Unions funded for learning schemes

Bus drivers and bakers are two of the groups set to benefit from the latest round of Union Learning Fund (ULF) money, announced in December 2001 by minister for adult skills John Healey.

The ULF finances union projects which encourage and support learning in the workplace by helping members access learning and training opportunities. For 2002-2003 the fund has £9 million, of which £2 million is for projects which enhance basic skills.

In the latest round a total of 29 bids were approved with £2.5 million of funding. Eleven of them focus on helping workers to improve their basic literacy and numeracy skills. These include the following:

* the bakers' union, BFAWU, will be providing tutor support to workers on the night shift at the Burtons food factory in Blackpool, to enable them to access online learning opportunities; and

* London bus employees, who have traditionally missed out on learning opportunities at work because of the unsocial hours of the shifts they work, will benefit from a new T&G-run mobile learning centre. The converted bus will travel around the bus garages of Metroline in north London allowing the workforce to enhance basic skills and information and communication technology skills and get advice from union learning reps.

There are also projects providing access to training for professional development.