UNISON has helped apprentices at The Borough of Poole access the training opportunities they want by launching an Apprentice Learning Network (ALN) at the south-west local authority that is run by the apprentices themselves.

Creating the ALN was the brainchild of the then Poole Local Government Branch Lifelong Learning Coordinator Pete Stratford, whose own experience both in promoting workplace learning through the union and in managing apprentices in his team at the council was behind the move.

Pete said:

While there is an apprentice lead in HR who does a great job, I was aware that apprentices didn't really have the opportunity to get together, share their experiences and take on learning beyond what they need for their training.”

We wanted to make sure that apprentices got a positive experience while they are in employment and developed an awareness of trade unions and what we can do for them plus, as union members, we wanted to make sure that they were not seen as a low-cost alternative to full-time jobs.”

With close to 30 years’ experience in local government behind him, Pete recognised that one key priority would be to address the variation in culture in different parts of the council.

Pete explained:

There are some managers who see apprenticeships as the learning opportunity that they are and there are some – perhaps because they are under pressure to make savings – who are less concerned with good practice.”

One thing I wanted to do when we set up the network was the find out where there was less good practice and compare that with places where there was good practice so that we could try to level everyone up.”

Working in partnership with the HR department at the local authority (management and unions signed a learning agreement in summer 2016), Pete invited the 30 or so apprentices at the council to a lunchtime launch of the ALN, which included an attractive lunch provided with the help of a grant from UNISON Learning and Organising Services (LAOS).

After introductory talks from Pete and his HR counterpart about why they were launching the network and how they wanted the apprentices themselves to take the lead, they moved on to ice-breaking exercises so the roughly 20 apprentices in attendance could get to know each other, since they came from a range of departments at the authority.

Initially three apprentices put their names forward to run the network, but it’s Freya Kendall and Nick Hillman who have now taken the reins, as the third volunteer has since moved on.

Freya is a marketing apprentice for Skills & Learning Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole (Adult Learning) (SLBDP), the three-way partnership that delivers learning services for the three authorities.

Nick is now on a Level 3 customer services apprenticeship in the taxation and billing department of the Stour Valley and Poole Partnership (SVPP), which provides revenues and benefits services to four neighbouring councils including The Borough of Poole (Nick completed his Level 2 in business administration last year).

Freya admits she needed a little encouragement to help run the network. Freya said:

I was a bit sceptical at first because I had a lot on my plate and thought taking on another role would be hard but I am passionate about learning and well-being and I’m really glad I took the opportunity.”

Nick was particularly interested in finding more opportunities to shadow established full-time colleagues.

Nick explained:

Shadowing opportunities are really useful because they help us collect evidence for our course that shows that you can speak to customers or know how to do particular tasks.”

I’ve done one where I’ve shadowed a colleague in the taxation enforcement team, which is really useful because I’m normally working at the first stage of getting a bill right and wouldn't usually see how that develops down the chain of different teams.”

I found it really interesting and it helped me with lots of evidence through speaking to customers who are further down the line.”

Since Nick and Freya took over running the ALN, they have organised three more meetings that have included team-building exercises to help develop participants’ employability skills, additional learning opportunities through UNISON and, most recently, mental health and well-being.

Nick said:

We asked the apprentices what kind of training they wanted and a surprising amount of them – including a lot of the male ones – came back and said ‘mental health and well-being,’ which was quite an eye-opener.”

At the session, a tutor from Skills and Learning: Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole spoke about the importance of looking after mental health and stayed for one-to-one discussions with apprentices who wanted to talk to her afterwards.

Nick said:

This was the third meeting of the network that we have organised and it was probably our best-attended: everyone was really happy that they had been able to ask for some training and then got it through this joint venture of UNISON and HR,” Nick says.

The next meeting of the network is set to help participants improve their CV writing and job interview skills – something else network members themselves have asked for.

For Freya, the success of the network is down to self-organisation and she said:

The Apprentice Learning Network is designed to get the apprentices involved! We welcome suggestions so we can tailor our sessions to meet their learning needs.”

It works because it’s run by apprentices – although we won't be apprentices forever! We hope that current apprentices will take over and continue the success of the network as long as the apprenticeship scheme runs."

And it’s not only the apprentices who are liking what they hear: managers are getting in touch with Freya and Nick to make sure that the apprentices in their own team don’t miss out on opportunities through the network.

Nick said:

We’ve had managers come to us saying, ‘Can we send our apprentices to this session?’ We’re really happy that managers are thinking it's a really good idea that their apprentices attend these events."

Pete says that while many apprentices arrive at the council with outdated and stereotyped ideas about unions, they tend to be more open-minded than some older workers.

Pete said:

This new generation coming through are a bit more politically aware, more socially aware, and more switched on than they are sometimes given credit for, so once they do find out what unions are really about, they’re very receptive and ready to be part of it.”

While he has recently retired from the council, Pete has maintained his connection with the network, and recently attended UNISON’s Power of the ULR event with Freya and Nick (the three of them delivered a joint presentation at the event about the network).

Meanwhile, Freya and Nick have also taken on another job-share as young members’ officer for the UNISON Poole Local Government Branch. Nick added:

It’s been really good – we’ve learned a lot more about how councils work by attending branch meetings because you actually see what goes on rather than just our little world."

Our Branch Secretary Kevin Judd has been excellent – if I’ve ever got any questions I can go to him and my managers at SVPP (Stour Valley and Poole Partnership) have been excellent as well, they’ve been so supportive.”

Freya and Nick will be speaking about their experiences at a fringe meeting at this year’s UNISON Local Government Conference this summer, which Nick is also attending as a delegate.

Nick said:

They asked who wants to go and I just put my hand up: I say Yes to a lot of things because that’s how you get anywhere!”

Pete Stratford (Poole Local Government Branch Lifelong Learning Coordinator Pete Stratford) with apprentices Freya Kendall and Nick Hillman.

© Jess Hurd