Key Themes and Priorities for ULF Projects in 2012-14

Skills for Sustainable Growth sets out the Coalition Government’s vision for reform of the Further Education (FE) and Skills system in order to improve the skills of the workforce, the performance of the economy and engagement in learning.  The strategy recognises the importance of skills not just in terms of global competitiveness but also in terms of their potential to transform life chances and drive social mobility. Having higher skills enables people to play a fuller part in society, making it more cohesive, more environmentally friendly, more tolerant and more engaged.

Skills for Sustainable Growth also sets out the Government’s commitment to continue to support unionlearn in order to build on the impressive track record of Union Learning Representatives and the Union Learning Fund in promoting and supporting learning in the workplace, especially in reaching out to those who are disadvantaged and most in need of support.  It recognises the very important role that trade unions have to play in working with employers to promote a more effective approach to the utilisation of skills in the modern workplace. 

To support this new strategy for raising skill levels we have agreed the following key themes and priorities for ULF projects supported in 2012-14 to focus on:

Engaging disadvantaged learners by:

1. Developing and strengthening training and support for Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) to enable them to reach out and support disadvantaged learners, particularly those with numeracy, literacy and language needs, in both the workplace and the local community.
2. Helping to tackle the digital divide and its impact on the most disadvantaged groups in workplaces and local communities, including through the promotion of Online Basics – the Digital Life Skills offer.
3. Raising the profile and take up of informal adult and community learning (IACL) in the workplace and community, using it to motivate, build confidence and promote progress into further learning.
4. Developing strategies and approaches to support workers faced with redundancy or those likely to need retraining as they approach the end of their careers.

5. Developing and supporting Learning Centres to engage disadvantaged learners through flexible delivery of learning, supported by ULRs, leading to progression pathways.

 Tackling skills gaps and shortages through:

1. Working with employers through development of co-operatives to increase the number of high quality Apprenticeship places available; in particular focussing on those employers not yet involved in training apprenticeships and in promoting apprenticeships to disadvantaged groups who have the potential to benefit.
2. Enabling unions to give improved help and support to apprentices in the workplace.
3. Working with employers and Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to tackle specific sectoral skills issues and improve overall business performance.
4. Developing the ULR role in supporting learners and helping individuals in the workplace to access good careers advice and guidance and Lifelong Learning Accounts and strengthening links with the adult careers service.
5. Developing strategies and approaches to raise awareness and take up of literacy and particularly numeracy provision.
6. Developing partnership approaches to support the needs of young workers.
7. Providing advice and support to enable and encourage progression through workforce development opportunities.
8. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) via the union route.

9. Improved access to Higher Education (HE).

 Developing high performing workplaces by:

1. Engaging with employers to promote co-investment in skills, adopt professional and occupational standards, more effective skills utilisation, improved leadership and management and greater employee involvement and commitment in the workplace.
2. Promoting and developing the commitments to be agreed by sectors through the new ‘Workplace Pledge’ and the role that ULRs can play in making this a reality in the sector.
3. Targeting areas of economic growth and future skills.

4. Developing the skills and role of the ULR to provide high quality specific support and advice within the workplace.

 Reaching out to non-unionised workplaces by:

1. Extending support to union members working in non-unionised workplaces to develop a ‘Learning Champion’ role in consultation with their employers to take forward these themes and priorities.
2. Promoting the idea of ‘Learning Champions’ to others in contact with unionlearn (such as through learning centres).
3. Working in other ways, in consultation and agreement with employers, to bring the benefits of the union learning approach to non-unionised workplaces.

4. Raising the profile and take up of informal learning in non-unionised workplaces and using it to motivate, build confidence and promote progress into further learning.

Equality and Diversity (All projects must address this theme):

1. Developing and enhancing existing equality and diversity policies and practices to fully support all learners.
2. Utilising learner data to prioritise and target hard to reach cohorts of learners.
3. Addressing equality and diversity knowledge and skills of project teams, ULRs, employers, partners and learners.
4. Engaging workers disadvantaged in the labour market.