Monday 28 October 2013

Info on Redundancies

Hi All,

It's that time again to decide whether or not you want to volunteer to be made redundant.  In an effort to give you a little information, the following websites can provide it---

On Gov.UK you will find information about how the UK government handles redundancies:




On CAB you will find all manner of free help:
 
 
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/work_e/work_work_comes_to_an_end_e/work_redundancy_e.htm


Looking for redundancy Help? Welcome to the UK's largest, FREE TO USE Employment Law and redundancy advice forum: 
 
 
 
 
You may be interested in retraining or finding another job, and there is information about this here:
 
 
 
Hoping this is a help,
 
All Best Wishes,
Your ULRs at the BL

Wednesday 12 June 2013

New things for you to know about


Look what just landed in our mailbox:

First Reads

Be the first to read new books! Pre-release books are listed for giveaway by publishers and authors, and members can enter to win. Winners are picked randomly at the end of the giveaway.
All you have to do is sign up to be a member, can be linked to your Facebook account to make it easier for you to join.  Then sign up to be given a book in the giveaway.  Aside from that opportunity, it is a very interesting new-ish social media that, let's face it, will likely be interesting to BL employees.
The World Book Day website is crammed with activity sheets, teaching notes, colouring and puzzles like these AlfieTeaching Notes from publishers, Random House. Head for our Resources area to discover more FREE downloads.  

Win original artwork by Rachel Bright!

They also  have 2 pieces of original artwork by World Book Day 2013′s official illustrator—the amazing Rachel Bright—to give away to two very lucky people!
To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is email your name and address to competitions@worldbookday.com, making sure your message has the subject header Rachel Bright giveaway. The closing date for entries is July 1st 2013.
Life is one long challenge. It is through the challenges of life that we learn - and it is never too late to learn. Indeed now could be the perfect opportunity to take the plunge and try something new and age shouldn't be a barrier.


Something close to home!

From Hilary Hallas, Operations Learning Manager---Please see below details of another CI benchmarking visit in September. If you/members of your staff are interested in attending please let me have names asap as places are on a first come first served basis.
  
FTPE/Siemens - Best Practice Tour
North of England Excellence is proud to be teaming up with Siemens and First TransPennine Express (FTPE) who are hosting an informative and unforgettable best practice tour of the Ardwick Traincare facility for a behind the scenes tour of a Traincare depot.  Ardwick is the principle maintenance depot for the Class 185 fleet.  The depot is one of the most modern Traincare facilities in the country. The Class 185 fleet covers several routes across the North of England including Scotland. 

Delegates will have the opportunity to learn about the award winning partnership between FTPE and Siemens and the range of maintenance practices in place to continuously improve to make this one of the most reliable diesel fleets in the country


Thanks,  
Hilary


Midsummer up soon, hope we all get some SUN!
Your BL Union Learning Representatives, Iwona Jurkiewicz, Prospect [London], Marjorie Newson, Prospect [Boston Spa], Andy Robinson, Prospect [Boston Spa], Sarah Wood-Ripley, PCS [Boston Spa]

Thursday 23 May 2013

You are NEVER too old to learn something NEW

This week is Adult Learner's Week:


Events start taking place from Saturday 18 May in all regions of England and our Awards Ceremonies commence with our National Ceremony on Monday 20 May, followed on by seven Regional Ceremonies, all of which recognise outstanding adult learning.
Adult Learners’ Week events are taking place nationwide; with activities including bee keeping, CV writing, museum tours, art workshops and much more that you can get involved with. These events inspire many people and highlight the broad benefits of adult learning, so make sure that you don’t miss out.
Events can be searched online or by calling The National Careers Service advice line 0800 100 900 which can support those looking to attend an event in their region.
We hope that you all enjoy Adult Learners’ Week 2013!
For information on Adult Learners’ Week 2014, please register to receive updatesor keep visiting our website, where information will be posted in the autumn. 
Quick Reads 2013:



