Education for Action

How to Sign-up for Our Courses

Educational Principles

An application form is enclosed within this pack, and can be photocopied for multiple use. Alternatively, forms are available to download on the GFTU website www.gftu.org.uk Applications must be returned to Ros Hartshorn by email (gftueducation@gftu.org.uk), or posted to Ros Hartshorn, GFTU Educational Trust, The Lodge, 84 Wood Lane, Quorn, Leicestershire, LE12 8DB. These must be received 30 days prior to the start of the course. You will be advised if you have been successful, or not, in being awarded a place within a few days of the closing date. You will then receive details of course arrangements and any relevant paperwork or course work. Terms, Conditions & Arrangements Paid time off for educational development is normally available for Health & Safety Reps., Workplace Representatives (Shop Stewards), and Union Learning Reps (ULRS), who are attending a union approved course. Recognised workplace representatives have a legal right to attend union approved course. If you have any problems or questions about your rights to paid time off work for education or training then do, please, contact your appropriate union official. Alternatively, you can refer to the ACAS Code of Practice, Time off for Trade Union Duties (see http://www. acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2391). The policy of the GFTU Educational Trust is to pay travelling expenses for most residential courses (with the exception of the 5 day residential courses at Northern College). Participants travelling by train are required to purchase their ticket in advance and claim back the rail fare on production of tickets or receipts. Payments will be made as quickly as possible in order to avoid hardship. Participants, wherever possible, will be expected to use public transport. GFTU will only honour standard class tickets. If a taxi is used between the end railway station and the teaching venue, fares will only be reimbursed on the production of receipts. GFTU does not pay taxi fares between an individual’s home and a train station. For those participants who choose to travel to the course by car, an expense form will be provided with a column for listing mileage. Mileages will be verified. The GFTU calculates mileage rate at 20p per mile. GFTU does not take responsibility for parking costs incurred at airports or train stations. For those travelling from the North of Ireland or from the Republic of Ireland, flights will be arranged with GFTU staff a minimum of two weeks prior to the course, on confirmation of acceptance. Under a separate agreement, members from our internal affiliates CCISUA, GGCA and Nautilus International are responsible for their own airfares. The GFTU will provide public transport costs in order to cover transit to and from airports, on arrival and departure. For those participants who are travelling long distances (& excluding those covered by the paragraphs above) and who wish to fly to attend a course; they may do so. However, they are responsible for making their own flight bookings and will only be reimbursed for the cost of a standard class rail fare return or the flight cost (whichever is less), and only with receipts accompanying the claim.

Courses require a minimum of 8 participants. If the minimum number of places are not filled, then the course will not run. The maximum number of participants is usually 20, but this will depend upon the nature of the individual course or event. Unless otherwise specified, the GFTU Educational Trust subsidises travel, subsistence and accommodation for attendance on our courses. Attendance, subsistence and travel are usually free to the members of affiliated trade unions, but need to be approved by the relevant, authorised, senior union official. Some of our education opportunities are externally validated and carry credit points from other academic bodies as specified. Travel costs to, and from, airports are not normally payable unless by special arrangement with CCISUA members. The GFTU Educational Trust reserves the right to alter its policy on travel expenses at any time. All reimbursements will be paid by bank transfer, only. GFTU affiliated unions seeking bursaries and other support for particular events, or for members facing financial difficulties, should contact the GFTU General Secretary prior to completing nomination forms. All such requests should come through the General Secretary of the affiliated union, or from the authorised union official overseeing the education nomination process. Procedure for Non-Attendance On receipt of acceptance on a course, all participants must notify the GFTU office (by post, email or by telephone) within 5 working days in order to say whether or not they are able to attend the course. Any would-be student who has not responded within this time fame will be removed from the course register. If, however, you have been unable to respond for good reason you can contact the GFTU to be re-instated. All students who have accepted a place on the course and whose circumstances change must notify the GFTU as soon as possible to ensure that the GFTU has sufficient time to notify the venue in advance of the cancellation. Normally, this will be 7 days. The GFTU fully accepts that on certain occasions it may be necessary to cancel attendance on a course at very short notice for genuine reasons, such as family, health or medical emergencies. In such circumstances, the GFTU will try to minimise any costs incurred. However, if a participant cancels all cancellations will be reported to their union General Secretary and or authorising officer and a charge may be made. If the cancellation is made without a valid reason, they will not be awarded places on future GFTU courses and/or their will be charged at full cost for the cancellation. In the event of participants failing to turn up for a course without notifying the GFTU, their union will be charged for the full cost of that failure to attend. The GFTU Executive Committee will be notified of all cancellations.

Functional Skills

Foundation Skills

Advanced Skills

Arts &

Culture

50 FURTHER DEVELOPMENT Internationalism Events How to Sign up

edadmin@gftu.org.uk GFTU ET

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