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| | | | Local
History Publication
Launch - RSBi Springburn | | | On the 20th May
2010 (National Learning
at Work Day), a Local
History Publication written,
produced and designed by Community
Union members was launched
in the RSBi
(City
Building) factory in Springburn,
Glasgow.
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John Slaven STUC, speaking at the launch
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Invited guests & Community members at the launch
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The
publication is called
‘Manufacturing Abilities
since 1804’ and is the result of a small local history
course that began way back in January 2008. The course, which was
funded
through Community Union’s SULF
Project & delivered by the WEA,
had brought
together a small number of Community members within the factory with a
common
interest in the history of their local area and of the RSBi factory.
This
course was a great success and soon developed into a small project for
the
Community members involved who wanted to document all that they had
learned
throughout the course. They also saw it as an opportunity to educate
the rest
of their workforce on the history of the factory and how it became the
success
it is today. | | | |
Members of the History Group
&
Community ULR Audrey McJimpsey
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Willie
Docherty, Managing Director of City Building
with some Community members after the launch |
Using
the facilities
available to them in the workplace learning centre they researched,
wrote and
designed the publication from scratch – expanding on the writing and IT
skills
learned from previous courses they had undertaken within the factory.
Proud of
their passion and commitment, the Community ULR within the factory
Audrey
McJimpsey arranged an official launch to present the publication to the
workforce and management within RSBi (City Building).
The
launch was attended by
representatives from Community Union, including RSBi Branch Secretary
and NEC
member Robert Mooney, Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council Councillor
Archie
Graham, and the management and directorate of City Building
– alongside staff from the factory. The Community members who had
produced the
publication presented it to the invited guests and discussed their
personal
learning experiences and how their lives had been bettered by union
learning.
The Managing Director of City Building Willie Docherty spoke at the
launch and
praised the hard work of the members whilst John Slaven from the STUC
spoke
about union learning in Scotland
and how RSBi was an excellent example of how a good relationship
between unions
and employers can change the lives of union members in the workplace. | | |
Audrey McJimpsey
& History Group with invited speakers & City Building
Directorate | | | Communitas, the
Training and
Education Arm of Community Union was able to fund the expansion of the
course
and the printing costs of the publication through Community Union’s
SULF
Project. SULF Project Manager Geraldine Donnelly said: “The
amount of learning that has gone on in RSBi over the past few
years is fantastic – particularly in the area of Everyday Skills. This
could
not have been possible without the Scottish Union Learning Fund (SULF)
and the
work of Community Union Learning Reps such as Audrey McJimpsey”.
Copies of the publication
are available and can be obtained by contacting Susan or Geraldine in
the
Communitas Region 1 office on 01698 304575 or susancassidy@communitas.org.uk
| | | Learning
at Work Day 2010 - RSBi Springburn | | | |
Following on from a
successful Adult
Learners Week in 2009, Community
Union Learning Rep Audrey
McJimpsey organised another successful and original Learning at Work day
within
RSBi
Springburn. As well as the launch of a Local History
Publication (news and
pictures to follow), Audrey arranged for representatives from Glasgow
City
Council to come along to the workplace learning centre with a selection
of
reptiles including lizards and snakes.
The event was extremely
popular on the day and attracted a number of brave Community members
along to
the centre to touch and even hold some of the reptiles. It was an
excellent
example of how to bring people into the learning centre and to get them
talking
about what stuff they may be interested in learning more about.
Pictured are a selection
of photographs from the day that include Community members Martin
Dougan &
Barry Ward, Community Health & Safety Rep Paul Boyd, Community
Branch
Secretary and NEC member Robert
Mooney,
Community ULR Audrey McJimpsey and George Gaffney, Head of
Manufacturing at
RSBi.
Congratulations
to Audrey
on another successful event.
