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Unionlearn Strategy for Supporting Learners:

Providing quality information, advice &

support for learning

April 2011 to March 2014

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Unionlearn Strategy for Supporting Learners Contents 1. Introduction 2. Purpose 3. Background and context 4. Unionlearn model for Supporting Learners 5. Key achievements 6. Key priorities for supporting learners 7. Timescale, monitoring and review 8. Consultation

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1. Introduction: This strategy for Supporting Learners has been developed to support the delivery of impartial learning and careers advice services to union learners. It is an underpinning strategy for all unionlearn activity with the primary aim of making all learning and progression opportunities available to all union members, particularly those who are disadvantaged in the workplace. The contribution of union learning representatives (ULRs) is vital to the success of this strategy. OFSTED recently referred to the ULR movement as an ‘outstanding model of peer learning support’. Owing to the changing landscape of the learning and skills agenda and the announcement of a new national all-age careers service it is likely that this strategy will need to be updated as a clearer picture emerges particularly in terms of publicly funded services. The term Supporting Learners is used by unionlearn to describe the activities of union learning representatives (ULRs) and other union reps when they are working with members to help them make choices about learning, take up learning opportunities that are right for them and help them to progress in their jobs and careers. Whilst these activities involve all levels of learning and some elements of information and advice they also include mentoring, coaching, signposting and facilitating learning. 2. Purpose: This strategy will further develop the unionlearn model for Supporting Learners within unionlearn, affiliated unions and providers of impartial learning and careers advice both nationally and regionally. It is aligned to and will contribute towards the achievement of key success indicators in unionlearn’s strategic plan. The accompanying development plan provides an overview of proposed future developments to the end of March 2014. Key milestones and internal targets are in the annual Standards and Quality operational plan. Depending on the unionlearn core funding available to support this area of work there will also be an annual project implementation plan. 3. Background and context: This is a time of transition for publicly funded impartial careers information and advice services. Next Step, a new national Adult Careers Service was launched in England in August 2010. It integrated the Careers Advice Service telephone and online service (formerly known as learndirect advice) and local nextstep face-to-face services. Next Step services are available free of charge to all adults over the age of 19 in England and is available online, by telephone, or face to face. In November 2010 within the context of the Skills Strategy, the Government’s vision for the first all-age careers service in England was announced. The new service will build on the best of Next Step and Connexions. It aims to provide a fully joined up service for all age groups and will be founded on the core principles of independence and professionalism. Both young people aged 13-19 and adults will be able to access the new service from September 2011 with it becoming fully operational by April 2012. The all-age careers service will be delivered through a range of channels – online, telephone and in the community – with prioritised intensive face-to-face guidance. The design features of the new service are compatible with the aims of unionlearn in terms of supporting learners and include:

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• Impartiality

• Adequately resourced and funded

• Meeting the needs and aspirations of working people The qualifications system in England, Northern Ireland and Wales is undergoing major change with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). In the future National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are likely to be phased out to be replaced with more robust and specialised qualifications that sit within the QCF. New awards have been developed for the careers information, advice and guidance sector which aim to encourage progression in the sector and offer different progression pathways based on an individuals work setting. It may be necessary for ULRs or other union reps to undertake units from the new awards as part of their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) if they have already achieved an ‘old’ NVQ and to meet any new baseline requirements for delivering Next Step or the new all-age careers service. The TUC wants to maintain a strategic role in the development and implementation of the new all-age careers service. Unionlearn has a voice in the key strategic forums including the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and is keeping a constructive relationship with the Skills Funding Agency through Next Step. This ensures that the needs of unions and those in work, particularly those who are disadvantaged in the workplace, are considered as new services are developed. Unionlearn is represented on the following key strategic forums:

• UK Careers Sector Strategic Forum

• BIS/DfE All-age Careers Advisory Group

• Career Development NOS Working Group

Unionlearn will keep their staff, unions, ULRs and other union reps informed about:

• the development of the new all-age careers service and how it may it may impact on their work with members

• information about changes to the qualification structure for the sector in terms of progression and the future delivery of professional services by unions

This will be done through email alerts, the Supporting Learners Regional Working Group and regular editions of the Supporting Learners News. The role of unionlearn in terms of supporting learners is to take the strategic responsibility for supporting the work of ULRs and other union reps and the network in which they are operating. It has never been intended that unionlearn will be a direct deliverer of impartial careers information and advice services. Services may be delivered as part of TUC Education courses in learning centres, or through separate contractual arrangements with Next Step. Unionlearn will support affiliate unions who want to deliver information and advice to their members by advising on:

