Co-investing in Learning - Collective Learning Fund Pilots in the East Midlands

Co-investing in LearningCollective Learning Fund Pilots in the East Midlands

March 2010

Photography © Roy Peters

Designwww.wave.coop

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www.unionlearn.org.uk

All unionlearn publications maybe made available for dyslexic or visually impaired readers, onrequest, in an agreed electronicformat or in accessible formatssuch as Braille, audiotape andlarge print, at no extra cost.


Case Studies

3 Collective Learning Fund Pilots in the East Midlands

Collective Learning Funds (CLFs) are union-led initiatives to stimulateco-investment in the personal development of the workforce. They have beenpiloted by unionlearn in the East Midlands to test different models in differentcontexts. The pilots involve increasing funding from employers, obtaining greatersupport from unions and enhancing employee commitment. Such co-investmentcan help tackle skills shortages as well as providing training to hard-to-reachgroups within the region. Although they are in their early stages, CLFs areestablishing learning partnerships between employers, unions and providers,which are opening up learning opportunities in workplaces.

Although the idea of co-funded learning is still at an early stage of development,the evaluation of the project by the Centre for Employment Relations Innovationand Change (CERIC) at the University of Leeds University found that CLFs haveconsiderable value. That is why unionlearn is extending the project to continueto support the existing pilots, test other models and disseminate the conceptthroughout the region.

Forewordby Mary Alys, Regional Manager unionlearn

4 Co-investing in Learning

Collective Learning Funds (CLFs) are not just about putting cash into an accountto pay for learning. The concept is much wider, including in-kind contributionssuch as time and learning facilities.

CLFs are arrangements where employers might provide cash, time off to studyor in-kind provision such as a learning centre. Employees might study in someof their own time or contribute to the fees. Colleges might subsidise coursesand provide laptops. Unions could put in resources and time. Union learningrepresentatives can help support learners. Cash contributions are held eitherin the company account or in the union account.

Eight pilots were set up in the East Midlands covering seven private companiesand one public sector organisation. The sectors included transport, logistics,construction, manufacturing and the civil service (Jobcentre Plus). Each projectwas given £4,000 by unionlearn to kick-start their CLF. All projects were successfulin gaining employer support. In seven out of the eight workplaces, employersmade in-kind contributions, and two made additional cash contributions.The initial investment from unionlearn has had a ‘multiplier effect’, which hasled to an increase in affordable learning to meet the needs of both the workforceand the employer.

Co-investment also involves state contribution. The government scheme, Train toGain, provides full funding for employees who don’t already have a full Level 2qualification and who wish to improve their literacy, numeracy and Englishlanguage skills, plus take their first Level 2 qualification. It also part funds NVQtraining at higher levels. In some pilots, there was evidence that the presenceof a CLF stimulated employers to use the Train to Gain scheme to fund NVQsand Skills for Life courses. In other workplaces NVQs and Skills for Life werein place before the pilot and the CLF served to extend provision.

Early results from the pilots have shown enhanced contributions to CLFs leadingto almost 950 learning opportunities ranging from Skills for Life to bricklaying.Learning centres were set up in half the pilots. The Stagecoach CLF even fundedthe conversion of a bus into a mobile learning centre to provide Skills for Lifecourses to employees located in its depots. Learning partnerships betweenemployers and unions were the key factor in the pilots’ success. Five out of eightworkplaces established joint union–employer learning committees to managethe funds and monitor the learning.

Introduction

Amanda Stevenson,Unite Coordinator says

“The CLF project hashad a positive influenceon the learning agendaat Stagecoach. We noware able to engage withnew potential learners.Unite and Stagecoachworking together isgenerating a solidlearning future.”



Employers want their workforce trained to do their present job effectively. Thisincreases productivity and profitability. But employees need broader transferableskills for internal promotion and career progression. Many employees will investmore in their personal development provided that the employers make acontribution and the state provides a subsidy, for example through Train to Gain.

