The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has long since played a key role in workplace learning. Every year, TUC education trains more than 30,000 trade union representatives on a range of workplace issues including health and safety, lifelong learning and employment rights. With technology playing a greater part in both the workplace and training and development at work, concerns have been expressed that large numbers people who remain 'offline' will lose out on the chance to develop their skills in this way.
As a result, at the beginning of March this year, the TUC's National Education Centre launched a virtual classroom, learnOnline, with the aim of providing access to e-learning for both local people and a wider audience of union members keen to learn more. LearnOnline, which is supported by the government's learndirect and UK Online schemes and a consortium of local organisations provides facilities to conference between small groups, chat on-line in real time and access learning materials and resources. A number of TUC courses are also being piloted on-line, including the TUC Health and Safety 1 and 2 and the TUC Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.
To help develop this initiative, the TUC have enlisted the help of TrainingZONE to advertise for a number of experienced trainers to work as associates for the programme. Spokesperson Steve Ferris explains: "What we're trying to do is to develop a new initative, by putting in place an open learning facility at our offices in North London. Traditionally we've run training programmes for trade union officials and staff nationally here, but we've never really offfered any training opportunities to local people - we'd like to be able to give something to the local community and our local partners. We've already been a hub for learndirect since last year, and the new centre, which was refurbished last month is about to become operational".
Steve added that the TUC are looking to encourage more than 1,000 people this year to sign on with the learning centre -they expect a proportion will come through learndirect but some will also drop in - the centre is an approved centre for the new government initiative UK Online.
Associates interested in working for the scheme will be involved with delivery of e-learning, basic IT training and/or specialist/bespoke training, either at the main TUC learning centre, at one of seven associated Access Points or, in the case of e-learning, from home. There'll also be an opportunity to work on developing new courses.
Steve Ferris says that the TUC is enthusiastic about the possibilities of the new scheme: "The TUC Regional Education Service is running a number of pilots up and down the country, and we're looking to supplement this by offering learnOnline events to other oranisations. We're excited at the flexibility of the opportunities available". If you'd like to become involved in this innovative new scheme, you'll find the full details of the vacancies on the TrainingZONE jobs pages.