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Audrey
McJimpsey
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George
Gaffney
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Barry Ward |
Martin
Dougan
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Robert
Mooney |
Paul Boyd
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| | | Learning
Agreement
between Speciality Steels and Bar Business Management (CORUS) and Joint
Negotiating Committee. | | |
After three years, which saw
major upheaval and massive job losses throughout the Corus Group, a learning
agreement has been signed by management representatives
and senior “Community”
branch officers on the Joint
Negotiating Committee. This will hopefully mark a
significant turnaround in the fortunes of Corus and the beginning of a
new era
of learning opportunities being made available to all the workforce
covered
within the scope of the agreement.
The agreement, signed on June
30th, at Aldwarke, Rotherham,
formalises the partnership
between the
Joint Trade
Unions and the Management at Corus on all learning issues
and
covers all employees who are members of a site-recognised trade union
on Corus
Speciality Steels and Bar business sites in South Yorkshire and
the Midlands. (This encompasses all
ex CES businesses.)
Thanks must go to the Trade
Union team who’s many hours of hard work, commitment and dedication
made this
Agreement possible; Branch officials,Stuart Sansome
and Sue Mather and especially ULR’s Lee Bradshaw and Glynn Jackson who
were the
driving force behind this agreement, ably
supported by the “Communitas”
management
and project officers team of Allan Sharp, Tom Davis, Colin Daws and
Mark Kaye.
Senior H.R. manager, Mick
Hood, who has played a significant role in the negotiations and signed
the
agreement on behalf of Corus, reinforced his company’s commitment to
work in
partnership with the joint trade unions to create a “Learning Culture”
at Corus
which would support all of the workforce to achieve their full
potential.
He
said, “I fully support
this agreement and the ethos of Trade Union led learning. I appreciate
the
benefits to the business of creating a supportive, learning culture and
I will
encourage all of the workforce to avail themselves of any and all
opportunities
to gain new skills”. | | | L-R
Sue Mather ,Stuart Sansome,
Mick Hood
and Mark Kaye | | | Niace
inspirational Event in Port Talbot | | |
The event was sponsored by Niace Dyscu Cymru to
the Communitas WULF
project, as part of Adult
Learners Week.
The aim of the event was to inspire adults to return to learn, upskill
within their job roles, create awareness of learning difficulties and
various disabilities as well as an opportunity to hear some amazing
life experiences and barriers that some individuals personally
conquered for themselves and others.
It was supported by Corus, Neath Port Talbot Council
Education & Lifelong learning, Open University, Vision 21, Sheep Poo Paper, Neath Port Talbot College,
WTUC,
Swansea
University, Quick
Reads, Community
Trade Union, Communitas,
South Wales
Police, WEA,
NPTCVS,
Dore
and UNLTD
Guest
Speakers at the event were:
Andrew
Parkinson – Corus
Karl
Napieralla OBE – NPTBC Director of Education
Barry
Shires OBE – Vision 21
Lawrence
Toms – Founder/Director of Sheep Poo Paper
Scott
Quinnell – International Rugby Player/Ambassador of DORE
Tommy
Fellows – Community Trade Union
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Guest
Speakers with Communitas staff
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Pupils with
Scott and David Worgan from
Dyffryn Comprehensive School
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Supporters
Stands
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Scott with Young Students from
Neath Port Talbot College Pre vocational studies course
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| | | Workshops
held on the day:
NPT
College Students with Special Needs along with their Tutor ran a
workshop on British Sign Language that many attended including Dyffryn
Comprehensive students year 10.
University of Swansea ran a workshop of the history of
Steelmaking in Wales.
Entertainment
was provided by Neath Port Talbot Pre Vocational Young People with
Special Needs doing 2 Take that songs in Sign Language.
| | | | Communitas
Learning Centres get an 'A' grade
The Communitas
Learning Centre based in Community
Union
Offices at Bramley had a very successful Audit by BCS (British Computer
Society) with reference to the qualification based
training, ECDL (European
Computer Driving Licence).
Information Technology training is offered to all Community
Union members, totally 'Free of Charge'.
