General Council Meetings - The STUC

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Councils, were discussed. The General Secretary has
liaised with the other union representatives on the
Commission, Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, and
Dave Prentis, the General Secretary of Unison.
At its bi-annual meeting with the First Minister in January
2008, the General Council discussed the issue of skills
utilisation and agreed a joint communiqué with the
Scottish Government on the issue. The communiqué
emphasises the importance of the quality of the
workplace environment in enabling workers to apply
their skills productively and commits the General Council
to work with the Government to address the issue of skills
utilisation.
Arising from discussions at the first meeting of the
Scottish Government’s National Economic Forum, the
General Secretary and a member of the Secretariat
accompanied the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary
for Education and Lifelong Learning on a visit to the
Republic of Ireland, to discuss with Irish Government
officials its National Workplace Strategy and the lessons it
might offer for Scotland in the context of skills utilisation.
The Scottish Government has given a commitment to
work with the STUC in this regard and, at the time of
reporting, discussions are on-going with Scottish
Ministers and Government officials.
UNION LEARNING SERVICES
In 2005, the General Council concluded negotiations with
the then Scottish Executive over the consolidation of
funding for union learning activity for the period until
March 2008. This funding of £1.4m over a three year
period is now in its final year. This has enabled the
General Council, through the STUC Skills & Lifelong
Learning Team, to address the needs of the STUC’s
affiliates by the continued development of a range of
learning services and partnerships across Scotland. In
November 2007, the Scottish Government announced
further funding of £4.2m over the next three years for the
STUC Scottish Union Academy and the continuation of the
Scottish Union Learning Fund.
STUC SKILLS & LIFELONG
LEARNING TEAM
During the year, the STUC Skills & Learning Team (SALLT)
has continued to build on the achievements of the
previous STUC Lifelong Learning Unit and to develop and
expand the learning services available to address the
needs of affiliates. The team has begun to finalise the
foundations for a Scottish Union Academy, paralleling the
creation, by the TUC, of unionlearn in England.
The team has been together now since January 2006 and
consists of:
Sylvia O’Grady Skills & Lifelong Learning Team
Manager
Wendy Burton Development Officer – Everyday
Skills
John Slaven Development Officer
Thomas Walker Development Officer
Pamela Urquhart Development Officer – Highlands &
Islands
Jennifer Payne Marketing Officer
Alice Fleeting Administrative Assistant
Victoria King Administrative Assistant – Highlands
& Islands
In addition to this, John Adams, who joined the STUC as
Finance Officer in January 2006, provides specific
support to the team and Ann Garscadden also provides
additional administrative support.
The team will finish year three of the Business Plan
agreed with the then Scottish Executive at the end of
March 2008. A Business Plan for 2008–2011 will be
agreed with the Scottish Government, corresponding to
the period of continued funding of union led learning in
Scotland.
The team’s top priority continues to be working with
unions to support and develop their work on skills and
learning. Since the General Council took over
administration of the Scottish Union Learning Fund
(SULF) in April 2006, the team has supported the
integration of everyday skills within union lifelong
learning activity, and has prompted further development
of lifelong learning initiatives specific to the Highlands
and Islands. Additionally, union members have benefited
from the funding provided to TUC Education in Scotland
to support its programme of union rep training.
The Business Plan identifies the specific services and
activities required of the General Council in the period to
March 2008. These activities were intended to achieve the
strategic development of the role of unions in supporting
learning and skills acquisition by members; development
of the capacity of trade unions to support learning and
skills acquisition; development and coordination of
everyday skills/literacy programmes through unions; and
focused support for trade unions in delivering support to
members, activists and officials.
Funding from the EU EQUAL project led by the TUC,
which tied in the ongoing development work of
unionlearn in England with developments in Scotland, has
now ceased. As well as bringing in additional funding to
the STUC, this project allowed for the sharing of
information and experience of work around
developments in lifelong learning in the UK and other
countries in Europe.
ACTIVITY IN THE
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS
General Council activity on lifelong learning is now in its
sixth year in the Highlands and Islands. The key focus of
the STUC Highlands & Islands SALLT, based in Inverness,
is to work to sustain and develop the trade union learning
infrastructure in the area, while working with unions to
raise the profile of lifelong learning with trade union
members, key partners and employers.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS