Over the last few years, the STUC has been working towards the development of Scottish Union Learning to produce a step change in union-led learning in Scotland. Scottish Union Learning brings together the work of the STUC Skills & Lifelong Learning Team and TUC Education in Scotland. It administers the Scottish Union Learning Fund and mirrors the development of the TUC’s unionlearn in England. The funding and governance structure for Scottish Union Learning are in place and, through working in partnership with unions, it will drive forward union-led learning.
Scottish Union Learning is run by unions for unions. This is being achieved in part through the creation of a Scottish Union Learning Board that will govern the new structure by agreeing and monitoring its business, operational and financial plans. The Board, which is accountable to the STUC General Council, consists of 12 union representatives appointed by the General Council.
The General Council has appointed Anne Douglas (Prospect) as the Chairperson of the Scottish Union Learning Board.
The other Board members are Harry Donaldson, GMB; Harry Frew, UCATT; Lynn Henderson, PCS; Kevin Lindsay, ASLEF; John Brown, CWU; Mark Lynch, Young Workers’ Representative; John Keggie, UNISON; and Jackson Cullinane, UNITE. The STUC General Secretary is an ex-officio member of the Board and Liz Rees, the Head of Trade Union Education, is the TUC’s nominee. In addition, the Scottish Government has appointed Hugh McAloon as an observer to the Board.
The Board is supported by a Scottish Union Advisory Group and a Partners Forum. The Scottish Union Advisory Group, which will be established following the launch of Scottish Union Learning, will be open to all STUC affiliated unions with an interest union led learning. The Scottish Partners Forum will be a body of external experts from key learning and skills organisations in Scotland committed to supporting union led learning.
The Scottish Government’s substantial investment in establishing Scottish Union Learning is recognition of the contribution that unions have made to improving the quality and quantity of learning available at Scottish workplace and the knowledge and skills of Scotland’s workers.
Aims and Objectives
Scottish Union Learning supports trade unions in accessing skills and lifelong learning opportunities that contribute to collective prosperity, fairness and equality, for workers across Scotland.
The broad objectives and functions of Scottish Union Learning are to:
Help unions extend and add value to their learning services.
Substantially increase the number of union members accessing learning, particularly those with few or no qualifications, and to assist learners to progress.
Assist unions to build capacity and to develop more strategic approaches to learning and related workplace issues.
Help unions to have maximum impact on and influence over the work of Sector Skills Councils and sector skills agreements in Scotland.
Help mainstream and sustain good union practice.
Help unions to integrate their learning agenda with bargaining and organising structures to develop the union to members and potential members.
Develop new courses and learning methods.
Provide high quality branded services.
Substantially increase the overall funding for union learning.
Grow the number of workplace representatives.
Develop effective support to workplace representatives.
Deliver development opportunities for union professionals and officers in Scotland.
For further information, please contact:
Scottish Union Learning
333 Woodlands Road
Glasgow, G3 6NG
Tel: 0141 337 8111
Fax: 0141 337 8101
send an Email
Scottish Union Learning publishes a report on its services and activities each year.
Please note: File may take a few minutes to download; please be patient.