General Council Meetings - The STUC

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Agreements and that the Agreements contain effective
strategies for union engagement.
There are now 20 Sector Skills Councils who have
completed and launched Sector Skills Agreements. The
final five are nearing completion, with an end date of
approximately March 2008.
Through the Trade Union Group on Working with Sector
Skills Councils, the General Council has initiated a
programme to review Sector Skills Agreements. So far,
three SSAs have been reviewed, and it is intended that this
activity will continue as part of the work of the SUA. The
new SUA will look at developing a Skills Network in
Scotland to look at taking forward engagement with SSCs,
and to provide the opportunity for unions to be involved
and influence the SSC network.
CO-OPERATION WITH THE TUC
The General Council continues to work closely with the
TUC, to ensure a comprehensive range of support is
available to affiliates in Scotland. There has continued to
be close cooperation on Sector Skills Councils and the
developing Sector Skills Agreements.
The General Secretary was appointed to the Union
Advisory Group of unionlearn in February 2007. The
General Council was also a partner in the TUC’s EU
EQUAL “High Road” Project, which supported the
development of unionlearn in England. Members of the
SALLT regularly attended the unionlearn Implementation
Group meetings and TUC Skills Policy Network meetings.
The General Council was represented at a number of
unionlearn events over the year. While the EQUAL ‘High
Road’ Project finished in December 2007, the close
relationship established with unionlearn, as a result of the
Project, continues to inform the development of the SUA
in Scotland.
The General Council continues to work in partnership
with the TUC on the structure and governance of the
Scottish Union Academy, and the TUC General Council will
be invited to nominate a representative to serve on the
Board of the Academy. The SALLT and TUC Education in
Scotland will work together under agreed common
branding to provide the services of the new Academy.
TUC EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND
The General Council and the TUC have supported joint
working and greater co-ordination of activity between the
TUC’s Scottish Education Officer and the SALLT as part of
the dialogue aimed at establishing a joint strategy for
trade union education and learning services in Scotland.
As a result of the General Council’s success in persuading
Ministers to restore public funding for the TUC Education
Programme in Scotland, funding continues to be
channelled through the STUC’s SALLT budget. TUC
Education received £120,000 in funding in 2007. The
funding will continue at this level for the next three years
as part of the overall allocation of £4.2m to union
learning in Scotland.
The SALLT has worked with the TUC’s Scottish Education
Officer to promote trade union education, offered
through the TUC supported programme of courses,
provided by the network of further education college
trade union studies departments. The SALLT has been
working closely with the TUC, colleges and providers to
anticipate and coordinate demand, in order to ensure a
greater uptake of available courses throughout Scotland.
ENGAGEMENT WITH LECS
Regular contact was maintained with Scottish and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise during the year on
learning and skills issues. The General Secretary
delivered a presentation to the SE Skills Managers in
August 2007 on the work of union learning. It is
anticipated that new arrangements will now be developed
with the new skills agency, Skills Development Scotland.
LIAISON WITH PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
During the year, the General Council has maintained
contact with a number of organisations operating in the
lifelong learning field.
Regular contact has been maintained with learndirect
scotland, ILA Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications
Authority, Future Skills Scotland, Careers Scotland,
Communities Scotland, the Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework, the Sector Skills Development
Board, the Funding Council, the Open University, Scottish
Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the
Further Education Colleges through SFEU.
The General Council is represented on the Modern
Apprenticeship Group by the Skills & Lifelong Learning
Manager. In October 2007, the General Secretary
accepted an invitation to become a member of the
Scottish Funding Council’s Skills Committee.
OPEN UNIVERSITY
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with The
Open University in Scotland in May 2007. The agreement
was signed by the General Secretary and Peter Syme,
Scottish Director of The Open University in Rolls Royce,
Inchinnan, a workplace that has a successful history of
trade union and employer partnership in learning
opportunities.
The MOU does not replace current procedures individual
unions have in working with the OU. The agreement
outlines how the two organisations will work together to
ensure that those, who have previously benefited least
from education and training, can develop their skills,
confidence and careers through access to higher
education. A key element of the agreement was to offer a
10% discount on a wide range of courses to union
members, who are new to studying with the OU.
Through the SALLT, the General Council began
collaborating with the Open University to develop a
strategic approach in promoting OU learning
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS