) concerned, in the contextof any protocols or agreements in place,be they inter-union or with employers, andwith other circumstances very much in mind(for example, ongoing industrial relationsissues, inter-union tensions, businessconditions, and so on).

29Another important factor to bear in mind is that many TUC staff are not permanentemployees of the organisation – their postsare often financed through specific, oftenquite short-term contracts, including fromthe LSC, Social Regeneration Budget (SRB),Equal, European Social Fund (ESF) and soon, which are accompanied by specific andstretching achievement targets.You need tobe aware that their priorities will be dictatedin part by this and by the wider aims of theTUC learning agenda (see Annex A).

30 It should be noted that a survey of IAGpartnerships in 2002, Trade Unions and IAGPartnerships (Merlin Minds for TUC LearningServices, February 2002), revealed a measureof disappointment on the part of some that contacts they had initiated with TUCLearning Services had not been followed upor returned.A key factor here is that at thetime not every regional Learning Serviceshad put in place a worker with IAGresponsibility. In practice, now that thenetwork of regional IAG workers is in place,partnerships are most likely to have beencontacted by them, and the same will applyin respect of IA contractors from August2004.

Be proactive in contacting localunions and respond positivelyto their contacts

31 It is, of course, inappropriate to contactunion representatives directly through theirworkplace, but if you have a union regionaloffice or education centre in your area it isquite legitimate to get in touch with themdirect.Your contacts with the TUC shouldhelp to identify potential organisationslocally, and to facilitate an initial meeting.This could lead to introductions to locallearning representatives and thereafter to the start of IA delivery in workplaces.

32 Another possible method of initiatingcontact is, having identified the players inyour area, to add them to the mailing list for your network newsletter. This provedsuccessful in one area, where the learningcentre manager at a regional union officegot in touch with the network manager afterseeing their newsletter, joined up and wentthrough the matrix Standard journey.

33 As mentioned in the previous section, if your delivery network is organising an IAevent, invitations to local unions could leadto useful contacts and ultimately full-scalecollaboration.

34 A common way of promoting awareness of IA delivery networks direct to unionlearning representatives is through givingpresentations about the network and its work to participants on the Front Line Advice and Guidance (FLAG) course.Previous partnerships up and down thecountry have been involved in this kind ofactivity and have made useful contacts withtrade unions and individual representativesas a result, as well as succeeding in gettingthemselves and their activities known.

35 In order to get an invitation to present toFLAG courses you need to have good andongoing contacts with individual unions.There is a section on this later.

Understand the trade union and TUC agenda

36 Annex A gives detailed information aboutthe TUC’s agenda for learning and IAG;trade union representatives, particularlythose in the education arms of unions and,increasingly, union learning representatives,are becoming more aware of IAG, throughthe efforts of the TUC and others, supportedby the activities described in Annex A.

37Integrating IAG into learning strategiescontinues to be a key TUC theme, and aimsto build the capacity of unions to delivergood-quality IAG in the workplace.

38 However, while IAG is very much part of the scene in trade union learning-relatedactivities, there are a number of points that must be borne in mind.


Traditional suspicion ofmanagement-imposed training

39 Traditionally, employees have viewed withsuspicion learning or training programmesintroduced arbitrarily by the employer. Thishas often been because training was linkedto job cuts following rationalisation or theintroduction of new processes, or offered as part of a redundancy package.Things are beginning to change, but some of thosedeep-seated suspicions remain.

40 One of the reasons union learningrepresentative activity and trade-union-promoted learning has taken off sopowerfully in the past few years is thatunion learning representatives have thetrust of their members; where learningrepresentatives encourage individualmembers to engage in personaldevelopment, and where vocational, job-related training has been jointly promotedby unions and managers, workers’ fears areallayed, and they are much more likely totake up the opportunity.

41 This is why, in seeking to operate inworkplaces, IA delivery networks shouldensure they work with unions as well asmanagers.

Suspicion of “professionals”usurping the position of unionlearning representatives

42 Research into the trade union matrixStandard experience found that unions thatwent through the process, and who linkedup with the then local IAG partnerships aspart of it, report some initial scepticism ontheir part. The perception was that workingwith the partnership, “the professionals”,called into question the qualities and abilitiesof the union learning representatives, andthe extent to which their activities could be described as guidance. In engaging withtrade unions you will need to placate thisopinion, and to explain the complementaryroles of representatives and deliverynetworks; the solid support provided by theprevious partnerships to the unions in theresearch helped to break down barriersrelating to this perception.This is a pointthat must be borne very much in mind as you seek to engage trade unions, andencourage them to work more closely with your delivery network.

Wider strategy for learning

43 Information and advice, whether providedby learning representatives or brokered for their members with outside providers,is just one tool in the union learningrepresentative’s toolkit, and is provided notfor its own sake, but in the context of amuch wider aim: to encourage members toimprove their employability skills, engage in broader personal development and toparticipate in formal workplace learning to acquire or improve vocational skills.

44 In engaging with unions you need to havethis very much in mind.

45 Recent research for the TUC, Trade Unionsand IAG Partnerships: Bringing IAG to theworkplace (Merlin Minds for TUC LearningServices, July 2004), found that for someunion learning representatives the messagespromoted by the previous IAG partnerships,for example at promotional talks atconferences or FLAG courses to tradeunionists, lacked relevance or went overtheir heads.You will need to make sure yourmessage contains a direct resonance withthe interests and issues pertaining to tradeunionists and the wider context of workplacelearning. Once you have got union learningrepresentatives engaged, you will need tomaintain their interest and commitment;make sure that network meetings and othergatherings continue to address the issues ofrelevance and that they are pitched in termsand tones that appeal and make sense torepresentatives.

46 Other representatives referred topresentations by IAG partnerships in which unions were seen as simply a meansto help IAG partnerships meet deliverytargets or an access route to employers.If you take this approach, you will not doyourself any favours.

47 Union learning representatives will want toensure that whatever offer you are makingin relation to IA, the end result will bequality provision for their members, tailoredto individual needs.They will not beinterested in production-line, “one size fitsall” support, so you will need to reassurethem that what they will get will enhancetheir input and be of benefit to their members.



Be aware of the role of andconstraints on union learningrepresentatives

48 There are now over 6,500 union learningrepresentatives and the target is to have22,000 trained learning representatives by 2010.

49 The tasks of the union learningrepresentative are defined as:

• generating demand for learning amongstmembers

• giving advice and information to membersabout learning

• identifying the learning needs ofindividual members

• representing members on problems withlearning

• negotiating agreements that incorporatelearning

• setting up and contributing to jointtraining and learning committees

• working with employers to introduce,implement and monitor initiatives thatcan have benefits for members

• arguing for and taking joint ownership ofemployee development schemes, whichmay be based on workplace learning centres

• liaising with Training and EnterpriseCouncils (now local LSCs), colleges andother organisations to secure resourcesand support for workplace learning.

50 The most important thing to bear in mindwhen dealing with learning representativesis that they are volunteers. These peoplehave full-time jobs at their place of work,and they carry out their role as learningrepresentatives, encouraging their membersto take up and complete learning, and toprogress to further learning, in the contextof shift and production imperatives, with the permission of their employer and oftenin their own time.While the EmploymentAct recognises the status of union learningrepresentatives and requires that employersallow them reasonable time to carry outtheir duties, many learning representativesoperate under difficult conditions.

51 It is for this reason that it is not appropriate,unless expressly agreed, to contact learningrepresentatives in the workplace. Peoplecannot simply be withdrawn from theproduction line or taken away from theirjobs to take a telephone call at the drop of a hat; they may also find it difficult to get time off to attend meetings and trainingsessions, either because of work requirementsor because of objections from the employer,who is paying their wages, or both.

52You can find out more about the role of the union learning representative from a DVD, The Role of the Union LearningRepresentative: A partnership in lifelonglearning (TUC and LSC, 2004), whichis available from local LSCs.

53 IA offered by union learning representativesis very much front-line provision, often donein difficult circumstances and with limitedresources; it is nonetheless an importantfeature of the support they offer and, as wehave seen above, they may be resentful of“professionals” implying that they are notdoing a good job.

54 Trade unions are upbeat in general abouttheir membership of and involvement withIA delivery networks, citing in particularimproved access to a broader range ofinformation, time-saving on research onbehalf of members and improved quality of service generally.

Focus collaboration on specific activities, and beflexible and imaginative

55As the case studies show, previous IAGpartnerships that have successfully engagedwith trade unions have been able to do sobecause the collaboration focused on aparticular activity.

The matrix Standard56 As we have seen above, the matrixStandard has offered a platform for jointworking for a significant number of previousIAG partnerships and trade unions.

57 As part of the TUC’s IAG project, a number of trade unions worked towards and achieved the matrix Standard.The TUC targeted ULF projects that might beappropriate candidates and, workingthrough regional and national TUC LearningServices, identified unionised sites withestablished on-site learning centres,particularly those with TUC learndirecthub status.

58 The sites involved joined their appropriatelocal IAG partnerships (where they were notalready members) and participated in thepartnerships’ matrix support programmes.

59 The initiative was a major success, with all sites successfully achieving the matrixStandard.The accreditation process sawsome very positive outcomes, aside fromthe achievement of the standards. Messagesemanating from unions, which you coulduse as a “selling point” in engaging unions,include the following:

• The process was not as daunting as theyfirst thought.

• By and large, management has beensupportive.

• Unions are committed to deliveringquality for its own sake, because they areproud of what they do, and wantrecognition for it.

09


• You should not tackle the matrixStandard simply to get an award.

• The profile and esteem of the union wereraised with the local IAG partnership andother opportunities providers.

• It is highly beneficial to have a benchmarkagainst which to measure performanceand identify areas for development.

• The matrix Standard is perceived as thekey to future funding and it is thereforeimportant for unions to get involved.

• Where there are local problems withmanagement support, this tends to bebecause of a lack of awareness about theimportance of promoting work-basedlearning at central or national level withinthe union.

60 Further useful lessons arising from thisprocess are that unions found preparationfor assessment and the assessment processitself highly beneficial. The main benefitsinclude, in no particular order, that theprocess:

• encouraged union learning representativesto think carefully about their roles, andthe limitations of their abilities to supportmembers through IAG, and to definemore closely the services provided tomembers

• helped improve systems and procedures,particularly record-keeping and clientfeedback gathering

• gave access to a greater range of learningprovision, particularly where in the pastthe organisation had links to only one ortwo providers

• resulted in union learning representativetime being freed up, through access to a wider range of information that wasmore up to date

• helped draw attention to equalopportunities needs and suggested better ways of meeting those needs

• highlighted areas for improvement,prompting remedial action.

61 External support, from the local partnershipand the matrix advisers, both of which werehighly valued, enabled people to step backand view from the outside perspective whatwas happening (Trade Unions and IAGPartnerships: Bringing IAG to the workplace[TUC, an evaluation by Merlin Minds Ltd,July 2003]).

62The TUC has published a useful casestudy summary (Trade Unions and IAG

Partnerships: Bringing IAG to the workplace[TUC, an evaluation by Merlin Minds Ltd,July 2003[) of some of the trade unions that were first accredited to the matrixStandard and it is planning a second in thenear future.There is also a TUC publication(The matrix Quality Standard [TUC, 2004[)which provides a guide to matrix for tradeunionists, help with preparation forassessment, sample policies and sources of help.The guide will give a useful insightinto the union perspective on the matrixStandard.

The Union Learning Fund63 The ULF has supported a number of projectsthat demonstrate how IAG partnerships andtrade unions can collaborate to bring practicalbenefits to all concerned. For example, somehave included arrangements for an adviserto come to the workplace and provide IAG,by appointment, to those who wanted todiscuss in depth their needs and problems. Inanother instance the IAG partnership madean adviser available to users of a learningcentre on a drop-in basis. In other areas,where the union had already forged linkswith the local IAG network, representativesreferred members out on an individual basis.In yet others, the partnership was invited tooffer drop-in support as part of a learningopen day at the employer’s premises.

64Large numbers of other ULF projects havesecured IAG partnership representation ontheir steering groups.

65There is more about the ULF and its aims atAnnex A.



The Quality Development Fund and other sources of funding66 The Quality Development Fund (QDF),administered by the LSC during the financialyear 2002–03, supported several localprojects that enabled IAG partnerships and trade unions to work together on arange of activities, including furtherprofessional development of union learningrepresentatives, the provision of laptops and IAG software to support union learningrepresentatives, newsletters to promotelearning, provision of information accesspoints, and many more.

67 Further details of the local QDF projectsinvolving IAG partnership and trade unionpartnership work can be found in the localQDF case studies publication DevelopingLocal Information, Advice and GuidanceServices: A report on local QualityDevelopment Fund projects, 2002/03(LSC, September 2003).

68 There are other potential sources of fundingavailable to IAG partnerships, includingLocal Intervention and Development Fund,ESF, SRB,Workforce Development and so on, which have the potential to supportunion and IA collaboration on projects that complement and add value to core IA funding.

Employer Training Pilots69 ETPs offer an excellent opportunity toembed IAG in the workplace, and tradeunions, along with the TUC, are activelyinvolved in identifying unionised companiesas potential participants. The modelemployed in some regions involves the TUCteam and unions identifying potential ETPsites and working with the LSC and on-siteunions to develop learning representativesin the company and put in place access toIAG from union learning representativesand additional support if needed via thelocal IA delivery network.

70 You will need to work closely with the IAGcontract manager at your local LSC, who in turn will need to link up with the ETP orWorkplace Learning Team to establish ameans of establishing a system to embedIAG into ETPs; this point is also relevant tothe section below on strategic partnerships.It is also important to remember that the IA delivery network may not necessarilyneed to be involved in providing all the IAGin a pilot; union learning representatives are there too, and it is really a question ofagreeing the best way to deliver IAG usingthe resources available in any given scenario.

Redundancy 71 While it is right to concentrate onembedding IAG in Workforce Developmentprogrammes, it is also important to respondto redundancies. IA delivery networksaround the country have linked up with arange of local agencies to provide a rapidresponse to redundancy, to help threatenedemployees gain employability skills. Thebest examples of responses to redundancyare where the on-site union(s) have alsobeen part of that team.

Maintain a communicationflow and cultivate relationships

72 It is really only a question of goodnetworking practice, but do make sure thatyour trade union and TUC contacts are onyour mailing list, and are aware of what ishappening on the IAG front in the area.Also,when you are working on a specific projector initiative with a trade union or the TUC,remember to ensure that union learningrepresentatives and employers get the sameinformation; you need to avoid a situationwhere one side knows more than, or hasdifferent information from, the other. Forexample, IAG partnerships and TUC staffinvolved in ETPs found it helped progressthings when everyone, including unions,employers, Business Link and training

providers all systematically received identicalinformation packs and progress reports.Such practices help build trust and fosterpartnership working.

73We have already seen in previous sections,and from the case studies, that there are a variety of ways to engage and work withtrade unions. It is important, even when the union learning representatives you have been talking to have not yet joined the network, or you have not yet begun towork on a particular initiative, that you keepin touch with your contacts. This shouldinclude the FLAG course tutors who havefacilitated your involvement in the FLAGcourse, branch, area or regional officials you may have met or spoken to. It is quitesimple, but does need working at.

Form strategic alliances withthe TUC, trade unions and the Learning and Skills Council,and other key players

74 As we have seen from an earlier section,the best chance of embedding IAG intoworkplace learning is to link up with the keypeople; in some areas of good practice thereare regular meetings at which IA providers,the TUC, trade unions and the LSC shareinformation and work out solutions to localissues, planning strategic approaches thathelp further every party’s agenda. Returningto ETPs, these have shown in some parts of the country that where the LSC,TUC,unions, IA providers, training providers andBusiness Link share contact information,jointly plan recruitment strategies andregularly update on progress, the pilots work well. The same principle applies to anysuch multi-partner initiative. If this is nothappening in your area, don’t wait to beasked – why not make the first move towardsetting up such an alliance? If one exists but you are not part of it, talk to the IAGcontract manager at the local LSC about it, and get involved.

11

Establish joint working and referral protocols

75There are plenty of examples of the protocolapproach around the country. Quite simply,they detail the roles and responsibilities ofeach party to the agreement in relation tothe range of activities the IA delivery networkand the trade union or TUC are engaged in.They commonly include, for example, thespecific actions the parties are responsiblefor carrying out under headings such ascommunication, referral, attendance atmeetings, training and so on.

76 Protocols simply embed good practice and make clear exactly who is supposed to do what, leading to productivecollaboration. In negotiating such anagreement, each party will get a furtherinsight into the other’s priorities andstrategies.

77 Remember to include provision for a reviewand update, to take account of changingcircumstances and emerging policies orstrategies that could impact on your workingtogether. Clearly, the initiatives referred to in earlier sections lend themselves ideally to incorporation into a working protocol.

78 There is a model protocol at Annex B.

Where appropriate, use tradeunions as a deliverer of services

79 A number of the recently reconstitutedIAG partnerships have negotiated deliverycontracts with trade unions and/or the TUC.This is a highly effective way of supportingthe skills agenda, reaching people in theworkplace, using available resources effectivelyand contributing to the achievement oftargets. The commonest delivery method is through on- or near-site learning centres,but the examples within this publicationalso mention peripatetic or outreach servicedelivery to unionised workplaces.

80 Of course, trade unions as IA providers will be no different from others; they willneed to meet the criteria for subcontractingthat your network has developed through its procurement policy, and will includematrix Standard accreditation, minimuminformation resources and appropriatelyqualified staff.

81 This guide to working together has beencompiled from good practice researched for the LSC and TUC and in consultationwith those organisations. It is intended tohelp IA delivery networks plan for workingwith trade unions and is one of a series of practical guides to support continuousimprovement and development.

82 Further information on IAG matters relatedto the trade union movement can beobtained by contacting local LSCs or byreferring to the list of contacts at Annex E.

13

Conclusion

Annex A:The Trade Union Learning Agenda1Education, training and lifelong learninghave always been on the trade union agenda,and most unions and the TUC have theirown educational centres and/or educationstaff. Traditionally, training has centred onthe skills that trade union officials andrepresentatives needed to perform theirunion duties, such as negotiating, health andsafety, and so on.Workplace training, too,has long been a key union issue, particularlyin relation to safety, but also specific job-related and technical training.

2 During the 1980s, the political and industrialcircumstances prevailing (major shake-outsof labour in traditional industries (andtraditional recruiting grounds for trade unions),new sunrise industry (small numbers ofemployees, no union organisation) and anti-union legislation) caused the movement tosearch for a new identity and image – ofresponsibility, positive engagement, andrelevance to a new generation of potentialmembers. In this context the TUC reviewedits priorities with unions and identified fourkey areas for services and action – the newunionism: pensions, equal rights, health andsafety, and vocational training.

3Joint Action on Training was placed at thetop of the TUC’s agenda in 1989, whenCongress received a report – Skills 2000 –which identified the urgent need forinvestment in training if Britain was tocompete effectively with other industrialeconomies. Bargaining for Skills (BfS)was launched in November 1994, to helpimplement TUC policy on training. BfShas since become TUC Learning Services,and offers a direct service to trade unions to help raise the profile of training andincrease joint action on learning. It isregionally run and is based at TUC regionaloffices.

4BfS produced a large number of publicationsand practical tools to assist unionrepresentatives in getting training onto the bargaining agenda with employers. Theseminal Training for Change was published in 1995, and was designed to help raise theprofile of training with representatives andofficials. Learning in the Workplace followedin 1997 (revised 1998): this is a handbookdetailing the range of (then) governmentprogrammes and initiatives and providingbargaining checklists for unionrepresentatives to use with employers.

5Perhaps the most far-sighted development,however, was the notion of a union learningrepresentative, whose role in promoting and facilitating learning amongst members,and in bargaining for training and promotingjoint action with employers, would roughlyparallel that of the safety or pay andconditions representative. Until April 2003union learning representatives operated onthe basis of goodwill between union andemployer (and sometimes without theblessing of the employer, namely refusal togrant paid time off for attendance at coursesand so on). However, the Employment Act2002, whose provisions relating to thestatus of union learning representativescame into force in 2003, brought into linethe rights of union learning representativeswith those of shop stewards and safetyrepresentatives, that is, they now havestatutory facility time to do their unionlearning representative work, includingundertaking training for the role.

6 Until the election of 1997, however, thenumber of union learning representativeswas tiny and relatively insignificant, andalthough BfS had made considerable progressin promoting trade union involvement in training, its influence was patchy and“non-mainstream”.

7 With the election of the new Government in 1997 the role and influence of tradeunions in learning increased exponentially.The TUC Learning Services Committeepublished in 1998 Union Gateways toLearning, which endorsed many governmentinitiatives on lifelong learning and set out a strategy for union involvement in creatinga learning society.Trade union representationon a number of key Department forEducation and Employment (DfEE)committees ensured the movement’s voicewould be heard.A number of individualunions produced their own strategies forlifelong learning in the years following the1997 election, which have been adopted asmainstream issues. Learning has well andtruly arrived within the command structureof the union movement.

8Most influential in turning policy intopractice, and initiating widespread changesin rank and file attitudes to learning andincreases in participation, has been theUnion Learning Fund (ULF). Set up in 1998,the ULF was administered by the DfEE andthen the Department for Education andSkills (DfES) until March 2003, whenresponsibility for it was transferred to theLSC; it aims to promote activity by tradeunions which is innovative and which supportsthe Government’s objective of creating alearning society.The ULF is designed to helptrade unions to do innovative work that willhelp to promote, provide and embed lifelonglearning in the workplace.

9 The ULF has been responsible for anexplosion of activity by trade unions topromote and embed learning. It has madepossible the recruitment of hundreds ofindividuals as learning representatives,and the participation by thousands inlearning. It has created dozens ofpartnership approaches with employersnation-wide, and been responsible for the

15

take-up of thousands of individual learningaccounts (ILAs). It has helped increaseawareness of basic and key skills needs,and the establishment of a growing numberof Collective Learning Funds.The ULF hashelped finance a number of leading edgedevelopments related to learning, key andbasic skills and the like.The ULF has helpedto raise the profile of learning amongstunion members as the route to jobsatisfaction, security and employability.

10 The TUC, in association with the NationalInstitute for Careers Education andCounselling, the Careers Research AdvisoryCentre and the then DfEE, produced abriefing for union representatives – TradeUnions and Lifelong Guidance – explainingwhy guidance was important and howunions could play a part. It did not advocateunion representatives delivering guidance asa matter of course, although it did open thedoor for some “on the basis of suitability,interest and willingness to volunteer andundertake the necessary training”.

11 BfS developed in 1998 the Front Line Adviceand Guidance (FLAG) course for unionlearning representatives; with the vastincrease in numbers of individuals comingforward to take on the union learningrepresentative role, courses are being runalmost continually. The effect has been toraise awareness of what guidance is and howit works in the context of learning, amongstthis cohort, and through their influence,to the grassroots. However, the course does not claim to equip representatives to provide guidance, rather it suggests ways in which they can identify the need for guidance and help their members toaccess services from professionals.VariousTUC publications describe the learningrepresentative’s role in relation to guidance asone of brokerage and referral, and emphasisethe importance of guidance being deliveredby appropriately qualified people.

12The TUC reviewed the FLAG course in2002, and introduced additional specialistmodules, which include basic and key skills,IAG, mentoring, community group working,and so on.A positive result of this reworkedcourse, linked to the awareness-raising ofthe DfES- or LSC-funded projects, is that inmany cases the local IAG coordinator isroutinely invited to address course membersand provide contact information. In additionthe TUC is encouraging union learningrepresentatives to consider qualifying asNVQ and key skills assessors.

13 Many early ULF projects includedcomponents that refer to the developmentof provision of advice and guidance tolearners, but, in reality, the bulk of themhave delivered only awareness-raising andthe provision of information, while a fewtake the service as far as advice.

14 The ULF is now in its seventh year and theprospectus has identified seven key themesfor development, including “Improvingaccess to learning through high qualityinformation, advice and guidance”.

The Union Learning Fund

The aims of the Union Learning Fund15 The ULF promotes activity by trade unionsin support of the Government’s objective of creating a learning society.

16 It aims to strengthen the role and importanceof learning within the workplace and in sodoing to drive up the demand for learning.

17 The ULF has a key role to play in helping the LSC meet its targets for improving adult basic skills and increasing the numberof adults achieving qualifications at Levels 2and 3. It also contributes to widened adultparticipation in learning and drives upemployer engagement in workforcedevelopment.