Love is Blind by Kathy Lette
When Jane decides to move to the Australian outback in search of a husband, her sister Anthea thinks she’s mad. But the sisters have never seen eye-to-eye. Anthea is slim, beautiful and has a perfect life and fiancĂ©. Jane has always felt like the ugly duckling in comparison.
But when Anthea tries to save Jane from this latest crazy plan, she ends up taking a walk on the wild side herself…
A sexy, funny and heartwarming adventure – curl up and enjoy this fabulous Quick Read from Kathy Lette.
A Sea Change by Veronica Henry
Jenna is known as The Ice Cream Girl.
She doesn’t mind the name one bit. After all, there are far worse jobs than selling ice creams by the sea. Then one hot summer’s day, everything changes and Jenna faces the most difficult decision of her life.
Craig spends as much time as he can at the beach hut in Everdene he rents with a few of his mates. It’s the perfect break from his stressful job, and he loves to surf. But one weekend he notices a girl on the beach – for all the wrong reasons.
For Jenna and Craig, it’s a chance meeting which could change their lives forever...


Today Everything Changes by Andy McNab
Abandoned as a baby, Andy McNab's start in life was tough. He grew up in South London with foster parents, and poverty on all sides. Andy attended seven schools in as many years, disillusioned and in remedial classes. Before long his life was one of petty crime. By the age of sixteen he was in juvenile detention.
Recruited into the Army from there, it soon became clear that he had the reading age of an eleven year old. The next six months in the Army education system changed the course of his life forever.
Today Everything Changes is the inspiring story of when life changed for the better for now bestselling author Andy McNab.

Wrong Time, Wrong Place by Simon Kernick

You are hiking in the Scottish highlands with three friends when you come across a girl.
She is half-naked, has been badly beaten, and she can’t speak English.
She is clearly running away from someone.
Do you stop to help her? Even if it means putting your friends’ lives – and your own – in terrible danger?

A Dreadful Murder by Minette Walters

Based on a true story...Caroline Luard is shot dead in broad daylight in the grounds of a large country estate. With few clues available, her husband soon becomes the suspect . . . But is he guilty?Bringing to life the people involved in this terrible crime, bestselling author Minette Walters uses modern detective skills to attempt to solve a 100-year-old crime.

Doctor Who: The Silurian Gift by Mike Tucker

'My new Fire-Ice will solve all the problems of the planet!'
The world is on the brink of crisis. As fuel runs short, society begins to break down. One man seems to have the answer. But is it too good to be true? The Doctor arrives at an old oil refinery near the South Pole, concerned by claims about this new form of energy. He soon discovers something huge and terrifying is stalking the refinery. It brings death and destruction in its wake. The battle has begun for planet Earth.
A thrilling, all-new adventure, featuring the Doctor as played by Matt Smith.
The Open University’s Open Learn
The Open University’s Open Learn (www.open.edu/openlearn) website is launching two full online courses for free: Learning to Learn and Succeed with Maths. Find out more here:

http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/news/2013/05/16/free-online-courses-open-university
Open Learning - OpenLearn - Open University
www.open.edu
OpenLearn: The home of free learning from The Open University

News from Digital Unite - May 2013
Thousands helped to ‘spring online’

"I came to this event today scared of a laptop even though I owned one, I knew it had a plug and a mouse but that was it, I did not even know how to turn it on. 

"As I leave today I can turn it on, surf the net and even send an email to my dear friend abroad."



We are very proud to say that last month, following our Spring Online campaign in association with Carphone Warehouse, a whopping 20,000 older people and other less confident users were helped to use and enjoy digital technology, many for the first time.

Over 1,000 free digital taster events were held across the UK by our fantastic event holders. The stories we’ve been hearing have been hugely uplifting and once again, really demonstrate what a life-changing impact Spring Online has:
  • On seeing what a tablet could do at her event, one 85 year old lady exclaimed "It’s like magic!"
  • One event holder told us how a learner came into their event literally shaking with nerves but left saying "I get the feeling from [the staff] that I can do this!"
  • Another learner said: "I'll be able to Facebook my grandson tonight!
  • And one elderly gentlemen said: "I am not scared of it all now. I can't believe how much you can do on here. I shall be getting Broadband fitted and come to any future sessions. I never thought I would be able to achieve all of this in a year, never mind an hour".
Twitter

