Right from its first days as Adult Learners Week, Usdaw ULRs have used Learning @ Work week to promote Usdaw’s learning campaign. The events organised in the North West show how different workplaces have each used Learning @ Work Week in their own way to support Usdaw’s campaign.

North West Project Worker Julia Baldwin said;

I co-ordinated six workplace promotion events for the 2017 Learning at Work Week,”

We covered both retail and non-retail workplaces and ranged from a one-day event to a week- long series of five inter-connected events.  Each promotion event was underpinned with the overall aim of promoting learning to staff by the ULR team, supported by providers, Mobile ULRs, the Project Worker and site management teams”

In McVities Manchester, the campaign was delivered in the Learn 4 U centre and staff canteen.  The promotion was supported by the ULR team and Shop Stewards, a range of different providers and volunteer / community groups. It was linked to Usdaw’s National Parents and Careers Spotlight day to show how learning can enhance the campaign and provide something different.  The management team form Morrison’s at Colne attended the event to get an insight into Lifelong Learning best practice and running a Learning Centre.

At the Tesco Deysbrook store there was a focus on digital skills which linked into the joint Usdaw/Tesco initiative to survey digital skills and improve staffs’ ability to make use of Tesco and Usdaw digital services. It was supported by the Mobile Union Learning Rep and the store rep team who linked learning to the National Parents and Careers Spotlight day.

At Tesco Stoke ULR Julie Nicklin runs a week-long promotion every year with a different theme every day. 

Julia said; 

Julie tries to think outside of the box and use different methods to promote learning,”

This year’s themes included Maths and English days, digital skills, Distance Learning courses and Languages.  

Paul Thomas is the store’s Area Organiser, he said.

Julie is great at using different ways to engage staff with learning - quizzes; games; competitions - linking them to learning in a fun and informative way.”

I am proud that Julie is one of my reps, she goes the extra mile every day to support her members in work and through the years has built a culture of learning in her store in Stoke.”  

At the Co-Op Lea Green Distribution Centre, promotions took place in the staff canteen and union office and survey cards were used to gauge learner interest.  The URs also launched a learning wall to celebrate learner’s achievements, displaying certificates names and photographs on the stairway leading to the Learning Centre.   They also promoted the forthcoming car boot sale and Co-Op fun day which is run in partnership with the company to raise funds for the Learning Centre.

The Sainsbury’s Biddulph and Sainsbury’s Leek ULRs organised their events around digital inclusion in events supported by the store ULRs and Mobile ULR for the area.  The campaign was planned and in partnership with the Training and HR manager where the new ‘My Sainsbury’s’ was promoted.  Digital Surveys were completed and 4 Digital Champions recruited.

At DHL Stoke the events were across the full week by the ULRs.  Each day consisted of general promotion of learning alongside a specific theme.  They included; Functional Skills, Digital Inclusion and IT, Joint Pensions Awareness campaign and Legal Plus.  For the Legal Plus campaign, the Union’s solicitors were on-site to offer people access to the free will writing service.