18The fund aims to:

• increase the capacity of trade unionsto promote learning and be learningorganisations.This is not only aboutproducing new facilities and materials,but also about developing a systematic,longer-term approach to promotinglearning within trade unions. Suchdevelopments will enable unions torecruit, retain and involve members more effectively

• promote, encourage and support thedevelopment and capacity of unionlearning representatives, particularly inthe light of the new statutory rights forunion learning representatives and targetfor a network of 22,000 by 2010

• help unions to engage employers in staffdevelopment and more widely in thelifelong learning agenda, by promoting thebenefits of a more motivated and skilledworkforce to increase organisationalperformance and productivity levels

• increase learning opportunities for thewhole workforce, and especially for groupsof employees that may be disadvantagedin accessing learning opportunities,such as part-time workers, shift workers,freelance or contract workers, those with literacy, numeracy or language needs, or those with learning difficulties,disabilities or who may face other kinds of discrimination in the workplace

• provide additional advice, guidance and support for learners

• encourage employers to adopt high-quality accredited training such asModern Apprenticeships and NationalVocational Qualifications

• ensure that projects are sustainable in the long term and that unions workwith partners and make links with othergovernment initiatives (from the UnionLearning Fund Year 7 Prospectus [DfES,TUC, LSC ]).


Contacts

The following people are identified as named contacts with regard to the operation of this protocol:

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Email : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tel : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Email : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tel : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Communication

To ensure all parties are kept up to date withaccurate information:

• the IA delivery network contract managerwill attend TUC meetings andconferences, delivering presentations andliterature when appropriate

• the IA delivery network contract managerand the TUC Learning Services projectworker will meet on a quarterly basis toreview progress

• the TUC Learning Services project workerswill attend IA delivery network meetingsand any other appropriate gatheringswhere possible to disseminate informationon the work of TUC Learning Services.

Working Practice

TUC Learning ServicesIAG literature providing relevantinformation will be included withnewsletters and general mailshots where possible.

The TUC Learning Services project workerswill embed IAG services into the unionlearning representatives’ networks and other interested bodies where appropriateby informing them of the benefits of IAG services both verbally and in writing.

Where a TUC Learning Services projectworker receives an appropriate response,a referral can be made to the IA deliverynetwork contract manager for a further visit. The following information will bepassed on to the IA delivery networkcontract manager:

• contact name and telephone number.


Annex B:A Working Protocol for Information and Advice Delivery Networks and Trade Unions

IA delivery network

The IA delivery network contract managerwill supply the TUC Learning Servicesproject workers with appropriate literature to be left with union learningrepresentatives and other interested bodies.

Feedback on any visits to unions as a result of a referral will be given to the TUC Learning Services project worker.

Literature providing relevant information onTUC Learning Services will be disseminatedat IA delivery network meetings.

A specific section on the IA website will be developed for the “Workplace” and willinclude any relevant information on TUCLearning Services and a link from the IAGwebsite to the TUC Learning Serviceswebsite.

Review

This protocol will be reviewed by bothparties on a quarterly basis, effectivenesswill be evaluated and any necessaryimprovements will be incorporated.

Endorsement

For and on behalf of Anywhere TUC Learning Services

Signed: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Job title: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For and on behalf of Anywhere IA Delivery Network

Signed: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Job title: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

Cumbria

1The learning centres at Furness andWestmorland General Hospitals, run byunion learning representatives with the full backing of managers, are well used for formal training and private study.Social Regeneration Budget (SRB) moneyadministered by the information, advice and guidance (IAG) Lead Body financed the purchase of a computer at each site,and has levered in IAG Quality DevelopmentFund (QDF) money to pay for 16 laptopcomputers, shared equally between the two sites. The origin of this support routelies in a Union Learning Fund (ULF) projectestablished in 2000 in the Morecambe BayHospitals NHS Trust, whose aim was to bringtraining to non-professional support staff in the hospitals involved.The project was led by MSF-Amicus, but involved all thehealth service unions in partnership.

2 A key to success is accessibility, which in the case of Furness and WestmorlandGeneral Hospitals was achieved through the establishment of a learning centre on or near the work site, but the efforts of the ULF project workers in Cumbria wentfurther, by forging strong links to the IAGnetwork, and negotiating drop-in IA sessionson site. This was facilitated by the presenceof the IAG partnership on the project steeringgroup.The two hospitals, represented byunion learning representatives, becameactive and enthusiastic members of the IAG partnership in their own right and have achieved the matrix Standard.

3 A natural development was to make IAavailable to Trust employees when no IAG worker was available, particularly, forexample, at night times or between unsocialshifts, and the provision by the IAGpartnership, from a Quality DevelopmentFund (QDF) project, of laptops for thelearning representatives, equipped withappropriate careers software and otherpackages, was an excellent way forward andrepresents a good example of ULF, QDF

and SRB funding adding value to IAGmoney.The laptops are also used by basicskills tutors who run their courses on-site at the hospital.

4 There have been further recent developmentswith arrangements now in place for theinformation technology (IT) equipment tobe available to support individuals’ privatestudies (for personal and professional oroccupational development), through a loan scheme operated in concert with the libraries at the respective hospitals.All laptops are being fully used for bothpurposes, and represent a major return oninvestment in relation to making learningaccessible to those for whom it wouldotherwise be difficult or impossible, providingawareness of and exposure to IAG to theemployer and employees, upskilling theworkforce and tackling basic skills needs.

5 Furthermore, the support from the IAGpartnership coincides with the advent of theNHS University, and is adding value to theindividual learning accounts (ILAs) that arestill available to NHS employees from thissource, by providing them with the physicalwherewithal to undertake the learning thatthe ILA allows them to purchase.

6 Under the reformed IAG,TUCrepresentatives will sit on the StrategicBoard, cementing the excellent relationshipbetween the IAG network and the tradeunion movement; additional IAG and TUC activities have included a session onworkforce development jointly presented toemployers at an LSC-sponsored event andregular keep-in-touch meetings to shareintelligence and plan further collaboration.

