Funding learning in the North East

More workplace learning projects in the north-east of England will be able to receive financial backing, as the TUC Northern region has secured funding from the Learning and Skills Council and development agency One NorthEast to continue its Learning for All Fund (LfAF) into 2006/07.

Launched in 2002 as the first regional fund of its kind in England, the LfAF has enabled 48 projects to deliver workplace or community learning initiatives to their members so far. With 250 employers engaged in learning partnerships and 27 workplace learning centres established in the past four years, 13,000 more adults in the region have participated in learning.

Unions are now being encouraged to submit bids for new projects in the region, with a deadline of Friday 3 March. The LfAF is particularly looking for schemes that will help to:

* increase the number of union learning reps (ULRs) trained in the region – more than 700 new ULRs have been trained through the LfAF to date;

* develop and strengthen partnerships with employers and/or engage new employers in lifelong learning initiatives;

* address barriers to learning and increase participation in learning;

* address the needs of adults with poor numeracy or literacy skills; and

* establish effective delivery partnerships with providers.

For more information, call the Northern TUC on 0191 232 3175.