• matrix accreditation

• supporting development of appropriate policies and action plans

• assessing the union for the Quality Award for learning and careers information and advice

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4. Unionlearn model for Supporting Learners: The unionlearn model for Supporting Learners is based on the network model which builds on active working relationships with impartial careers information and advice providers. The network model recognises that ULRs and other union reps need to engage with other agencies in order to find the information they need to help their members, and to broker workplace opportunities effectively. The model builds on existing good practice in unions and unionlearn regions. The key features of the unionlearn model for Supporting Learners are:

• Central role of the ULR or union rep, in supporting, coaching, mentoring, signposting and facilitating learning

• Working with a range of agencies who can offer services to union learners

• Agreements and joint actions for working together with the network

• Standards of service that union learners can expect of these partners

• Access to information and advice and resources for ULRs, other union reps and union learners through the unionlearn learning & careers advice service

• Identify and sharing good practice

Key members of the network are:

• The unions/ULR and other union reps

• The unionlearn learning and careers advice service

• Learning centres

• Other learning and training providers (Adult Community, Further and Higher)

• Next Step integrated services

• Employers

• Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) This model is dependent on good relationships with others in the network and there are likely to be significant changes with the introduction of the new all-age careers service. 5. Key Achievements: The development of a unionlearn strategy for Supporting Learners has resulted in the following key achievements to date:

• Positioning unionlearn effectively in all the national groups for developing public services

including the new all-age service

• The convening and maintenance of a Regional Working Group of unionlearn specialists with a particular interest in Supporting Learners activity

• Setting up the unionlearn learning and careers advice service • Tailored backup and support for union reps from Next Step

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• The development of a Supporting Learners area on the unionlearn website that includes three microsites

• The launch of the web-based Climbing Frame • A range of free resources and materials for ULRs and other union reps

• Publications including the series of Supporting Learner guides, the Skills for Life ‘Six Pack’,

Higher Learning guides and a Progression Pathways guide for ULRs and other union reps

• Regional events with a supporting learners focus for ULRs, other union reps and project workers

• Strong and active links with the national network of impartial careers information and advice

providers

• Partnership agreements formalised with Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with higher learning institutions including the Open University and other national and regional HE partners

• The inclusion from 2007 of a Supporting Learners theme, with suggested projects, in the

Union Learning Fund (ULF) criteria • Inclusion of supporting learner activities and module in TUC Education training for

Representatives • A range of effective practice case studies

• The development of the unionlearn Quality Award to include learning and careers information

and advice service • Attracted attention in EU and national conferences and provided an inspiration to unions in other countries

6. Key priorities for supporting learners: Activities relating to supporting learners weave into every area of unionlearn’s work. The following underlying themes and the kinds of activity that unionlearn might engage in or be involved in form the basis of the key priorities in this strategy:

Progression for all (reps and learners)- all learning at all levels is valuable • Recognising that progression is not always linear and upwards • Supporting ULRs to reach disadvantaged learners in the workplace and the community • Skills for Life (literacy, language and numeracy) • Levels 2 to 3 and above • TUC Education • Apprenticeships • On to Higher Learning • Informal learning • Climbing Frame (as a tool for recording progression) • Union Learning Fund (ULF) (to underpin unions’ learning and skills work) • Memorandums of Understanding (national and local) Network model – access to publicly funded services

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• Have a strategic role in development of publicly funded services for adults (currently known as Next Step)

• Encourage and facilitate access (unionlearn advice service) • Promote use of services (Skills Health Checks, Lifelong Learning accounts) • Unions delivering services (funding/matrix/qualifications for reps) • MOUs and partnerships (national and regional) • Regional workplans and diversity • More providers achieving the Quality award (information and advice) • Engage with the All-Age Service (including supporting apprentices) • Access to services at all levels of learning (in particular those disadvantaged in the

workplace)

Develop Career Management/Employability skills and the ability to cope with change • All-Age Service • Canadian Blueprint (resource for ULRs to use with learners) • Holistic (life & work – health & wellbeing) • Recession and recovery project inheritance • Climbing Frame • 50+ opportunities/retirement/redundancy