Are you Tweeting?  Have a look out for these folks to follow:


Social Networking for Book Lovers

Have you heard of these great bookie social media places to find other bookies too?  Check them out!


http://www.librarything.com

http://www.goodreads.com/

Union Engagement - Learning in the workplace and the community
Unions work with a multitude of stakeholders to build a learning offer that reaches people in the workplace as well as the community. Unionlearn endeavours to offer the best possible support for unions and has gathered together a collection of stories to showcase the inspiring work of unions and their partners.
These case studies take a look at how unions work to engage learners and work with employers. Exciting union development work is happening with digital champions and community learning champions across the country. Union learning reps (ULRs) and trade union led learning centres do excellent work encourage people to take up learning opportunities. And once learners catch the learning bug, they rarely stop. 
(Our Digital Champions Pinterest Account is a part of this report, check out page 25)
http://issuu.com/unionlearn/docs/union_development_case_studies_booklet_2013_lr__2_/27
In case you missed the Pinterest Account, here it is once more:
https://pinterest.com/digitalchampsuk/

Well  we think you've got enough to be going on with today, our work here is done.
Your BL Union Learning Representatives,

Iwona Jurkiewicz, Prospect [London]
Marjorie Newson, Prospect [Boston Spa]
Andy Robinson, Prospect [Boston Spa]
Sarah Wood-Ripley, PCS [Boston Spa]


Tuesday 26 March 2013

Digital Learning

Sorry the blog's been quiet recently but we can announce that it's all for a good reason. The learning focus in 2013 has been on creating and building the UK Digital Champions Pinterest Site.

  You can find it here: http://pinterest.com/digitalchampsuk/

You can also find a lot of information about new technology & gadgets, learning, trends, families online, safety online and more.  

Please follow us and we promise to follow you back! 



What Digital Champions do & if you can & want to, become a Digital Champion too.  One of our Digital Champions states:  “While I help my family, friends and colleagues on a regular basis with tech questions -- what phone to buy, how to get a BeyoncĂ© ring tone, why an e-reader over a tablet -- I plan to proactively offer tech advice in 2013. Finally, I resolve to be more patient when responding to questions I find obvious.” You might also want to Join the Digital Champion network today and inspire people to Go ON, get more out of life online.


A little closer to home, there are some courses coming up provided by our Organisation Development Team for your consideration:


NEW Human Resources workshops available for staff during April and May.


When: Thu 18 Apr 2013 - Thu 23 May 2013
Where: For location please see below
Human Resources Organisation Development has the following new workshops available for staff during April and May.

Confidence in Handling Challenging Conversationshalf day - St Pancras & Boston Spa - 9:15 - 12:45 or 13:30 - 17:00
This workshop will offer practical techniques for managers to handle potentially difficult conversations with colleagues, effectively and with confidence. For more information, dates and times, please click here Opportunities and Courses

Time Management – 1 day - Boston Spa - 10:00 – 16:30
This workshop will provide delegates with the essential tools and skills to prioritise and manage your workload. For more information, dates and times on this workshop, please click here Opportunities and Courses

Please note you need your line manager’s approval before booking onto any of these workshops.

Well That's your lot for today

We'll be keeping you posted with all things learning, happy spring all!

Wednesday 16 January 2013

Learning Events & Courses in 2013

Hello All,

We've got quite a lot of information on some learning events/courses that may interest you.

At the BL, there are a variety of courses you can take in 2013:




Workshops available for staff
We have received notification from Human Resources Organisation Development that they are currently taking bookings for the three courses outlined below.  The workshops will be run between now and March 2013, and waiting lists have been set up. 

If you are interested in any of the workshops, please first consult with your line manager then, if approval is given, contact Godfrey Waite via godfrey.waite@bl.uk or telephone x 7275.

