Workplace A trade union issue Deri Bevan (Wales TUC) Mike Wilson - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Essential Skills in the Workplace – A trade union issue Deri Bevan (Wales TUC) Mike Wilson (GMB)

The essential skills of Wales Essential Skills are considered as those skills required for progression and success in education, the workplace and life in general. They include: • Communication (Literacy, reading, writing, listening) • Application of Number (numeracy) • Digital Literacy (ICT) * in 2015 • Employability Skills * in 2015

An issue for a country In 2010: Why concentrate on workplace essential skills? • 28% of adults in Wales have literacy problems Historical context • 32% of adults in Wales Socio-economic context have numeracy problems Adult and workplace skills • 47% of the above are within Devolution the workforce Social Partnership • This skills deficit costs the Welsh adult education policy Welsh economy almost £600million a year And….It’s good for business

Why is essential skills an issue for trade unions? The ‘unique position’ of trade • Learning is absolutely central to union values: unions to deliver essential skills: Pay and working conditions, Health and • Trusted role safety, Equalities, Workplace morale, Access to training, Industrial relations • Direct access to employers • Equality of Opportunity • Access to funding • Economic benefits • Embedded in collective bargaining • Health benefits and negotiated agreements • Social benefits

History of union led essential skills in Wales Formally recognised as a role for TUs in 1999 • Statutory recognition for the Union Learning Representative (ULR) • Established the Wales Union Learning Fund shortly after • Influential in Government’s early policy (Basic Skills) • Essential Skills and Employability •

The union learning model Frontline advice and guidance carried out by ‘ULR’ role • Signpost to funded learning • Negotiate paid release • Good quality and flexible delivery model • Learning takes place ‘on - site’ • Reduce barriers to learning through collective bargaining • Ensure equality of opportunity for all • Advocacy based promotion - employer to employer and peer to peer •

Impact of union led essential skills 20 years of union led essential skills learning 23,000+ directly funded learners • Over 15,000 of these gaining qualifications in Essential Skills • Around 92,000 working adults supported into learning • 185 union led projects funded by Welsh Government • Engaged with over 1200 employers • Establishing learning programmes directly in nearly 2900 workplaces. • Film link here

Essential Skills – Welsh Water Report: 2018 - 2019 (progressive figures up to the end of March 2019)

Numbe ber of Qualifi lificat atio ions ns Essential Skills 143 AO AO N 253 253 CO CO M 878 ICT ICT Total No: of Qualifications 1274

Essential Skills Learner ers by Busines ness Area Total No: of Learners by Business Area 656 292 292 258 258 51 51 27 27 9 9 6 4

Essential Skills Learne rners by Geograph raphical l Area Total No: of Learners 656 300 241 250 187 200 150 90 90 100 78 78 60 60 50 0 North West North East Mid South West South East North West North East Mid South West South East