In its publication Towards Ambition 2020 the UK Commission for Employmentand Skills stated: “we must leverage significantly more co-investment fromindividuals and employers, alongside public expenditure” while the EuropeanCommission’s Experts’ Report New Skills for New Jobs calls for “co-investmentas part of collective agreements”.

All it requires is for employers and their employees to get together to assess whattraining is needed, what contributions they could make and what state funding isavailable. This is best done collectively and trade unions have taken the initiativethrough CLFs.

The 2006 Leitch Review of Skills commissioned by the Government recognisedthe potential of such arrangements:

Collective learning funds would encourage joint employer–union initiativesto increase the scope of training and development opportunities for theirworkforce and to commit new investment to this. In addition, these fundscould encourage employees to co-invest their time along with the employerin a wider range of non job-specific training and development.

The pooling of contributions from employers, employees, colleges and unionsmaximises investment in workforce development, improving employees’transferable skills and motivation. The evaluation found that companies identifiedthe most common benefits as ‘soft’ outcomes, such as ‘improved morale’ and‘improved employee engagement.’ Union involvement ensures that learningopportunities are accessible to the entire workforce, including those with fewor no qualifications.

Why co-investmentin learning?

Question 1

Graham Peck, Lead ULR,PCS “CLF has clearlykicked started learningopportunitites that staffwould not have had before.This has shown a positiveworking relationshipbetween employer/TUwhich has been a greatbenefit to all staff.”


Early results show that employees have taken up 946 learning opportunitiesas a result of CLFs. These include 202 Skills for Life, 197 ICT and 320 NVQcourses. There has also been a large take up of informal adult learning forpersonal development: 245 learning opportunities including British SignLanguage, Spanish, bricklaying and plastering. The number of learners oncourses will increase throughout the life of the project and also afterwardsas the CLF sustains ongoing learning.

1

Chris Johnson, CustomerServices OperationsManager, Jobcentre Plus“I have been workingalongside the union onthe CLF project and haveenjoyed being involvedin this agenda. In my eyesthe working relationshiphas been enhancedthrough the CLF project.”

“As the funding regime changes beganto bite, it was noticeable that the facilitiestended to be used more by the ‘white collar’staff. The CLF project, through subsidisinglearning, aimed to involve more ‘blue collar’staff in learning at the site.”

Union Learning Representative, Bombardier


The success of the CLF pilots should not just be judged in terms of learningoutputs alone. There are wider benefits being derived from sustaining CLF workbeyond the life of the project. CLFs played an important role in a number ofworkplaces in terms of initiating partnership working between unions andmanagement for the first time. Setting up learning committees and signinglearning agreements helped to embed a learning culture within the workplace.In some cases it took some time for the employer to engage fully with the unionbut this increased when management saw something tangible taking effect.

All players – employees, unions and managers – appeared to acknowledge andappreciate the added value of the CLF. Certainly, ULRs initiated and led the CLFwork, but to be effective union branches and shop steward structures also neededto believe in the credibility and value of the CLF. This was equally the case withemployees and managers. There are good examples of co-funding that havedeveloped from the initial CLF investment. There are also good examples whereemployees that were previously excluded from government initiatives, such asTrain to Gain, have benefited from the CLF offer.

What makes co-investmentwork well?

Question 2

“When I was first approached by the rep I was initiallysceptical, but with the learning centre established and thelearning starting it has begun to work”

HR Manager, Caledonian Building Systems Ltd, Carlton-on-Trent


Collective Learning Funds were usedfor a variety of purposes:

Levering in other resources

Simply having a small pot of money has been enough to open doors to otherresources in cash or kind – such as a company agreeing to provide a learningcentre or a college helping make learning affordable, for example by offeringcourse discounts.