A Coaching Style of Management - full day
This workshop will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to adopt, as appropriate, a 'coaching style' when managing and working with people. For more information, dates, times and venues on this workshop, please click here Opportunities and Courses

Confident Communication – half day
The workshop will encourage and equip you to communicate confidently, effectively and constructively when dealing with day-to-day challenges in the workplace.For more information, dates, times and venues on this workshop, please click here Opportunities and Courses

Confidence in Handling Challenging Conversations - half day
This workshop will offer practical techniques on how to effectively handle and confidently deliver potentially difficult conversations with colleagues. For more information, dates, times and venues on this workshop, please click here Opportunities and Courses

Please note you need your line manager’s approval before booking onto any of these workshops.

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Funded IT Application Specialist Apprenticeships - Spaces available for Jan, Feb and March starters

Would you, or your colleagues, like fully funded comprehensive IT training to build your skills and confidence in using your computer?  Is the only reason you aren't training down to budget?  If so, this could be just for you.

The IT Application Specialist Apprenticeship with Happy Computers offers funded classroom training for the City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma for IT Application Specialist. This includes all of the following: 
  • Word: Create a report, improve document layout, create and format tables, create a Table of Contents and use Headers & Footers
  • Excel: Create a budget spreadsheet, including formulas, charts and using filters
  • PowerPoint: Create a presentation, including images, charts and automated slides 
  • Outlook: compress attachments, create a signature, use out of office, schedule meetings and create an email distribution list
  • MS Publisher: Create and format newsletters and leaflets, importing text and images
  • Access: Create a database, create queries, create and format reports
Training is available in MS Office 2007/2010
Each classroom training session includes a step-by-step manual and two years use of our IT help-line on anything covered by your training.

Plus: As a bonus, once you complete the Apprenticeship, you can attend any one day Happy Computers course on our public IT training schedule, at no charge (or a two day course at half price). 
  • Length:  11 days of classroom training (one day per month), plus work-based coaching & support
  • Timescale:  At least 12 months
  • Location:  Training will take place at our training centre in Aldgate, London E1
  • Cost: Funding is available to anyone that meets all the following conditions:
    • Is a UK or EU citizen.
    • Is in employment.
    • Is aged 19 or over.
    • Does not have a level 4 qualification or a degree.
    • Call for details of funding.
This course is suitable for anyone who works with a computer on a daily basis, from managers to admins.  It can be for individuals or we could train up to 8 of your staff as a group.

Our guarantee
You will be hugely more confident and more capable in using your computer by the time you achieve your qualification.
Please do pass this email onto whoever in your organisation is responsible for training.

Why is it Funded?
It is a key priority for the government to increase IT skills in the workplace and adult apprenticeships are the way it wants to achieve them. The qualification is therefore funded by the Skills Funding Agency.
How to apply
Simply click 'Reply' to express your interest, and make sure you include your phone number. Do let us know if its just for you or there could be several people in your organisation interested. For more information please ring Suzi on            020 7375 7300       or go to our website>>>

Best wishes,
Henry
            07870 682442       

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Dear All

You may remember that in the last couple of years Prospect has organised a number of careerplus workshops for members affected by redundancy or organisational change.    We now have funding to run a further two workshops by the end of April and the purpose of this email is to find out whether you have any members who would benefit from attending. Unfortunately the offer is limited to members in England due to public funding limitations, but we would obviously be interested in arranging workshops at venues where there are sufficient people affected.  This could be a workplace provided at least 10 members were potentially affected.

I look forward to hearing from you if you think that this is something that your colleagues would find of benefit, in the meantime if you have any queries please contact me.

Kind regards Kate

Kate Antoniou
ULF Project Development Worker

M:             07889 181084      

www.twitter.com/prospectunion


If you are interested in a Careerplus Workshop, please contact one of the Prospect Learning Reps!

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We're celebrating 882 hits on our blog!!!  If you know other Union members (any union) 
who've not heard of the Learning blog, can you send them the link Please?  

We're looking forward to our 1,000 hit!

Thank you so much,

Your BL Union Learning Representatives,
Melanie Johnson, PCS [London]
Iwona Jurkiewicz, Prospect [London]
Marjorie Newson, Prospect [Boston Spa]
Andy Robinson, Prospect [Boston Spa]
Sarah Wood-Ripley, PCS [Boston Spa]