Members of the local community and general
public can also access the
same training for free, but are responsible for payment of their own
Examination
fees associated with the particular qualification being undertaken.
The Audit took place on the 19th
of January with
the Centre Manager Pauline Thrower in the modern new offices in Flash Lane, Rotherham.
The
Auditor assessed all adminstration procedures and verified a
substantial amount
of examination marking completed by the Tutors in both Rotherham
and Motherwell Learning Centres.
The Auditor was very pleased with the progression made in
liason procedures between the two centres and with the ‘above
requirement’
level of cross marking happening.
Cross
marking is particularly important to the centres in order to maintain a
high
and consistent method of invigilation of examinations undertaken by
learners.
The centre had previously been
awarded a competant C grade
but the auditor felt that all the stops had been pulled out this year
in order
to achieve a highly improved grade.
The
report stated that the administration procedures were of a high
standard whilst
the centre was well organised and offering a first-rate service to
members of
the Union and to locals in Rotherham.
The A grade
which Communitas received evidenced the good
work put in by Communitas staff in order to offer excellent training
opportunities to both their members and general public.
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| | |
| Ex-Corus employees 'Forge Ahead' with Community |
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Communitas,
the training and learning arm of Community
the union for life, has
developed a course to help Corus workers in Yorkshire cope with
redundancy. The Forging
Ahead course is funded by the Yorkshire
and Humber Learning and Skills Council, and is
being delivered at the
Flash Lane offices in Bramley by Communitas and a number of former
Community branch officials.
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Michael J. Leahy OBE and John Healey MP with the
Forging Ahead team
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The
course includes sessions on CV writing and interview techniques,
introductory computer skills, and money management, and provides
information about training opportunities as well as job openings in
the local labour market.
Martin
Bramhill, one of the Forging Ahead participants, and a former
employee at Brinsworth Strip Mill praised the course, saying “It
opened my eyes to the available help and resources, and my CV looks a
lot better now!”
Thirty
nine ex Corus employees have already completed the course, and many
of these attended an event on Friday 27th
November, where they were presented with certificates by Community
General Secretary, Michael Leahy OBE.
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Joan
Walsh, a Forging Ahead participant receives her
certificate from Michael J. Leahy OBE and John Healey MP
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John
Healey, the Labour MP for the Wentworth constituency which includes
the Aldwarke plant also attended the event. He said “Steelworkers
made redundant from Corus were deeply affected because they had often
been at the plant their whole working lives. They need special,
targeted help to cope with losing their job and make the right
choices for their future, whether that is going back to work or
taking up training or learning opportunities”.
Mr
Leahy, who thanked Mr Healey for his on-going support, said “It is
regrettable that a course like Forging Ahead is necessary, but it is
nevertheless a unique example of a trade union working together with
key agencies to bring help to ordinary men and women in these
difficult times. It underlines our approach which is to support
members in their communities as well as in their workplaces”
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Michael
J.
Leahy OBE and John Healey MP with
Forging Ahead
participants
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The
course is available for workers under notice of redundancy at
Aldwarke, Stocksbridge, Brinsworth and Scunthorpe. If you would like
to book a place please contact Emma Wallis on 07920 940268 or Mark
Kaye on 07753 951428
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Spanish
Course at Corus Dalzell
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A number
of Community Union members have recently completed a Conversational
Spanish Course within Corus Dalzell in Motherwell. The course was
funded through Community Union’s Scottish Union Learning Fund
(SULF) Project and was provided by John Wheatley College within the
conference room of Corus Dalzell.
Despite
the difficulties facing Community members within this workplace and
despite the loss of the Community ULR for the site due to redundancy,
the course was a huge success. The course ran for 6 weeks and all of
those who attended have given up 2 hours of their own time to come
along each week – there were even a few members who have recently
been made redundant who have continued to come along & complete
the course.