7 Key features include:

• strategic vision

• strong links to TUC

• link-up through ULF project

• coherence in LSC

• on-site delivery of IAG through outreach

• matrix support

• imaginative use of funding streams to add value and complementarity to IAGfunding.

Leicestershire

8 When Employer Training Pilots (ETPs)emerged, the local LSC contracted with the TUC to identify and recruit unionisedcompanies to the scheme, and a seminaldevelopment was for the TUC worker to be physically housed at the local LSCalongside other staff engaged in workforcedevelopment.

9 At first, LSC staff were sceptical about the TUC input and some struggled tounderstand the IAG role in ETPs, but as the TUC worker explained the position,and reiterated the success union learningrepresentatives had had in securingworkforce commitment to learning wheremanagers had not, the LSC team becameless sceptical, so that now there is excellentcoherence in action.

10 In this area there were already strong linksbetween TUC Learning Services and the IAG partnership and it was not difficult to bring them on board in relation to ETPs.Under the arrangements in place, unionlearning representatives broker IAG fromthe network for those of their members whoneed it; the IAG partnership is setting upexit interviews and sessions for early leavers.Training is preceded by an IAG awarenessday where employees hear from learningrepresentatives, the IAG partnership andtraining providers so that they clearlyunderstand the IAG offer and how it canhelp them gain the most from their learning.

11 The benefits of IAG are already apparent –people who have struggled getting back intolearning, or with skills for life or English forspeakers of other languages (ESOL) needs,and people who want a training needsanalysis are benefiting from the provision


Annex C: Case Studies

of IAG as an integral part of the trainingpackage to help them make the most of the development available.

12 A “buddying” system is now at the planningstage, in which IAG partnerships, TUC,and LSC staff will together promote ETPsand recruit companies, providing the totalpackage of support; but the partners in thisarea all agree that the IAG partnership mustbe involved in ETPs right from the start, andit is vital that first of all, the TUC and IAGpartnership must fully understand what theother can bring to the scene and the way inwhich the efforts of each are complementary;and IAG partnerships, local LSCs and theTUC must all make sure that learningrepresentatives are clear about the IAGoffer and how the network can support their input with members.





• embedded IAG

• on-site delivery of IAG through outreach.

Staffordshire

14 The IAG partnership in Staffordshire haslong been proactive in engaging with tradeunions, as indicated in the various initiativesreferred to in the summaries at Annex D.A number of individual trade unions aremembers of the network, and there is aworking protocol in place with the TUC.In addition, the IAG partnership has a seaton the steering group of a local union-runlearning centre, and arranges outreachsessions to enable advisers to be available to workers on-site.As a member of the localRedundancy Task Force, it has contributedsupport to redundees through the provisionof basic skills assessment and further helpwith the acquisition of transferable skillsunderpinned by IAG.

15 The ETP in this area is not based onemployers drawing down funding, rather the issue of a £50 voucher on achievementof a qualification; here LSC staff are wellinformed on the central role of IAG inlearning and the ETP scheme involves the provision of an IAG adviser at everyparticipating employer site.This arrangementcould not have been made without thelearning representatives being fully aware of IAG and how it can complement theirrole, and the scheme includes opportunitiesfor awareness-raising sessions with unionlearning representatives, facilitated by thelocal LSC, IAG partnership and TUC.

16 The manner in which the ETP is marketed is an excellent example of coherence – likeher colleague in Leicestershire, the TUCETP worker is based at the local LSC, whereleads are shared amongst LSC and TUCstaff, to maximise recruitment and deployappropriate expertise; the IAG partnership is involved in the recruitment and planningprocess, which is aided by a strategic groupincluding the local LSC,TUC and IAGpartnership.The next phase will be to arriveat an equivalent arrangement with BusinessLink.

17 One key lesson from this ETP is to ensurethat every player – this includes the localLSC, IAG partnership,TUC, union learningrepresentatives and managers at participatingcompanies, and training providers – sharesall information about the ETP and itspurpose, progress and successes.Another is that LSC staff responsible for workforcedevelopment need to be aware of the role of IAG, and that the IAG partnership mustbe included in the loop from the start.





• information-sharing as the key to collaboration.

Nottinghamshire

19 The Nottinghamshire IAG partnership had made contact with the TUC when the stricture on engaging trade unions firstappeared in the IAG Planning Guidance,but in common with a number of otherpartnerships at the time found that theofficial’s workload was too heavy. Since the TUC’s IAG project, however, contactshave increased and a good relationship is beginning to build with the TUC’s IAGworker, who sits on the partnership steeringgroup and also attends meetings of theBasic Skills Advocacy Group.

20 An early initiative involved the TUC callingregular meetings with local union learningrepresentatives to promote IAG, but theconsensus was that at this stage it was toosoon in the development of the unionlearning representative network and supportinfrastructure. However, a glance at the localQDF manual will show a number of QDFprojects undertaken in Nottinghamshire,expressly designed to bring unions on board,and the benefits of this development workare now percolating through.An importantfactor is the commitment of the LSC IAGcontract manager to this agenda, and thepractical support she has lent.

21For this reason the IAG partnership wasdelighted to be approached by the GPMU,which had set up a learning centre at the local university with ULF money,and supported by the local LSC, whichpurchased a number of laptops for thecentre.The learning centre manager waskeen to embed quality advice, founded on current information, into the learningprovision, and saw the then NationalQuality Standards for Learning and Work(NQSLW) as the best way to do so. Byhappy coincidence he was drawn to the IAGpartnership when he received a copy of theIAG newsletter.

21

22 He approached the IAG partnership, joinedthe network and took advantage of thesupport programme then in place; when thematrix Standard superseded the NQSLW,he switched to matrix and successfullyachieved the matrix Standard.

23 The benefits of membership of the networkto the union include a better range ofreferral options, a broader information baseand access to IAG and learning opportunitiessoftware; the centre has also had supportwith the purchase of personal computers for the learning centre, and has forgedstrong links with other network agencies,particularly the voluntary and communitysector. The matrix Standard has helped raise the status of the union within thepartnership and strengthens funding bids by demonstrating quality; the same factorhelps to legitimise the union in negotiatinglearning provision with employers.

24A spin-off benefit for the wider network, andtherefore to the union, is that the learningcentre has received visits from a number ofnetwork partners, which has helped them toget a better grasp of the trade union agenda.