Pilot DHL Mothercare, Northampton

Little training had been previously undertaken by the company. The CLFacted as a catalyst to developing a learning partnership. A joint unionmanagement steering group was set up. The union negotiated employercontributions – £25 into the fund and £50 to the learner for each coursecompletion. The company also equipped a learning centre. The existenceof the CLF acted as a catalyst for the employer to apply for Train to Gainfunding to deliver Skills for Life courses. The local college provided laptopsand conducted a learning needs analysis, which included requests for ESOLand Skills for Life courses. ULRs were recruited and trained, including threePolish reps, to support the learners.

Extending job training

In some workplaces the CLF was the stimulus for employers to provide affordabletraining leading to a recognised qualification such as an NVQ; sometimes fundingcame from the Train to Gain scheme.

2

John Hughes, Lead ULR,Unite “I would like toexpress my thanks to thecompany for allowing theCLF pilot to start last year.The introduction of thelearning centre has giventhe opportunity for allworkers to access learningwhich is the basis ofa happy and motivatedworkforce.”


Pilot Jobcentre Plus, Lincolnshire

The civil servant union – PCS – has a high membership in the benefitsoffice. PCS reps made it clear that the CLF was primarily to meet the needsof the workforce to gain NVQs to improve their employability. The fund was‘kick started’ with the £4,000 from unionlearn. The employer provided travelexpenses for events. The employer also gave assistance in kind – time forassessments/debriefing, flexibility, printing costs, rooms and facilities. Thelearning was usually in the employee’s own time, and the union gave ULRtime and resources. State funding was used to meet part of the cost of theNVQ assessor training through Train to Gain.

Initiating learning partnerships

Learning partnerships have been set up between unions and management forthe first time in some of the workplaces as a result of CLFs. They took the formof learning agreements and joint learning committees that plan, organise anddeliver learning at workplace learning centres.

Pilot Caledonian Building Systems Ltd, Carlton-on-Trent

It was agreed to set up a Learning Committee/Steering Group of the HumanResources Manager, the ULR and the Unite Learning Organiser to managethe CLF. It was also agreed to establish a learning centre and sign a learningagreement. The agreement included some paid time off for Skills for Lifeand ESOL with matched time off for ICT Learning. The Skills for Life provisionwas delivered through Train to Gain. All the other contributions have been‘in kind’ from either the employer (the learning centre, broadband access),the union (project support), the provider (laptops) or the individual learner(time for study). The ICT provider also agreed to fund some ConstructionSkills Certificate Scheme training.

2

Sue Randall, HR Manager,Caledonian Buildings“The CLF project hasenabled a positiveway to work alongside theunion instead of opposingsides. For once we areworking together on thesame agenda.”


Raising the profile of unions in learning

The most obvious benefit for the unions in the projects was that it increasedtheir visibility and presence in the workplace and in some cases the credibilityof the union role in learning and the value of ULRs. Union learning representativestructures developed as a result of some of the projects, while in one case theCLF helped to convince branch reps of the added value of a union role in learning.In some cases the union was prepared to take up case work specifically aimed atsupporting Skills for Life learners. One union reported that staff felt more confidentin talking to their union rep as well as being more willing to involve the union inpersonal case work. In a number of cases it was claimed the CLF had helped torecruit new union members.

Pilot R F Brookes, Leicester

There had been some learning activity at this bakery before the introductionof the CLF. But there was a huge untapped demand for a wide range oflearning opportunities. The initiative led to the recruitment of more ULRs bythe union, the upgrading of the learning centre, time off for learning and ajoint learning committee. As a result, the Bakers, Food and Allied WorkersUnion gained greater visibility within the organisation, and 11 additionalmembers of staff joined the union.

Improving productivity

In a number of cases, managers claimed that learning undertaken throughthe CLF had contributed to improvements in the quality of work, reduced absenceand improved customer service. In one case, the pilot had explicitly assistedthe company in meeting the targets it had set for levels of NVQ accreditation –something that had previously been a problem. The CLF also helped to achievemore positive employment relations and constructive engagement betweenmanagement and unions.

2


� Set clear goals and achievable targets within a realistic timetablefor establishing a CLF.