This is
the first such course that has taken place within a Corus site in
Region 1 and has been a huge success with excellent feedback from the
members who attended. A small graduation ceremony to recognise the
achievements of these members took place recently and certificates
were presented by John Wheatley College.
Receiving their certificates below,
top to bottom, are John Donnelly, Neil Cameron and Peter Burns.
For
more information :
please contact Geraldine Donnelly or Susan Cassidy on
01698 304575.
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Learning Agreement at Hartlepool 20" Pipe Mill | | | |
Community and the Corus 20” Pipe Mill
Management Team
are pleased to announce that a Learning
Agreement has been agreed and signed.
Ian
Telford (Community Union) said: It is great that the first
learning agreement (within the Corus group) has been signed on
Teesside. This
is due to the excellent working relationship developed between
Community and
the Pipe Mill management team -our members can look forward to further
up skilling
- should they require it.
Jo Davies (Hartlepool HR Site
Manager) said: This
agreement will further strengthen the excellent working
relationship we have with Community and I’m sure the
facility will offer numerous opportunities
for everyone.
John Stead (Greatham 05 Branch
Secretary) said: Our
members can look forward
to learning new skills thanks to this agreement.
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Pictured left to right:
Neil Scott
ProductionManager,
Ian Telford Community,
John Stead BranchSecretary,
Ian Angus Communitas
Jo Davies Pipe
Mill HRDirector |
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| | | IT for the Hearing Impaired
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Community Union
members from
RSBi
Springburn (Blindcraft) have recently completed a course
in introductory
IT. This
was the first course within
RSBi that has been specifically tailored for members within the factory
who
have a hearing impairment and has been a great success. Community Union accessed the ESF Scottish Fund for Union
Learning
to run the 10-week programme this summer and this funding provided both
an IT
lecturer and a British Sign Language interpreter for the course. Those
who took
part in the course learned to create movies and storybooks from still
images,
how to use email and surf the internet effectively. Building on this
success,
Community is hoping to access this ESF fund to run further courses in
the
coming year.
Audrey McJimpsey, winner of
the STUC Helen Dowie award for lifelong learning and Community Union
Learning
Rep based in RSBi said, “Running courses
like this would not be possible without access to this unique ESF
funding. It’s
amazing to see what a difference extra skills can make to an
individual’s
working life.”
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| | | | | | Communitas EU Ltd Outo Kumpu redundancies. | | | *********************************************************************************
Communitas were also on site in November .... read more here
********************************************************************************* | | | Communitas are currently looking to provide a range of services for Outo
Kumpu workers facing redundancy: | |
- Matrix
accredited Information Advice and Guidance staff will be on site in
February/March to help you talk through your options, and begin to decide
what you want to do after you leave the company.
- The Rotherham
Learning Centre will also be available just for Outo Kumpu workers on
Mondays from the beginning of February.
Our fully qualified (and very friendly) tutor, Pauline, is able to
provide a range of free computer courses from introductory to intermediate
level. You can learn at your own
pace, and though many of the courses are accredited, it is also possible
for you to learn about computers and the internet just for pleasure
without having to take exams.
- A free short
course on financial planning will be provided in March. This will give you
some information about pensions, lump sum investments and the benefits you
may be entitled to. You will be able to ask questions, and will also be
able to make arrangements for a no obligation one-to-one consultation if
you wish.
Communitas is
also working with agencies such as Yorkshire Forward and the Learning and
Skills Council to identify potential sources of funding for re-training
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| | | | Communitas EU Ltd Alpha Steel redundancies. | | | 'You
will probably already know that Communitas EU Ltd is a wholly owned
subsidiary of your trade union Community. Communitas specialises in
employment support services. Since it was established in 1997,
Communitas has delivered packages to around 10,000 individuals who have
faced redundancy in the steel and manufacturing sectors. These services
have been highly successful in enabling redundant workers return to
employment with as many as 79% of redundant workers going on to find
new jobs.'
