GMB North West & Irish Region
30 May 2013
Kirklees Council is one of the few councils in Yorkshire and Humberside to actively progress joint working with the Trade Unions to support functional skills in the workforce. The new partnership was launched on May 20 at Huddersfield Town Hall. It recognises the special role Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) are able to play to encourage employees to come forward and develop their English and Maths skills. 
 
As one of the local employers, the council wants to lead by example to create the right environment for staff knowing that it can be a sensitive issue for individuals. Participation is on a voluntary basis. 
Supporting employees by providing training and development opportunities can achieve improvements in work performance, support career development and improve confidence to gain new skills in a rapidly changing work environment. Improving numeracy and literacy skills can also have very positive benefit in home and community life. 
 
Kirklees College is also supporting this initiative. Kirklees residents and businesses can get more details on the College’s functional skills offer by contacting 01484 437000.
The launch is part of Adult Learners’ Week 2013 which is the UK’s largest learning campaign to encourage more adults to give learning a go. This can involve catching up on skills not learnt at school, to learn for or at work, to learn for fun or meet new people.
 
Council Leader Cllr Mehboob Khan, said: “The council and Trade Unions have thought long and hard about the approach to promoting and delivering an effective learning package around English and Maths skills. The support the Trade Unions are providing is invaluable and will hopefully lead to a big uptake initially in the 2 pilot areas and then later in the year across the whole council. 
“Trade Union Learner Representatives (ULRs) have a key role to play in helping promote and encourage learning. They are recognised for motivating and creating enthusiasm amongst their friends and colleagues and are someone employees can trust and feel comfortable and confident approaching over any training needs. 
 
“The council has always valued our employees and appreciates the vast wealth of knowledge and skills our employees hold, but with the introduction of new technologies and new ways of working, we need to continue to support our staff by continuing to invest in their development and lifelong learning”.