Our learning & skills strategy
Learning & Skills - or - education & training? The terminology changes but the commitment doesn't! BECTU has long been committed to learning opportunities for members, especially freelance workers! We have now moved learning to the centre of our union organising strategy so that it is central to everything we do.
The BECTU training strategy
Our overall strategy is based on a series of 5 year plans (not as Stalinist as it sounds!) with the first running from 2003 - 2008. Every year a progress report is presented to BECTU annual conference as part of the accountability of the Training Officer to members.
Read and download the report to conference 2007
The union rule dealing with learning and skills
The national recruitment & training strategy 2007
The key objectives:
Objective 1 - Making learning and skills more central to the work of the union.
We try to do this by offering to organise workshops at BECTU events and supporting the BECTU recruitment and retention strategy by using learning to re-connect with our members and attract new members.
Objective 2- Improving access to and information about affordable training for members to support them finding and keeping work.
We try to do this by creating this website and using the union journal, flyers and direct mailings to publicise learning opportunities.
Objective 3- Working with employers and training providers to deliver courses that support employability and CPD.
We try to do this by accessing finance from the Union learning Fund and employing Learning Organisers to develop and deliver short courses and workshops nationally. We also try to set up partnerships with key colleges and training providers to deliver courses and workshops for members.
Objective 4- Develop the skills, knowledge and confidence of reps and activists to build effective and active local organisations.
We try to do this by running a dedicated BECTU training programme in partnership with the TUC (at South Thames College) and running courses on request by local branches and workplaces. We also intend to appoint and train 150 Union Learning Reps (ULRs) by March 2010 to help us achieve a sustainable learning structure at work.
Objective 5- Represent BECTU in as many places as possible and improve our reputation and influence.
We try to do this with other colleagues at BECTU by being active participants on Sector Skills Council committees and other training organisations such as FT2, ABTT and Skillscene.
Our key Beliefs:
- Learning is not simply a means to individual progress and empowerment - learning also empowers groups and communities at work too - there are collective benefits.
- Learning activity (promoting, supporting and delivering) allows unions to re-connect with their own members and attract new ones.
- An 'organising approach' supports people to act knowledgeably and confidently on their own behalf with the union playing a supporting role and not substituting itself for the self-organisation and activity of union members.