Communitas is shocked and saddened by the
situation at Alpha Steel, and has therefore worked in partnership with
a number of different agencies to put together a support package for
Alpha Steel workers:
• Careers Wales will be able to provide funding through the REACT programme to pay for Vocational Training
•
Job Centre Plus will be able to give advice on making a claim for Job
Seekers Allowance and on other benefits you may be entitled to.
• Employer subsidies can be arranged to encourage local employers to take on Alpha Steel workers
Communitas
also made arrangements with Corus to utilise the conference centre at
the Orb works for the delivery of initial Information, Advice and
Guidance sessions which will be delivered by Communitas’ Matrix
accredited Information Advice and Guidance workers who will be on site
until January 18th. On-going support that can be provided for you by
Communitas advisors includes the following:
• IT skills training
• CV building
• Basic skills support
• Signposting to local re-training opportunities
Communitas
has also applied for funding through the Welsh Union Learning Fund so
that we can continue to support you in the longer term within the
community.
At the same time your union, Community will
continue to work with all the appropriate organisations to find a buyer
for Alpha Steel.
| | | | | | Community 'the union for life' held a Union Learning Representative Regional Conference at the Commodore Hotel Cwmbran on Wednesday
12th March 2008 | The event brought together people who have contributed
in some way as part of the Community ABLE project funded through the Wales
Union Learning fund. This exciting initiative has helped, and is continuing to
help to increase awareness of opportunities created through lifelong learning,
mostly amongst steelworkers, steelworkers under threat of redundancy, and the wider
communities throughout Wales.
The programme has realised that for some this has been the first real
opportunity for them to access learning. Read more...
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Region 2 member receives prestigious training award
Community member Keith
Sedgwick has been awarded the Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) Award for
Outstanding Commitment to Catering & Hospitality.
At the Middlesbrough College
Annual Awards Evening 2007, Keith was described as: “an outstanding character
whose generous and abundant sense of humour and dedication to the job in hand,
not only aided in his success here at college last year, but also assisted
others too in being able to succeed within their chosen field of learning.”
Keith was made redundant
from Corus in March 2006, and with support from Community and Communitas has
been retraining as a chef. For full details refer to the story below,
‘Region
2 member nominated for prestigious training award’.
Remploy ULR joins Communitas ULF team as Project
Officer
Colin Daws, a ULR for 4
years at Remploy Pinxton, has recently joined the Communitas Union Learning
Fund team as a full-time Project Officer. Colin will be based in Communitas’ office
in Rotherham, and will cover union learning
activity in Regions 3 and 7.... readmore
Region 2 member nominated for prestigious training
award
Keith Sedgwick, an ex-Corus
employee and Community member, has been nominated by Middlesbrough College
for a Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) award for outstanding commitment
to catering and hospitality.... read more
Community Members Learning at Work
Community members employed
by the Stirling Group have taken up the opportunity to learn while at
work. The Stirling Group’s Distribution Centre, based in Altrincham, has
entered into a learning partnership with Community, Communitas, Skillfast (A Sector
Skills Council) and 2 local Colleges to provide training and up-skilling for
the workforce. The partnership is utilising Government funding through the
‘Train to Gain’ initiative - a scheme which allows employers free access to
training in return for providing learners with time off..... read more
Matrix Accreditation
In
November 2006 after months of hard work from the Communitas team headed by Mick
Brightman from our Earls Barton Office, we finally gained the `Matrix
Accreditation`. This is another first not only for Communitas but for the Community
trade union as a whole. This is the first time any trade union organisation has
achieved this type of accreditation. We can now deliver advice and guidance to
a whole new spectrum of employees from a wide range of industries giving them unprecedented
help in a most uncertain time of their lives.
The Pensions Education Fund
Working
in close partnership with other agencies this project will increase awareness of personal
finance amongst groups deemed to be at significant risk of being underprovided
for in their pension provision. This project will help individuals to make
informed decisions and plan for a secure retirement.
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