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BE A WINNER WITH TUC LEARNING SERVICES Glyn Ford, Labour MEP for the South West Region is in Cornwall on Friday 10th January 2003 to launch the third phase of an imaginative Objective One project promoting learning through the trade unions. Over the next year TUC Learning Services aims to bring learning to the attention of every trade union member in Cornwall. Project Co-ordinator Geoff Hale said that: “Many Cornish workers have never been asked about what they would like to learn and many companies do not recognize the learning needs of their workforce. The fact that in 2002 25% of the workforce still needs support to improve their basic skills is a scandal and action is needed now if Cornwall is not to fall further behind the rest of the country.” Glyn Ford agreed with the Government when he said: “Investing
in developing the workforce is as vital as investing in new plant or machinery
and the trade unions can play an important part in encouraging their members
to get the learning bug.” Over 40 Union Learning Reps have received TUC training and these are the people in the workplace providing a first point of call for anybody looking for information on learning. On average each one speaks to 10 of their workmates each month about learning so around 4500 Cornish people will benefit from this initiative in any year. New laws giving rights to Learning Reps are just around the corner so now is the time when there could be a real breakthrough in learning. Geoff said that “Just as athletes, footballers or rugby players have to learn new skills and train hard to be a success on the sports field, so workers of today must learn and train more to be a success in the workplace. This is the only way the UK will climb up the European productivity league table.” The message: “Get back into learning and be a winner with TUC Learning Services” is the theme of a new advertising campaign. For more information about learning, contact:
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