Taking control of professional development

Professional development is a thorny issue. Everybody agrees that investing in skilled staff is important, but too often the process leaves staff feeling less valued - not more.

NATFHE LEARNING REPS

NATFHE's Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) are a new category of activists who play an important role in dealing with professional development, training and learning needs in NATFHE branches and workplaces. By working with the branch and management, ULRs ensure that staff training needs are met and that management does not solely control the learning and professional development agenda.

In order to be accredited as a ULR, activists need to complete NATFHE's tailored three-day training course. You have a right to paid time off to attend the training, in addition to your branch's current allocation of time off.

WHAT DOES A LEARNING REP DO?

NATFHE Learning Reps help other NATFHE members access learning opportunities such as professional development, training, vocational education or even recreational courses.

They share a level of trust with their members and intervene to ensure that staff development opportunities and training meets the needs of fellow members and such opportunities are fairly distributed. Union members have the right to access their NATFHE Learning Reps during work time, but the employer is not obliged to pay the worker during this time.

Their work mostly involves face-to-face meetings and other direct contact with their fellow workers. They assist individuals by:
• analysing individuals learning or training needs
• providing information and advice about learning or training matters
• arranging or helping to arrange learning and training.

They also work with employers and training providers to identify the range of learning opportunities available and play a general role in encouraging learning by:
• promoting the value of learning and training to staff
• consulting the employer about learning issues
• negotiating, or helping negotiate, learning agreements with the employer to facilitate staff learning.

NATFHE Learning Reps also play an active part in NATFHE branch life and get the full support of the branch and its membership. Detailed information and advice on carrying out this important role are contained in Bargaining for Staff Development - a Practical Guide for FE Learning Reps (Word doc).

WHY BECOME A NATFHE LEARNING REP?

People have different reasons for becoming a Learning Rep. Many are already established union representatives who have become interested in the staff development and training agenda and wish to promote the benefits of learning amongst the membership. Others are trade union members who have had good experiences of learning and want to promote its value. Some have been encouraged back into learning by an established ULR and want to encourage other colleagues to take advantage of the opportunities available.

Whatever the reason the vast majority of ULR have found the role both challenging and rewarding. Literally thousands of trade union members are now involved in learning in some form or other, increasing their work base skills or exploring subjects they have a personal interest in.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL I GET AS A LEARNING REP?

The Employment Act 2002 recognised the growing role and importance of Union Learning Reps and extended paid time off for union duties to accredited Union Learning Reps in union recognised workplaces. The rights to paid time off are for:
• analysing learning or training needs
• providing information and advice about learning or training matters
• arranging learning or training
• promoting the value of learning or training
• consulting the employer about carrying out these activities
• preparing to carry out these activities.

There is also paid time off to undertake training for the ULR role and NATFHE has developed free training courses for members which must be completed to be accredited as a ULR. NATFHE Regional Offices and National Offices are available to help and the TUC has a ULR department that supports unions and individual ULRs.

Most importantly you receive the support and advice of other NATFHE reps in your workplace doing similar NATFHE work.

GET INVOLVED NOW!

In 2005 there were over 7,000 trained ULRs and the government estimates that they will grow to at least 23,000 by 2010 - helping as many as half a million union members access courses. As the momentum grows more and more people are volunteering for the role of ULR.

In 2004 NATFHE received funding for two years to roll out the development of branch learning representatives in all NATFHE branches in England. Branch learning representatives are a new form of branch officer with the task of assisting their branch in negotiations around staff training and development and giving individual advice to NATFHE members on training, development and other learning programmes.

Branch learning representatives have statutory right to time off to conduct their duties, but in order to received this have to undertake accredited training. NATFHE has a three-day training course for branch representatives.

To organise this training and generally promote and develop a network of branch learning representatives, NATFHE has appointed three new Learning Organisers:
• Diana Clarke based in the Manchester office, covering Northern, Yorks and Humberside and North West Regions (telephone 0161 772 7012, email [email protected])
• Kathy Gaffney based in the Birmingham Office, covering East and West Midlands and Western Regions (telephone 0121 634 7388; email [email protected])
• Beverley Woodburn based in the London office, covering Anglia, London, Southern, South East and South West Regions (telephone 0207 520 3290, email [email protected]).
 

Professional development in FE

Continuing professional development, staff development and training are becoming increasingly important in FE. Since 2001 all new lecturers whether full or part time have to have a professional teaching qualification on appointment or obtain one within a set period of time. Aspects of the Teachers Pay Initiative are linked to the acquisition of professional qualifications and continuing professional development.

The government's response to the Success for All consultation on the future of FE emphasises the urgent need for professional development for the FE workforce. It has set new targets that by 2006 90% of full time FE lecturers and 60% of part-time lecturers will have or be working towards a teaching qualification. Colleges in their three-year Development Plans have to have worked out action plans on staff development and training.

Staff development and training are on the FE agenda as they have never been before. NATFHE at branch, regional and national levels must be involved with these developments to get the best deal for our members.

Union Learning Reps will be a crucial way that NATFHE can seize the initiative back on staff development and training.
 

Professional development in HE

Continuing professional development, staff development and training are becoming increasingly important in higher education. The recent White Paper on higher education will mean changes in the way that higher education programmes are delivered. There is a renewed focus on teaching as well as research. The Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - the professional body for teaching in HE - is likely to merge with the Learning and Teaching Support Network and the HE Staff Development Association to form a new Teaching Quality Academy. The Academy will oversee a move towards all new entrants to the profession undergoing accredited training in teaching and expectations that all lecturers take part in teaching-related CPD. The need to demonstrate continuing professional development is also increasingly required by other professional bodies to which NATFHE members belong. Training and development for teaching and the support of learning are increasingly important issues for all academic staff in HE, both full and part time, and ones that NATFHE and its members must take an active part in developing.
 

Professional development in prison education

Prison education is receiving more attention from Government policy makers than ever before. It is a vital element in policies to combat social exclusion and reduce re-offending by ex-prisoners. There are moves to reshape and reformulate the funding of prison education to make it more responsive to the actual needs of prisoners. Alongside these proposed changes there are signs that the professional development of prison education lecturers will not be neglected. Some of the impetus for this will be carried over from the changes that are happening in the rest of further education where new targets have been set for the numbers of full and part-time lecturers getting a professional teaching qualification. On top of these more general requirements on lecturers, prison education lecturers will have their own specialist areas that they will need continuing professional development. NATFHE and prison education members of NATFHE will need to fight to ensure that prison education lecturers employed by FE colleges receive the same access to professional development as all other college, and to ensure that prison education lecturers receive the kind of staff development and training particular to their role and circumstances. So staff development and training are on the prison education agenda as they have never been before. NATFHE at branch, regional and national levels must be involved with these developments to get the best deal for our members. Union Learning Reps will be a crucial way that NATFHE can seize the initiative back on staff development and training.
 

Professional development in adult education