Working with Sector Skills Councils

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) moved into lifelong learning in 1998 when the Learning for Life Foundation was established with the other civil service unions and the Cabinet Office representing the employer. The Foundation carried out a survey of employee attitudes to learning which informed PCS about the demand for learning in the sector. The main findings were that union members wanted:

• learning for work and career development
• wider learning for personal development
• flexible forms of learning to fit round their working and domestic responsibilities
• commitment by their employer in terms of funding and time off to learn

Those that were already engaged in learning were those who already had relatively high qualifications.

PCS have been building better relationships with Sector Skills Councils as part of its wider learning activities. The union has increased influence in the two Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) which cover the majority of its members; Government Skills (the SSC for central government) and Skills for Justice (which covers everyone working in justice and community safety). 

PCS, through talking to employers and union reps found that there was a demand for computer skills and foreign languages. Organisations such as the British Museum were reorganising e.g. the phasing out of its typing pool which meant that secretaries had to be re-skilled fairly quickly. About 200 staff at the British Museum, British Library and the Inland Revenue were targeted by the PCS to upgrade their skills. This initiative was driven by the then PCS’s deputy general secretary responsible for Inland Revenue membership.

PCS has a seat on the board of each SSC, where they provide information and support for its board representatives and have a significant input into the development and delivery of Sector Skills Agreements. The union has worked closely with Government Skills on its Skills for Life Strategy, which aims to encourage employers to offer literacy and numeracy screenings and courses to their staff.

In addition, PCS has been pressing for a greater emphasis on increasing the wider lifelong learning opportunities of the workforce and begun addressing issues about which qualifications are funded and the low targets set for raising Skills for Life levels in the workforce.

David McEvoy, PCS National Training Officer and ULF Project Manager said “We are very happy to receive this award, which recognises the hard work of the project team, the reps on skills council boards and our learning reps have put in.”