Usdaw Union Learning Rep (ULR) Trish Baldwin has been presented with the unionlearn ULR of the Year Award for Supporting Learners with Digital needs at this year’s unionlearn Annual Conference at TUC Congress House in London.

Trish Baldwin works as a Customer Assistant at Tesco’s Hall Road Superstore in Hull and was presented with her award by TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady and Skills Minister Anne Milton MP at the annual gathering of learning reps, union officers and education providers.

Over the last two years Trish has done a massive amount of work with her members around ICT needs, working closely with store management and her mobile ULR, Tracy White, Trish was able to identify that many of the staff in store struggled with ICT and needed to improve their digital skills and encouraged them to get back into learning.

Lack of basic ICT skills was putting Trish's' members at a disadvantage both at home and at work with more and more of Tesco systems going online. Working with Tracy, Trish ran a series of events showcasing ICT, allowing people to complete a ICT skills assessment and then running a series of workshops to support the staff.

The workshops were themed around work systems, online payslips, ordering your uniform and the colleague room (Tesco staff site), and Trish could then sign post on to other free learning such as Usdaw’s Get on line or Learn My Way.

Trish said:

I am so proud to win this award for supporting learners with digital needs. At this store we have a lot of people in their 50’s and 60’s who don’t have a smart phone, don’t know how to use a computer.”

So we asked what can we do to support these people. We decided we would set up a learning centre with computers so that people who are not comfortable with computers can play. We have got Get Online with Usdaw and it’s been really quite successful.”

I really love being a ULR, I love to see people coming to me not sure what they’re wanting, and then to see them develop and end up with a diploma at end of it – there’s not a feeling like it.”

Martyn Warwick, Life Long Learning Organiser with Usdaw, said:

Usdaw is really proud of the work that Trish has done. It showcases the work that she has been doing to support our members in improving their digital skills.”

As a community champion and shop steward in store Trish is all about helping and supporting other, the ULR role is just an extension of that and whether its support peoples maths, English or ICT skills or running a massive programme of dementia awareness with the store and community Trish is always at the heart.”

Gavin O’Neill, Store Director, North Yorkshire, Tesco said:

The use of technology is becoming more important in our colleague’s lives, but not all our colleagues are that confident to use technology. But the work that Trish and our team at the store has done has been fantastic, and colleagues have really welcomed it, and the help they have received.”

Unionlearn Director, Kevin Rowan, said:

The unionlearn Annual Conference celebrates workplace learning and the role of unions in supporting members across the country. Union Learning Reps are vital in promoting learning and skills development, which not only helps workers, but also employers – and the award recognise all their hard work.”

Trish has done a fantastic job over the last year supporting digital skills at the Tesco Superstore in Hull, and encouraging staff to go online. Unionlearn is very pleased to present her with the 2018 ULR Award for Supporting Learners with Digital Needs.”