We can't leave workers without vital skills in a pandemic: the government must save union learning.
The decision to axe the Union Learning Fund next March, during a pandemic and the deepest recession of our times, is astonishing.
If it goes ahead, it will mean the end of FEU Training and all other union-brokered learning programmes.
Take action now:
Why it matters
FEU Training gives MU members in England access to free webinars, online courses and in person workshops on key business skills including marketing, managing your finances, and coping with stress.
It helped MU member Holly Lowe build her career using social media, and many more musicians, actors and freelancers get to grips with essential skills.
The Union Learning Fund has also supported courses in English and maths, and enabled trade union members to get their first ever qualifications and further their careers.
As well as being valued by union members and employers, it’s good for the economy too. The fund costs £12m a year – and every £1 spent generates a return of over £12 to the worker and the employers.
Employers back the campaign
Major employers supporting the Save Union Learning campaign include Tesco, Heathrow, Tata Steel and Arla Foods.
The campaign has the backing of Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the RSA, who chaired the Government’s Review of Modern Employment, which reported in 2017.
It is also backed by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and other lifelong learning experts, including the Workers Educational Association and the Learning and Work Institute.
Find out more about what FEU Training – funded by the Union Learning Fund – can do for you and sign up for a course today.