Turning a Corner
5/8/2011
Sometimes you wonder if workplaces have really understood the meaning of the learning agenda. Is it just words or government speak to make workers believe that, if they educate themselves, they will progress and the working life will become easy?
Well, to be honest, it’s up to the individual.
Support can come from trade unions, college providers and even the workplaces. But when this combination comes to together, ‘WOW’, it works with a passion.
A place with this combination is DHL / Homebase, Northants. Learners at this workplace have taken to education like a ‘fit duck to a busy pond’, through help from URTU and its workplace reps and support from the URTU project and DHL managers on site.
What’s happened to warrant this praise? Apprenticeships. This workplace has become the first URTU recognised workplace to take the challenge with apprenticeships for the staff.
Thirty members of staff, over all the shifts, have signed to take the challenge and become apprentices. Education provider, Stephenson College, from Leicestershire, have supported the goal of delivering the apprenticeships at the workplace.
But it does not stop there! A successful ‘Stop Smoking’ campaign has been continuing within this workplace organised, once again, with URTU reps support and effort.
This joint NHS / URTU support group has been so successful that the NHS ‘Stop Smoking’ campaign in Northamptonshire have agreed to have this workplace group continue indefinitely.
Good news at workplaces is always a cause for celebration. This workplace has proven that people in workplaces do want to get involved with the learning agenda and will create time to learn, especially if they have good support from managers, trade unions and a good provider.
This shows that education in the workplace has turned a corner.
Barry Marks
URTU ULF Project Worker
