3.00 to 4.30 pm, Tuesday 23 June 2015, Room 728, UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL
Presenter: Tom Wilson, TUC
Unionlearn is the Education, Learning and Skills Department of the TUC. It was launched in April 2006 (after several years’ prior work) and has grown into a £17M organisation, supporting 300 staff in the TUC and unions, and helping over 200,000 learners a year. It is also the union voice on skills policy in the UK.
This seminar will look at how and why unionlearn was created, what it has achieved and where it goes next. It will explore some fundamental issues: how far does accepting government financial support (currently £14m) compromise union independence? What can unions do to improve the quality and quantity of employer investment in skills? How much appetite is there among employees for more and better training? Is there a distinctive union voice on skills? Is the skills agenda changing unions? Does involving unions matter? And how does the experience of unionlearn compare with other unions’ skills work around the world?
Tom Wilson is the Director of Unionlearn. Tom has worked for the TUC for ten years and before that for education and other trade unions. He has an M.A. In Industrial Relations, is a fellow of the CIPD, a visiting fellow at LLAKES, and sits on various governmental and other skills bodies, both in the UK and the EU.
The seminar is free to attend, but prior registration would be helpful: to register, please contact to book a place.