� Make sure you have an effective team of ULRs and involve thewider branch and representative structure.

� Run the CLF as a joint venture between managers and the unionin an equal partnership.

� Include the CLF within an existing learning agreement withmanagement or negotiate an agreement if one does not exist.

� Establish a joint workplace learning committee to manage the CLF.

� Organise a learning needs analysis of the whole workforce to findout which courses, locations and study times are needed for bothpersonal development and job training.

� Find out what contributions employees are able to make,particularly how much studying could be done in their own time.

� Demonstrate to the employer what the union and learner cancontribute (such as ULR support and study time) then negotiatewhat the employer might provide.

� Make sure employers access state funding for courses suchas those covered by Train to Gain.

� Negotiate subsidised courses with local colleges.

� Choose providers which give maximum support to union learners,particularly those with the unionlearn Quality Award.

Top tips

Top tips


CLF Pilots

Bombardier (Derby)Danny White, CSEU [email protected]

Caledonian Building Systems Ltd (Carlton-on-Trent)Pam Stringer, Unite [email protected]

DHL Mothercare (Northampton)Sean Kettle, Unite [email protected]

East Midlands Airport (Castle Donington)Lesley Stevenson, Unite [email protected]

East Midlands Trains (Derby)Chris Nutty, ASLEF [email protected]

Jobcentre Plus (Lincolnshire)Graham Peck, PCS [email protected]

RF Brookes (Leicester)Karen Benger, BFAWU [email protected]

Stagecoach (Chesterfield)Pam Stringer, Unite [email protected]

CLF Regional Project ManagerMary Alys, unionlearn regional manager [email protected]

Contact details

Contact details

BackgroundJobcentre Plus in Lincolnshire employs about550 staff, spread across nine sites varying from20 – 100 staff each. Staff are mainly involved inclerical and customer-facing work. PCS, the relevantcivil servant union, has about 80 per cent densityof membership, with 15 union reps and four ULRs.Very little union-led learning had taken placeuntil the Collective Learning Fund pilot was setup, and both local management and the unionwere supportive.

Engaging with the employerThe Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) hasa library of e-learning materials. It runs some jobspecific training programmes but they do not leadto qualifications. It also has a very limited numberof NVQs available. A learning survey and Learningat Work event identified a high level of interestamong staff to do NVQs. While discussing withmanagement the possibility of putting in forfunding to set up a CLF, the PCS reps made it clearthat NVQs would need to be part of the offer. Thisled to a slow start because the DWP nationallywanted to have complete ownership of NVQtraining in order to monitor quality and numbers.However, management eventually agreed to signup to the initiative, and so the CLF went ahead,albeit with a slightly delayed start.

“I have been working alongside the unionsince July 2009 on the CLF project and haveenjoyed being involved in this agenda.In my eyes the working relationship hasbeen enhanced through the CLF project.”Chris Johnson Customer ServicesOperations Manager Jobcentre Plus

Co-investmentIn the words of the union learning co-ordinator,“the Collective Learning Fund has contributionsfrom all parties in cash, kind or time”, but it wasclear that the opportunity of affordable learningwas a key motivator to set up the fund.

The fund has been ‘kick started’ with the £4,000grant from unionlearn. The employer providestravel expenses for events. The employer alsogives assistance in kind – time for assessments/debriefing, flexibility, printing costs, rooms andfacilities. The learning is usually in the individual’sown time. The union contributes rep time andresources. State funding was used to meet partof the cost of the NVQ assessor training throughTrain to Gain.

The fund is managed by a steering group madeup of the learning co-ordinator from PCS, two ULRs,the PCS branch secretary and two managers, oneof whom is the human resource manager. Thesteering group meets every six weeks. It plansthe various learning events and is a forum fordiscussing and resolving difficulties and decidinghow to use the resources available.

Outputs and outcomesFrom the outset, the steering group agreedto focus energy on the arrangements for NVQlearners, although other learning was alsoencouraged. As a result, a significant numberof employees either started or finished studyingduring the pilot:

� 22 learners signed up to NVQs in CustomerService or Information, Advice and Guidanceat Levels 2, 3 and in one case Level 4

� 4 learners completed Skills for Life at Level 2

� A series of deafness and dyslexia awarenesssessions were held in work time.

Jobcentre Plus Lincolnshire

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BenefitsWhile all parties agree it is too early to assess thebenefits of the NVQ programme, certain benefitsfrom the process can be seen and all the partiesare considering how the co-funding arrangementcan be sustained in future.

The district manager’s previous experience madehim positive about the value of training (and theNVQ in particular) and he was keen for the initiativeto succeed.

On the union side, the branch secretary felt that theexistence of the fund had been empowering – andthat it had enabled the union to be an equal partyto learning-related decisions, rather than have togo ‘cap in hand’ to management.

“CLF has clearly kicked started learningopportunities that staff would not have hadbefore. This has shown a positive workingrelationship between employer/unionwhich has been a great benefit to all staff.”Graham Peck Lead ULR PCS

While the CLF helped develop a new jointrelationship on training between the union andthe employer, the branch secretary also felt it washelping to build a different relationship betweenthe union and its members and potential members– with new members and reps being recruitedas a result.

Staff also began to see PCS as having a broaderrole: the union gained credibility by being at theforefront on learning promotion days, as didmanagement for facilitating the learning. Unionreps felt that they were reaching new people forthe first time and breaking down old-fashioned

stereotypes about union activities. Staff are nowmore likely to talk to ULRs about personal cases,or will use the opportunity of a learning promotionto raise personal cases – all of which can thenbe taken up by the normal union rep.

ChallengesThere remain key challenges ahead. The CollectiveLearning Fund has been in place for barely a yearso there will be sometime before the initiative canbe said to have been embedded. The project isvery much a local partnership within a largeorganisation. This kind of bottom-up initiative willneed to find its place in what is instinctively a topdown training environment. The steering group isalso starting to look at ways to build sustainabilityinto the CLF.

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Jobcentre Plus (Lincolnshire)Graham Peck [email protected]

CLF Regional Project ManagerMary [email protected]

March 2010


BackgroundCBS Ltd manufactures prefabricated buildings –often large public sector structures like schoolsand hospitals. The company employs about 250staff at any one time doing a range of constructionand manufacturing jobs spread across twoadjacent sites. About 90 per cent of the shopfloor staff are members of the union, Unite.The union/management relationship had beendescribed as ‘hard work’, but was improving.

Engaging with the employerManagement representatives recognised thatthere were certain basic skills needs within theworkforce, which didn’t affect the actual workprocess but did cause problems in other areas,such as filling in timesheets. One union memberwas even being disciplined for a mistake arisingfrom difficulties with basic skills. The shop stewardtrained as a union learning rep (ULR) and, togetherwith the Unite learning organiser, persuaded thecompany to agree to apply for £4,000 pilot fundingfor a CLF. As part of the application, it was agreedto set up a learning committee/steering groupto manage the initiative, to establish a learningcentre and to sign a learning agreement.

“I would like to express my thanks to thecompany for allowing the CLF pilot anda learning agenda to start last year. Theintroduction of the learning centre hasgiven the opportunity for all workers toaccess learning. It is the basis of a happyand motivated workforce through thisunstable economic environment.”John Hughes Lead ULR Unite

Co-investmentThe learning agreement included some paid timeoff for employees on Skills for Life and Englishfor Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses,with matched time off for ICT learning. The generalconsensus is that without the £4,000 funding,the company would not have agreed to a jointlearning initiative.

The fund is managed by a small learningcommittee. It consists of the human resourcemanager, the ULR and the Unite learning organiser.The committee meet every two months. There aredifferent perspectives, but matters are usuallydecided by consensus. The committee’s remitcovers practical matters, learning withinthe framework of the learning agreement andparticipation in learning events (such as theFestival of Learning).

