Written evidence to be reported to the House
Education and Skills Bill
12:00 pm
Tom Wilson: The Bill proposes the creation of a legal entitlement to level 2 for adults. Similarly, creating that same sense of entitlement to a universal adult career service is exactly the kind of thing that would mesh well with the work that union learning reps already do in the workplace. Union learning reps are champions for learning in the workplace. They do many things, including encouraging people to take up learning opportunities and advising their fellow workers about the kinds of opportunities that may be available. I do not pretend that they are all qualified and experienced advisers, far from it, but they are skilled at encouraging people to look on the web, talk to people who are experts, talk to people in personnel or other unions—there are many sources of advice. If there were a good information, advice and guidance service—an expansion of the currently existing next steps and University for Industry services—that was universally knitted together across the entire country, and where people were confident that they would get high-quality, impartial advice, that is exactly the kind of thing that union learning reps could tap into.