How should Trade Union Education be delivered? On-line Learning rocketed upwards during the pandemic allowing thousands more Union members to learn at home rather than travelling to a College or other venue. This helped large numbers of eg women and parents. Yet many others feel that face to face Learning is stronger, allowing a shared sense of community and helping new Reps grow confidence. Some Union learners don’t like classrooms (they may not have positive memories), should unions expand e-learning and make more use of their own Offices? Some Union staff and activists are trained to act as Tutors, others use the pedagogical, expertise of e.g. FE staff. Some unions largely deliver their own Education programmes. Others work closely with providers such as Colleges, Universities, the WEA, subject specialists or new organisations like The Learning Curve. Should the TUC coordinate training? And channel funding? Trade Union Education methods are famously Lerner centred, democratic and collective; how best should that tradition be developed?
Speakers include: Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary, Prospect and Professor Mark Stuart, Leeds University Business School and expert on the Union Learning Fund.
Chair: Tom Wilson, former Head of Unionlearn
IHR Seminar Series: History & Policy Trade Union Forum
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