Merseytravel and joint unions learning project
Merseytravel is the operating name for the Integrated Transport Authority and Transport Executive on Merseyside, whose highly diverse workforce coordinate the provision of public transport, and operate the Mersey Tunnels and Mersey Ferries.
Directly employing just under 1,000 people, they have a challenging role in managing all of these highly diverse areas, including the provision of a police force for the tunnels, marine operations staff for ferries, executive and planning functions, maintenance and crafts teams, peripatetic staff working out on the network, and many customer-facing staff, all of whom contribute to the business and in turn, need to be trained and developed.
Merseytravel are committed to investing in their staff through providing opportunities to develop, as demonstrated by their status as an Investors In People Champion organisation. Through a strong and effective partnership the unions and employer have developed a learning culture across a diverse organisation, which has provided learning and development opportunities for all staff. It has strengthened company and joint union relationships and supported the development of union learning representatives (ULRs).
In 2004, the union and management learning agendas within the organisation were fused together in an innovative project called Merseylearn, which helped create a new and dynamic learning culture, as it was identified at that time that the qualifications of staff across the organisation needed to be addressed in order to become the world class organisation they aim to become.
Just six years later, with the support of Merseylearn, 96% of staff currently hold a level 2 qualification and 56% a level 3, and this has led to improved communications, increased internal promotions, and reduced levels of sickness across the organisation, which many other businesses have seen as an exemplar model.
One of the factors in the successful relationship between management and unions has been the establishment of the ULR network, comprising 28 ULRs working within the workforce to promote the learning agenda with their colleagues and liaising with the Merseylearn team.
Unionlearn are a key partner in the project, and have been instrumental in securing a series of successful Union Learning Fund bids, which have made it possible to set up 3 workplace learning centres and fund the services of dedicated tutors for IT and Skills for Life.
Liz Chandler, Director of Corporate Development, is seen as a champion of skills and the driving force behind the project and Merseytravel’s journey toward becoming a learning organisation. This is supported by their Chief Executive and Director General, Neil Scales, whose maxim of "What is the greater risk, to develop your staff, with the risk that they will leave, or not develop your staff, with the risk that will stay?" has been quoted widely by other organisations.
