Value My Skills cards are a popular way to explore mid-life career options, as Unite Union Learning Rep (ULR) Richard Gilbert found out after hearing about them at a unionlearn conference in Leeds.

Value My Skills are an interactive card game to help Union Learning Reps (ULRs) work with their colleagues to help identify transferable skills. The cards are particularly useful if people are interested in a new job, a course, a promotion or some voluntary work. They help the users to think about the skills they’ve already developed, want to develop in the future and provide the right words to describe your skills in a CV, application form or covering letter. The cards can be used by individuals or in a group, where everyone helps each other to think about their skills.

Richard works for Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing, an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) set up by Kirklees Council, and has been using the unionlearn resource to support members.

Richard explains:

I started to use the Value My Skills cards to help members who were facing having their employment terminated on health grounds.

Some left and some had the process stopped due to the skills sets they had being recognised - which made their service managers rethink.

More recently myself and other ULRs have been helping individuals who are at risk of redundancy."

Richard felt that the cards helped people realise they had more skills than they thought they had, and rather than simply fill in a questionnaire the cards encouraged people to talk with ULRs about how confident they are at performing certain skills.

Richard said:

The cards have a benefit and by having a two-way dialogue with those you are working with is certainly a more human approach.

Being able to challenge choices put down we can reason and hopefully the light bulb turns on for them.

The random approach of the cards and the interactive nature of them keeps a focus as opposed to boredom and frustration following a check list or questionnaire.

Keeping a running record also helps i.e. something to take away etc."

The cards have helped members explore mid-life career choices, and the majority found sessions very useful and eye opening. It allowed them to stop and pause, focus and see a route for moving forward. 

The way the cards help people focus on skills' needs was particularly useful as Richard explained:

What was apparent was the areas where they felt underdeveloped or adequate. Using the cards led to the realisation that they could focus more attention in the short term and make improvements moving forward."

One interesting aspect that came out of using the Value My Skills cards was the attitude of their employer. In the beginning Richard felt that some management staff were not that supportive, though Directors and Heads of Service have always been behind the learning agenda. However:

As time goes by a change is taking place and not just with the “value of skills” but in the benefit of education and skills improvement.

Learning and Development departments feel that we are encroaching upon their area of influence however their methods felt a little cold and colleagues were reluctant to approach them due to obvious fears and uncertainty.

Heads of Service and Directors have asked for our help and those have been supportive as they have with the other learning work we do."

Richard said he would recommend Value My Skills cards to any ULRs who are supporting staff exploring ways to utilise their skills and build up those that need development.

If you are thinking of using them it’s simple – go for it. With most things like this there is nothing to lose yet everything to gain!"

Unionlearn Project Officer Jane Warwick added:

It’s fantastic to hear that Richard has gained the support of the management team and that the activity has helped prevent job losses. Richard's support really highlights the flexibility of the Value My Skills cards."

To find out more about Value My Skills cards – and to order packs – go to: https://tinyurl.com/y95dmf4b