In order to identify the learning that staffwanted, a promotion day was held – with 84 staffcompleting a questionnaire and signing up forsome learning. The majority wanted ICT courses.

The CLF has been used to purchase somehardware, booklets and pay for publicity material,paper resources etc. In the future, the learningcommittee may consider some part loans/partgrants to help make learning affordable. At thisstage, all other contributions have been ‘in kind’from either the employer (the learning centre,broadband and matched time for Skills for Lifeand resources, the union (project support), theprovider (laptops) or the individual learner (time).The ICT provider also agreed to fund someConstruction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS)courses. The Skills for Life provision was providedthrough Train to Gain.

Caledonian Building Systems Ltd Carlton-on-Trent

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Outputs and outcomesIt was a Skills for Life issue that was the catalystfor the project, but members had a keen interestin learning ICT skills. To date the following outputshave been achieved:

� 31 employees attended Skills for Life coursesworking at either Level 1 or Level 2 involvingboth shop floor and office staff at managerial,supervisory and shop floor grades.

� Five employees attended introductionto ICT training.

� 59 employees attended other courses,including those obtaining the CSCS card.

BenefitsInitially there was some scepticism about theinitiative from both management and the shopfloor. Some managers were not sure the initiativewould work or even that the staff would want toengage in learning. Some on the shop floor sawthe initiative as a prelude to redundancy. Even afterthis short time, these doubts have been set aside.There is now a form of joint working that requiresnew skills and ways of discussing things.

“The CLF project has enabled a positive wayto work alongside the union instead of beingon opposing sides. For once we are workingtogether on the same agenda.”Sue Randall HR Manager CaledonianBuilding Systems Ltd

Already participants talk about the benefitsof the grant and the CLF. There is little doubt thatco-funders would not have been drawn togetherwithout the CLF project as a catalyst. The smallgrant has been multiplied several fold by thecontributions it has stimulated.

There are signs that, at a difficult economic timeof reduced orders and the subsequent introductionof short time working, this initiative has helpedmorale and raised the union’s profile on site. Ithas also been recognised as “the company doingsomething for the staff”. There is an expectationthat the learning will lead to fewer paperworkerrors, as well as helping current staff get promotedto jobs which require more skills and arebetter rewarded.

ChallengesThe site is quite isolated, with workers travellingmany miles by car to get to the site. There is littlepublic transport available, and so there is a lot ofcar sharing. Three-day working and layoffs havebeen introduced following a fall in demand forbuilding work in the current economic climate.These two factors have made it very difficult toorganise training sessions, and this will inevitablyremain a challenge for learning outside workinghours. Teaching and funding ICT learning for non-ICT users is also likely to be an ongoing challenge.

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Caledonian Building Systems LtdPam Stringer [email protected]


March 2010


BackgroundEast Midlands Trains has 2,500 staff spread overa wide area, including 800 office staff with theremainder being operational. East MidlandsTrains (and the former operator Midland Mainline)have a five year history of unions working withmanagement on learning including a learningagreement and paid time off (up to 35 hours eachyear) for Skills for LIfe. Following the take-over, theon-set of the recession and a change of attitudeof the employer, the CLF has helped the existinglearning initiative continue to offer learning tomembers – and it has also helped it to respondto the company’s extended area of operation(following absorption of new routes). The companyorganise their own job-related vocational trainingand legally required training. The company offersNVQs in customer service and ITQ in associationwith the unions.

Engaging with the employerThe CLF was initiated by the rail union ASLEF.Following discussions with the other relevantunions and the company, an application wassubmitted to unionlearn with the company andthe union agreeing to make a contribution to thefund. The CLF was seen as a way of building onand developing the workplace learning initiativethat had existed for five years in the contextof the company takeover and the changingfunding regime.

The steering group is made up of a representativefrom management, the original rail union learningproject worker, the lead ULR from each of the threerail unions and a representative from unionlearn.The fund is held in a separate bank account andincome/expenditure is reported to the steeringgroup. Although the other union reps (e.g. theconvenor) are not represented on the group,regular reports are given to the company councilrep (convenor) and the union reps committee.