ICT and Supporting Learners • Digital inclusion agenda (making ICT more widely available particularly to disadvantaged

groups in the workplace) • Next Step/all-age service advice line • Web-based services and tools (including blogs, forums, video-links) • Microsites (to ease navigation by users) • Web-based Climbing Frame • On-line learning • Unionlearn e-learning strategy

Providing information and advice to support learning all levels of learning • Providing information about sources of funding • Providing access to discounts, voucher systems and bursaries for union members • Promoting the use of Lifelong Learning Accounts (to maintain a record) • Increasing employer investment in union learning (Collective Learning Funds) • Promoting access to funding for disadvantaged groups in the workplace • Assisting union learners to negotiate support for their learning from their employers Supporting Learners in the wider community • Community learning mentors • Families of union members • Unemployed union members • Disadvantaged groups • Promoting the benefits of union membership • All-age services (schools) • Joint projects and funding with community organisations

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The key priorities of this strategy that will contribute to the underlying themes are: 1. Preparing for a publicly funded all-age service 1.1 Take a strategic role in the development of the new all-age service 1.2 Disseminate and communicate information about the new service 1.3 Explore potential for reps to use new resources with the new service 1.4 Encourage a strong regional focus on supporting learners at all levels 2. Maintaining and developing the network 2.1 Maintain relationships with the main professional organisations in the careers guidance sector 2.2 Maintain regular contact and dialogue with main delivery partners of impartial

careers information and advice and with key learning and skills partners/providers 2.3 Identify new partners, enter into agreements and negotiate incentives for members to enter higher learning 2.4 Encourage more learning and skills providers to achieve the Quality Award and

monitor and maintain the standard 3. Implementing the network model in unions 3.1 Support unions to ensure that all learning and skills activity is underpinned by supporting learners 3.2 Increase the numbers of ULRs and other reps undertaking follow-on training 3.3 Keep unions informed about the support available to ULRs and other reps 3.4 Provide support and guidance to reps and learners about funding for learning 3.5 Increase the number of unions that achieve the matrix standard 3.6 Address internet access issues for ULRs and other reps 4. Supporting learners at all levels 4.1 Increase reps awareness and understanding of higher learning 4.2 Work with partners to develop progression pathways for different kinds of learners with different starting points 4.3 Produce case studies for all levels of learner 4.4 Support for union learners and their families 5. Develop and maintain web-based resources for supporting learners 5.1 Promote and embed the Climbing Frame into unions’ learning and skills work 5.2 Review, improve and refresh the content of the Climbing Frame 5.3 Review and refresh the Supporting Learners area of the website 5.4 Launch and maintain microsites on the website 5.5 Explore potential positive impact of the Digital Inclusion agenda and the unionlearn e-

learning strategy 6. Develop and maintain Supporting Learners resources and materials 6.1 Review, improve and refresh all guides and resources to reflect the new all-age service and other changes to the learning and skills landscape 6.2 Develop new guides and resources for all levels of learning

7. Promotional activities for Supporting Learners tools and resources 7.1 Promote the use of the unionlearn learning and careers advice service 7.2 Promote the materials, resources and courses for Supporting Learners 7.3 Promote the guides and resources for higher learning

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7. Timescale, monitoring and review

This strategy covers the period April 2011 to March 2014 although it may be necessary to review and update it when the situation becomes clearer with regards publicly funded services. Progress against the development plan will be reviewed twice yearly in January and July by the Standards and Quality Manager. The Standards and Quality Manager will engage in discussion with the Research Manager to ensure that specific questions relating to Supporting Learners activity are included in generic evaluation projects. 8. Consultation:

The development of this strategy has been informed through discussion, consultation and feedback from the following:

• Responses received from ULRs and project workers to a survey in October and November 2010 reviewing the previous Supporting Learners strategy

• Consultation meetings with the unionlearn Director and Senior Management Team

• Quarterly consultation meetings with the Supporting Learners Regional Working Group

• Feedback from ULRs, project workers and others attending the regional Supporting Learners events that take place annually

In addition, unionlearn national and regional staff, project managers, ULRs and other union reps have been consulted and invited to comment on this strategy at its drafting stage.

unionlearn Congress House Great Russell Street London WC1B 3LS www.unionlearn.org.uk Contact: Ian Borkett 020 7079 6940 iborkett@tuc.org.uk © 2011 unionlearn All TUC publications may be made available for dyslexic or visually impaired readers, on request, in an agreed electronic format or in accessible formats such as Braille, audiotape and large print, at no extra cost.