Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett today announced that the Union Learning Fund would receive an extra £0.5 million this year and hinted of yet further "topping up" to support deserving ideas from some of the smaller unions.

Speaking at Learning with the Unions conference in London, David Blunkett said:

"I am impressed with the progress the unions have made with the help of the Union Learning Fund:

* in driving up demand for learning and skills;
* by embracing the concept and encouraging the take-up of Lifelong Learning;
* in showing the value of a collective approach with employers and training providers to keep industry competitive and to provide security through re-skilling and lifelong learning;
* and in making an important contribution to the policy debate, including the development of 1000 learning representatives, which point the way to the future.

This is exactly the sort of effort, influence and impact needed to shape the future skills agenda and to achieve the Learning Age.