Background
The Union Learning Fund (ULF) was set up in 1998 to promote activity by trade unions in support of the government's objective of creating a learning society, by influencing the increase in take-up of learning in the workplace and boosting unions' capacity as learning organisations. The fund was originally administered by a team at the Department for Education and Skills; in April 2003 it became the responsibility of the Learning and Skills Council. 

The ULF has been allocated £39.6m from 2003-2006 to continue its work. To date, the projects have ranged from basic skills to continuing professional development, with funds used to open workplace learning centres, train Union Learning Representatives (ULRs), run courses and help people find learning opportunities to suit them. By its sixth year, the ULF has:

• Supported over 400 projects from 60 different unions working in 3,000 different workplaces
• Covered sectors from Retail to Railways, Construction to Care workers
• Engaged 36,000 learners
• Opened 180 learning centres
• Trained 6,500 ULRs

Support for basic skills
£3 million of the original funding was allocated to supporting projects aimed at improving workers' basic skills, and an extra £6 million has been set aside out of the agreed funding to 2004. During the later rounds, there was a significant increase in the achievements and capacity developed by the basic skills projects. Many projects successfully engaged employers in the issue of addressing basic skills in the workplace: during round 3 almost 4,500 people attended awareness raising events, involving 140 employers. In 2004, the Union Learning Fund has a more specific aim to help the Learning and Skills Council meet its Skills for Life target for improving the literacy and numeracy of adults and increasing the number of adults achieving Levels 2 and 3 qualifications.

A key factor in the development of basic skills in the workplace is the role of ULRs: see below.

How do you access the fund?
Any trade union in England may apply to the fund, whether or not it is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Bids should focus on one or more key themes. This year they are as follows:

• Develop systems to support the training and development of Union Learning Representatives
• Develop Skills for Life strategies
• Work with employers to agree partnership approaches to learning and skills
• Engage learners in quality ICT and e-learning opportunities
• Ensure access to high quality Information, Advice and Guidance for all learners
• Develop approaches to engage potentially disadvantaged groups in the workplace
• Address Continuing Professional Development (CPD) issues

In the context of learning at work, those who would benefit from additional support include rural workers, freelance workers, women part-time and temporary workers, migrant workers and those without a regular base.

For 2005-06 (round 8), the closing date for bids was 1 December 2004. Visit www.unionlearningfund.org.uk to find out more.

The role of union learning representatives (ULRs)
There are over 3,500 ULRs trained to assist their members to access learning and skills in the workplace. Many of them have been trained as a result of projects established by the Union Learning Fund. They have a crucial role in the development of basic skills in the workplace since, as elected representatives, they are in a position of trust that makes them ideally placed to encourage those with basic skills needs to come forward and seek help. 

The Employment Bill introduced by the Government in November 2001 included provision for the role of the ULR to become statutory, giving recognised status similar to that of union health and safety representatives. The TUC has been lobbying for statutory recognition for learning representatives for some time to remove major obstacles to their effective working and boost the numbers trained. Without statutory status, representatives are not entitled to paid time off to carry out their role, and employers, union members and union officials can doubt their legitimacy.    

The Employment Act came into effect in April 2003. The legislation gives ULRs statutory rights in all workplaces in the UK where independent trade unions are recognised by their employer for collective bargaining purposes, including small companies. These rights include reasonable paid time off for carrying out any of the following activities in relation to their union members:

• analysing learning or training needs
• providing information and advice about learning or training matters
• arranging learning or training
• promoting the value of learning or training
• consulting the employer about carrying on any such activities in relation to members of the trade union.

Representatives are also entitled to paid time off to undergo sufficient training to carry out these activities, and other employees are entitled to unpaid time off to access services provided by their ULR. Learning representatives have an initial five-day training course, which covers basic skills. There is also a further training module called Basic Skills and the Union Role.  

Links:

• For more information visit www.unionlearningfund.org.uk or the TUC's website at www.learningservices.org.uk.
• More on the Learning and Skills Council
  

Research

Union strength through the learning agenda
Trade union membership is on the rise in workplaces where unions are promoting learning and training at work, according to a report from the TUC. The Learning and Organising report also shows that unions enjoy a stronger standing in the workplace where they have reacted to the learning needs of the workforce. The perception of the union improves amongst all employees and the union-employer relationship improves in companies where learning reps play a strong role. The key findings of the TUC commissioned research are that:

• 59 per cent of learning reps questioned said that learning had had a positive impact on union membership
• 69 per cent of reps said the perception of the union by both members and non-members had improved
• 74 per cent said union-employer relations had improved

Examples in the report include the creation of an on-site learning centre at the Littlewoods catalogue distribution centre in Lancashire which led to the percentage of Usdaw members amongst the 1,500 strong workforce rising from 54 per cent to 99 per cent.

Link:
This information was taken from a TUC press release, which you can read at www.tuc.org.uk/learning

Evaluation of the Union Learning Fund in Year 4
York Consulting on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills, October 2002

The ULF was set up by the Government to help promote innovative activity by trade unions to support employee learning. In 2001-2, it was allocated £7 million, including £1 million for basic skills work. A total of 121 projects were funded during year 4, with 100 undertaking new activities and 21 continuing work from the previous year. Projects were run by 39 trade unions and the TUC.

The development of basic skills was the second most common activity, addressed by 14% of year four projects, after work to support learning representatives, which was a focus for 17% of projects. A telephone survey to assess the impact on employers found that basic skills was the main type of learning activity with which they had been involved (33% of respondents). Other types included supporting learning representatives (17%), computer literacy (10%), basic IT (10%) and learning centres (10%). Developing a more confident and enthusiastic workforce was the main reason given for being involved.

However, feedback from project managers suggested that over 30% felt they had encountered a lack of support from employers, with securing release from work to attend learning as the main issue, despite the positive responses from those that did get involved. The report concludes that there is a need for more promotion of the business benefits of learning, aimed at those that remain unconvinced. This is hampered by difficulties in assessing the economic impact of the fund on businesses; most employers made their assessment of its impact based on personal methods such as observation and conversation.

Link:
Download the full report and the shorter research brief from www.dfes.gov.uk/research.
Alternatively order the report for £4.95 by calling DfES publications on 0845 60 222 60, quoting reference RR378.

Shaw, N., Armistead, C., Rodger, J. and Hopwood, V. for York Consulting (2002). Evaluation of the Union Learning Fund Year 4. London: Department for Education and Skills.