For Immediate Release
Did you unwrap a new laptop, iPad or Kindle on Christmas Day? Why not look past Farmville and make a New Year’s Resolution to learn? Union members can put electronic gifts to good use by accessing free links to online training available for individual learners.
It has never been more important for workers to keep skills up-to-date to protect their employability and guard against being made redundant. For those who work in a unionised environment, there is likely to be a Union Learning Rep available who can help workers begin a learning journey. With more than 2,000 Union Learning Reps trained in Scotland, unions are well-placed to provide support and guidance to workers interested in learning online.
Some websites with free online learning resources are:
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk – offers more than 600 free online courses from The Open University;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/onlinecourses - offers free adult learning online courses;
http://learningbytes.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk – offers more than 650 online courses, many of which support individuals to develop IT skills, business skills or life skills such as literacy, numeracy and communication;
http://www.emailcollege.co.uk – offers more than 300 free online courses in business, personal development, writing guides and careers;
http://alison.com – offers 300 free online courses at Certificate or Diploma level in wide ranging subjects such as ‘How to use Gmail’, digital enterprise, identity theft and Microsoft Office training.
Jennifer Payne, Scottish Union Learning Marketing Officer, said:
“Instead of accessing online games over the holidays, Scottish Union Learning encourages everyone to check out the myriad of online courses and resources that are available free of charge.
“We have found that learning can help relieve stress because it is fun – and free! After the holidays, we urge workers to seek out their Union Learning Representatives to help them access training, new skills and personal development.”
ENDS
Notes
Scottish Union Learning works in partnership with unions to drive forward trade union-led learning in Scotland and administers the Learning Fund and Development Funds, which are supported by the European Social Fund.
Scottish Union Learning supports trade unions in accessing skills and lifelong learning opportunities that contribute to collective prosperity, fairness and equality, for workers across Scotland.
Download the full press release.