25 The centre manager is now encouragingindividual union learning representatives to have direct contact with the IAGpartnership, which will help reduce theirdependency on him, and offer them adevelopment opportunity; to support this he has organised a number of strategic daysfor representatives in his union, at whichinitiatives and programmes are introducedand explained, by union as well as LSC andIAG partnership staff.

26 The IAG partnership, supported by the TUC,continues to make contact with otherunions on the patch, with varying degrees of success, but recognises that there is muchstill to do to get the IAG message across to individual union learning representativesand union officials.

27 Their advice is not to try and do too muchtoo quickly, and to keep talking.



• link-up through the matrix Standard

• support from the local LSC

• imaginative use of funding streams to add value and complementarity to IAG funding

• patience and ongoing dialogue.

West Yorkshire (Leeds)

29 As illustrated in the summaries at Annex D,the West Yorkshire IAG partnership is veryactive in pursuing engagement with tradeunions, but this case study precedescoterminosity.

30 Leeds is well placed for contacts with trade unions – it is home to the regionalheadquarters of the TUC,TGWU andGPMU.The Leeds IAG partnership had beeninvited to a range of union events supportedby the Equal project, and was involved in providing IAG in response to majorredundancies, for example, it was called inby USDAW to provide CV support in groupsessions, and by PCS to provide lunchtimedrop-in advice sessions.

31 Unifi, GPMU and TGWU have establishedlearning centres in Leeds and have allcontacted the partnership in relation to joining the network, participating in the matrix Standard support and staffdevelopment programmes and generallygetting involved.

32 So far, the GPMU centre has achieved thematrix Standard and has been contracted by the IAG partnership to deliver advicesessions. Meanwhile the partnership isinvolved in a ULF bid that will supportreferrals by union learning representatives tomore in-depth IAG for those union learnerswho need it, and the TUC will sit on theWest Yorkshire IAG Management Group.

33 The IAG partnership has been pleased tosupport union membership of the networkand to provide services to union members,and where the union learning centre hasachieved the matrix Standard – which hasbeen well worth the effort – can identifyimproved access to information by unionmembers, better networking and improvedreferrals as advantages.

34Key features include:


• involvement through invitation

• matrix support

• contracted delivery of IAG throughlearning centres

• participation in ULF bid.


1There are pockets of very good practice interms of trade union and information, adviceand guidance (IAG) partnership collaboration,and the following summaries, which aredrawn from quarterly reports from IAGpartnerships and local Learning and SkillsCouncils (LSCs) during 2003–04, illustratethe wide range of shapes that joint IAGpartnership and trade union work can take.

Information,Advice andGuidance 2003–04 QuarterOne Progress Report: Learningand Skills Council

2 The IAG partnership in West Yorkshire is running training for union learningrepresentatives and may become involved in a Union Learning Fund (ULF) project. TheStaffordshire IAG partnership has deliveredbriefing for union learning representativeson one of its courses, and attended the TUC regional conference.

3 Discussions are taking place in Kent abouthow the IAG partnership can contribute to union learning representative traininglocally, and a protocol with TUC LearningServices is a possibility. The Employer Liaison Officer in Bournemouth did someIAG awareness-raising at union learningrepresentative network meetings, anddeveloped a union learning representativesignposting pack. Hereford and WorcestershireIAG staff made an IAG presentation tounion learning representatives at a localcompany. In Devon and Cornwall unionlearning representatives attended IAGawareness sessions, and the Somersetpartnership is delivering enhanced services

in the form of a two-day course for unionlearning representatives’ personaldevelopment.

4The Black Country partnership boughtlaptops for union learning representatives,complete with IAG software; these havebeen very popular and representatives arenow delivering IAG in unionised workplaces.The partnership has been invited to TUCLearning Services and Education Servicemeetings to help strengthen links to thetrade union movement.

5 In West of England the partnership and localunion learning representatives are developingIAG services in some companies; inBerkshire the partnership has made linkswith union learning representatives in majorlocal employers.

6 The Gloucestershire partnership issupporting union learning representatives at a learning centre in a major localemployer; Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire andBuckinghamshire IAG partnership staff arefollowing up contacts with union learningrepresentatives and setting up exploratorymeetings in local companies.

7 Cheshire and Warrington have had TUCLearning Services as a delivery partner forsome time, and Greater Merseyside reportsthat it has a service level agreement and isnow working on a delivery contract with theTUC. Under this agreement a union learningrepresentative will be seconded to TUCLearning Services and access nationalvocational qualification (NVQ) training;the partnership will access co-financing toallow the secondee to deliver full guidancein unionised workplaces.

8 In Hampshire a union learningrepresentative has been invited to join themanagement group, and union learningrepresentatives have joined the partnershipsin Lincolnshire, Staffordshire and Essex. InLondon North the partnership has madelinks to TUC Learning Services, includingoffering support with the matrix Standard.Additional links to the Trade Union StudiesDepartment at a local college have ensuredthat IAG promotional and other material isdisseminated by tutors to course members.

Information,Advice andGuidance 2003–04 QuarterTwo Progress Report: Learningand Skills Council

9 A series of learning representative courses in Berkshire has taken place, and links havebeen made with the NHS University andTUC Learning Services representatives.

10 The relationship between Bournemouth,Dorset and Poole IAG partnership and TUCLearning Services continues to flourish, anda joint basic skills, IAG and union learningrepresentative conference is planned.Theemployer liaison officer has continued tooffer specialist training to union learningrepresentatives.

11 Close working relationships between theCheshire and Warrington partnership andthe TUC have been further strengthened by the development of new contracts forperipatetic work with a local employer and with the NHS.

25

Annex D: Good Practice from Information,Advice and Guidance Partnerships

12 IAG awareness sessions in Devon andCornwall are regularly attended by unionlearning representatives from across thesub-region; the Skilled Adviser course has a particular unit that covers information insome depth.A direct working relationshiphas been established with four individualunions, and work continues to improverelationships with another.

13 Discussions are ongoing in Hertfordshireabout the possibility of a company or trade union becoming an IAG deliverer;the partnership has been asked to serve onthe steering group of an inter-union centre.

14 Discussions took place in Kent with the TUCabout making the IAG publicity leafletavailable to all union learning representativesand lifelong learning advisers in the county.

