EC Meeting May 2018

and enjoyable event. Two young members Thanks are due to Sarah Woolley and Charlotte Appleyard for both planning the event and for all their hard work over the weekend. 14.5 The first part of the ‘Learning to Teach in Trade Union Education’ Level 4 course was held at Quorn (13-14 April), tutored by R. Chiosso and A. Smith with S. Woolley & J. Callow. 15 PCS officers attended what was a new departure for both the GFTU and Leeds Beckett University. The feedback was very positive and the second session will be held on 18-19 May. 14.6 The Learning Pool site is being redeveloped and made available to affiliates, with new materials being added and developed all the while. This enables distance learning to be offered to our affiliate members alongside the more traditional taught courses. The Education Officer and Operations Manager have, to date, had two training sessions on the system. 14.7 The draft 2018-19 Education Programme is being finalised, and is attached to this report. The idea is to provide learning pathways (coded as Foundation, Developing and Advanced skills sets) that will take Reps on a journey from literacy and numeral skills right through to degree and postgraduate levels. 14.8 The Education Officer and Operations Manager met with the Social Workers’ Union to discuss shared services and educational provision, together with the appointment of a part-time administrative support worker who would primarily service the SWU’s increasing remit and requirements. 14.9 The GFTU is to produce (among other projects) an illustrated commemorative brochure to mark its 120th anniversary. Affiliates are invited to contribute 800-1,000 on any aspect of their union’s past, present or projected future – and their relationship to the GFTU ‘family’. 14.10 Five Leaves bookshop in Nottingham and the Secular Hall in Leicester are keen to explore the hosting of joint events with the GFTU. This might be one means of resolving the problem with the Sunday Schools, which continue to register minimal interest. 14.11 A paper on Posted Labour Directives 96/71/EC and 2014/67/EU has been submitted to Formac, as part of the GFTU commitment to the 2018-19 programme. 14.12 Tutor recruitment is ongoing, with an aim to making the pool wider and more reflective of wider society. Three more tutors have been recruited since February. 14.13 The GFTU is planning to participate in conjunction with The Race Equality Council, in Leicester, with a programme around the life and achievements of Walter Tull, in order to mark Black History Month in October (1888-1918). The idea is to reach out to community groups and schools, utilising local author Michaela Morgan’s ‘Walter Tull Scrapbook’. 14.14 Course recruitment is still an issue, though not quite so threatening as in past months. EA27 ‘Suing an Employer’ received 2 applications; and – surprisingly – EA09 New Reps Development only had 4 applications. However, the EA53 Course on Parliament was heavily oversubscribed. 15 delegates (from NAPO, GMB & PCS) spent two days in the Commons and the Lords, meeting with Shadow Cabinet Ministers, MPs and Lords. The course responses were extremely enthusiastic. 14.15 The Trust has offered a comprehensive range of GDPR training options on a cost basis and revenue will come back into the Trust. Please see the GFTU website for details of these courses.

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