The steering group reviews the identified trainingneeds and plans the arrangement of courses,bearing in mind the resources available eitherin the CLF or in kind. The fund has been used to payfor publicity materials and to subsidise learning.

Co-investmentThe fund received a grant of £4,000 fromunionlearn, £1,600 from the employer and£1,000 from the lead union (ASLEF). Individualsalso co-fund their learning if a fee is involved– contributing a total of £1,080 to date. Theamount of the individual fee contributionvaries from course to course depending on thearrangements negotiated with the provider. Forexample, the individual fee for the British SignLanguage course was set at £30. The Governmentalso funds some learning through Train to Gain,such as Skills for Life, NVQs, ITQ. There arein-kind contributions from the employer(use of rooms and travel passes for learners),unions (representative time, office resources)and from the individual (their study time).

Outputs and outcomesThe company already provided legally requiredtraining for train operators and some NVQs. Theydid not see the need for union involvement withjob-related training (for example, the NVQs), sothe range of learning tended to be of a broadercareer and personal development kind. Early inthe project, the company withdrew its commitmentto provide 35 hours time for Skills for Life learners.

During the period of the project, the followingcourses were taken up:

� ICT: 32 learners

� NVQ Business Admin Level 2: 5 learners

� Personal development/other learning:109 learners, including 13 on Bricklaying andPlastering taster courses, 57 on British SignLanguage (Level 1), and 19 on IntroductorySpanish (Entry Level 3).

East Midlands Trains Derby

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BenefitsBut as well as these particular learning outcomes,the CLF pilot has had some broader effects.Learners have become more confident. There issome evidence of greater confidence in takinginternal tests that are required for promotion withinthe company (for example moving up to train drivergrades). Employees have become more positiveabout learning with some evidence of progression(for example, moving from taster course to anumeracy Skills for Life certificate to an OpenUniversity course).

“We have been through difficult times withnew owners and with the changes to adultlearning funding policies. The CLF helped usto keep learning going in these difficultcircumstances” Chris Nutty Union LearningCo-ordinator ASLEF

The fund helped to develop solid relationships– particularly between the unions – at a time offragmentation, and has kept a point of contactgoing with the company. It has helped to keeplearning going when funding has been cutelsewhere. It has also helped to give the ULRssome flexibility – knowing that if there is anemergency (e.g. course numbers drop), coursescan carry on. It has given the unions more of a‘presence’ in the workplace and has led to therecruitment of some new members.

The CLF has helped ULRs focus on how and whatto fund, and on how to use a small fee to securemembers’ commitment to completing a coursethey have started – but small enough for it notto be a barrier to participation in learning.

ChallengesA fundamental and structural problem is thedispersed nature of the employment. This forexample means that the learning needs to beestablished at a number of different locations– in the case of Skills for Life, five venues wereused. This was partially eased by the employeragreeing to provide travel passes to learners.

However a problem for the project has beenthe difficult employment relationship involvingredundancies, changes to pensions and otherterms and conditions of employment. This wasdamaging to morale but has also had a directeffect on the project through the withdrawalof paid time off for Skills for Life.

These difficulties have been compounded bythe changes to the funding of adult learningmaking it less affordable for those outsideTrain to Gain funded learning.

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East Midlands Trains (Derby)Chris Nutty [email protected]


March 2010




March 2010

Photography © Roy Peters

Designwww.wave.coop

PrintNewnorth

unionlearn Congress House London WC1B 3LS

Tel 020 7079 6920Fax 020 7079 6921


All unionlearn publications maybe made available for dyslexic or visually impaired readers, onrequest, in an agreed electronicformat or in accessible formatssuch as Braille, audiotape andlarge print, at no extra cost.


Case Studies

Documents

Co-investing in Learning - Collective Learning Fund Pilots in the East Midlands