15 The London East IAG partnership is amember of the Growth Through LearningProject, working closely with union learningrepresentatives.

16 The Black Country IAG partnership willprovide IAG to union members at a localtrade union centre, and will offer NVQtraining to union learning representatives.The centre will be seeking accreditation to the matrix Standard too.

17 A protocol has been developed between theStaffordshire partnership and TUC LearningServices; the IAG Employee Developmentsub-group has representatives from a numberof employee intermediary organisations.An additional six trade unions have joinedthe partnership so far this year.

18 Union learning representatives from a major employer in the West of England have approached the IAG partnership forsupport with a Learning Works for All bid,and delivery is expected there soon.

19 A local provider in West Yorkshire has held a training day on IAG for union learningrepresentatives and a further session isplanned for Quarter Three.

Information,Advice andGuidance 2003–04 QuarterThree Progress Report: Learningand Skills Council

20 The Birmingham IAG partnershipcontributed to the TUC Roadshowpromoting lifelong learning in the workplaceand recruiting union learning representativesin the health and local government sectors.

21 Joint initiatives with the TUC inGloucestershire to deliver IAG to prison and local government staff have been highlysuccessful: “The TUC is proving to be themost effective broker of IAG services.”

22 The Staffordshire IAG is supporting tradeunion and employer initiatives, includingone to establish a community learningcentre on an employer’s premises.

23 The IAG team in Lincolnshire attend unionlearning representative lifelong learningcommittee meetings; in this area one tradeunion is already a member of the networkand a second is now interested in joining.Learning representatives in Tees Valleyparticipate in IAG training needs analysisand career healthcheck training, and someunion centres are applying for accreditationto the matrix Standard.

24 The Northamptonshire manager has heldmeetings with the learning representatives’project worker, and in Tees Valley the IAGpartnership is represented on TUC projectgroups.West of England IAG partnership co-ran with the TUC a workshop for learningrepresentatives, and a working protocol isnear to being finalised.

25 In Northumberland there has been jointworking with a trade union learningprogramme in a local employer – training is linked to advice sessions for unsuccessfulapplicants to help them achieve the requiredstandards.

26 In Sussex there was a joint training dayinvolving the IAG partnership, LSCWorkforce Development Team and the TUC to look at how IAG can deliver toemployees. Union learning representativesin West Yorkshire gave a workshop at thesub-regional IAG conference.



TUC Learning ServicesThe Cotton ExchangeSuite 506–510Old Hall StreetLiverpool L3 9UD

Tel: 0151 236 7678Fax: 0151 236 2331

www.learningservices.org.ukemail: [email protected]

Midlands TUC Learning ServicesRegional Coordinator: Mary Alys

24 Livery StreetBirmingham B3 2PA

Tel: 0121 236 3327Fax: 0121 236 7324

email: [email protected]

Northern TUC Learning ServicesRegional Coordinator:Anne Hansen

Transport HouseJohn Dobson StreetNewcastle upon Tyne NE1 8TW

Tel: 0191 232 3175Fax: 0191 232 3190


North West TUC Learning ServicesThe Cotton ExchangeSuite 506–510Old Hall StreetLiverpool L3 9UD

Tel: 0151 236 7678Fax: 0151 236 2331

www.learningservices.org.ukemail: [email protected]

Southern and Eastern TUC Learning ServicesRegional Coordinator: Barry Francis

Congress HouseGreat Russell streetLondon WC1B 3LS

Tel: 020 7467 1251Fax: 020 7637 1823


South West TUC Learning ServicesRegional Coordinator: Helen Cole

Church HouseChurch RoadFiltonBristol

Tel: 0117 947 0521Fax: 0117 947 0523


Yorkshire and Humberside Learning ServicesRegional Coordinator: Marion Simon

Friends Provident Building13/14 South ParadeLeeds LS1 5QS

Tel: 0113 245 4909Fax: 0113 244 1161


ENTOKimberley House47 Vaughan WayLeicester LE1 4SG

Tel: 0116 251 7979Fax: 0116 251 1464

www.ento.co.uk

East Midlands Quality Centre1 Derwent Business CentreClarke StreetDerby DE1 2BU

Tel: 01332 291871Fax: 01332 295736

[email protected]

Learning and Skills CouncilCheylesmore HouseQuinton RoadCoventry CV1 2WT

Tel: 0845 0194170

www.lsc.gov.uk

27

Annex E: Useful Contacts

The Role of the Union LearningRepresentative: A partnership in lifelonglearning (TUC and LSC, 2004) (DVD).

The ABC of IAG: How to deliver top-qualityIAG to learners at work (TUC,April 2003).

The matrix Quality Standard (TUC, 2004).

The Role of Trade Unions in Phase One of the Employer Training Pilots: A qualitativeevaluation (TUC, 2003).

Time off to Train: Union involvement in the Employer Training Pilots (TUC, 2004).

Logging on to Learning: The unioncontribution to learndirect centres in the trade union hub (TUC, 2004).

Union Learning Fund Year 7 Prospectus (DfES,TUC and LSC).

Developing the Employer and Trades UnionAgenda (Research report, LSC, September2003).

Developing Local Information, Advice andGuidance Services: A report on local QualityDevelopment Fund projects, 2002/03(LSC, September 2003).


Annex F: Useful PublicationsPHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES

Further Information Visit the LSC online at www.lsc.gov.uk for up-to-date news on the LSC and education and trainingin England.There’s a lot more here about ourpolicies and activities and you can access onlineversions of LSC publications.

Learning and Skills CouncilNational Office

Cheylesmore HouseQuinton RoadCoventry CV1 2WTT 0845 019 4170F 024 7682 3675www.lsc.gov.uk

©LSC February 2005 Published by the Learning and Skills Council.

Extracts from this publication may be reproduced for non-commercial educational or training purposes, on condition that the source is acknowledged and the findings are not misrepresented.

This publication is available in electronic form on the Learning and Skills Council website:www.lsc.gov.uk

For hard copies of our publications in otherformats and languages, call our publicationenquires: 0870 900 6800

Publication reference: LSC-P-NAT-050008

This publication was produced in partnership with nextstep and the TUC

working together: nextstep and trade unions · working together: nextstep and trade unions...

Documents