2016 Union Learner of the Year Announced

Scottish Union Learning, which is part of the Scottish TUC, has announced that the 6th Annual Learner of the Year is Lauren McDonald, a Communication Workers Union (CWU) member and Modern Apprentice at BT Dial House in Glasgow. Lauren was chosen as the 2016 Learner of the Year because of her exemplary commitment to learning as a young worker.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary, said:

“I am delighted to congratulate Lauren on being named 2016 Union Learner of the Year and on her learning journey which has been outstanding.

“Lauren is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through union learning in acquiring new skills and knowledge as so well illustrated by her successful progress through the Modern Apprenticeship. She is an inspiration to learners in workplaces throughout Scotland as they seek to fulfil their true potential.

“Her achievements and commitment to learning illustrate the invaluable contribution Union Learning Reps from CWU and other trade unions throughout Scotland make in the workplace. As a consequence of the support provided by their union, thousands of workers across Scotland successfully undertake learning journeys every year. Lauren’s story is a wonderful example of how union learning can unleash the potential of those it touches.”

Trish Lavelle, CWU Head of Education & Training, said:

“The CWU is absolutely delighted for Lauren, not only for being in receipt of such a prestigious award but also for the way she has committed to enhancing her knowledge through union-led learning and development. It is testimony to the role of the ULR and the continued financial support from Scottish Union Learning that Lauren has been able to tap into such a worthwhile and technical training programme. Mel Cambridge, our CWU ULR, deserves a special mention for arranging and supporting Lauren and other colleagues through the CISCO courses and I know wholeheartedly that she joins myself and the rest of the CWU in congratulating Lauren on her significant achievements.

“Of course, the raised profile of successful apprentices like Lauren is marvellous but more must be done to equip our young people with the skills they need and to rebuild our economy for the future. Lauren is a wonderful example that training and education delivered through union learning initiatives making a real difference to young people's lives, providing them with the chance to attain skills and qualifications which improve their employability. Well done to all involved!”

Lauren McDonald, CWU member and 2016 STUC Learner of the Year, said:

“To be nominated by my union for an award like this was a big deal, but to be chosen as the 2016 Learner of the Year is a huge honour. I am humbled and proud that my learning journey was chosen to represent the thousands of workers in Scotland who undertake union-supported learning each year.

“At the outset, I was told how challenging the course material would be, but I wanted to further my career within BT and I knew that to do so, I needed to learn new skills and gain technical-based knowledge. I have made a great effort to effectively engage with my Modern Apprenticeship, based in BT Wholesale and Ventures within the Mobile Ethernet Access Service world. With the unwavering support of my CWU Union Rep, Mel Cambridge, and my CISCO CCNA Lecturer, Kevin MacLean from Glasgow Clyde College, along with my manager, colleagues, family and friends, I have been able to progress successfully through this intense course.

“I’ve had to juggle a lot in my personal and professional life to gain this qualification, but I know that along with my apprenticeship, it will help open doors for more of my career goals in the long run. I hope that others will consider taking their first steps to learning by contacting their union rep, who can provide much-needed support, learning opportunities and access to funding.”

Bobby Kelly, CWU Scotland Number 1 Branch Secretary, said: “By her own effort, commitment and enthusiasm, Lauren McDonald is one of the first women in our workplace who will successfully complete the CISCO CCNA course. The Scotland No1 Branch supports a number of union learners, but we are particularly proud of Lauren and that is why we nominated her for the 2016 Learner of the Year Award from Scottish Union Learning.”

ENDS

Lauren McDonald’s Learning Journey

Lauren McDonald never planned to work in an office. At school, she was most interested in PE and playing football. Lauren attended Edinburgh Napier University and graduated with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2012. Upon applying to become an ambulance technician with the Scottish Ambulance Service, Lauren passed the rigorous physical stage, but failed the interview, and subsequently had to re-think her plans for the future.

“It was hard, a real low point, to have done all that work and to have failed at the end,” Lauren said. “I had a couple of part-time jobs and even joined the NHS on a zero hour contract after I graduated from university. It was then that I saw an advert for a Modern Apprenticeship in Business Billing at BT, and I applied through Skills Development Scotland. I had no idea that my luck was about to change.”

Lauren began her one-year apprenticeship in Business Billing at BT, and saw an advert for a CISCO CCNA course that was being organised in BT by the workplace’s trade union, the Communication Workers Union (CWU). CISCO is an advanced IT course that is completed in four modules, and a prerequisite for advancing to the next module is to have successfully completed the preceding module.

When asked at the outset about her aims in gaining the CISCO qualification, Lauren responded, “It would be a great advantage to my future BT career. As a Modern Apprentice in Business Billing, I am not able to learn about networks. I believe this qualification could broaden my knowledge in the engineering world and open doors for more career goals of mine. I understand this in an intense course and this will make me more motivated to achieve success.”

Lauren admits she found the introduction to the technology daunting. She finished her one-year Modern Apprenticeship in Business Billing, and since beginning the CISCO CCNA course, she successfully applied for a second three-year Modern Apprenticeship within BT Wholesale.

Lauren said, “My application for the second apprenticeship was strengthened by the course and I feel that it differentiated me from other candidates for the role. It is the biggest achievement of my career to date.”

Despite working full time, Lauren is determined to gain the CISCO accreditation and has scheduled six hours per week for study in her own time, over and above her weekly three hours of tutor-led study. Lauren recognises the role that her CWU Learning Rep, Mel Cambridge, has played in supporting her as a learner. Lauren said, “I wasn’t a union member before I signed up for the course, but I became one because my Union Learning Rep, Mel, was so supportive. I couldn’t have done this without the union’s support in driving the learning opportunity forward, and others in the class feel the same way. Our Union Learning Rep has been so helpful in organising the course, and applying for funding from Scottish Union Learning so that it’s provided for free, and scheduling a place to study outside of class times. I never would have come this far without the CWU’s support.”

Additionally, she has been travelling to Stoke on Trent through work to complete six tough blocks of training covering various features, protocols and standards within the telecommunications world. She believes that if she had not been undertaking the CISCO course through the CWU, she would not have been given this additional training through her apprenticeship.

Lauren plans to complete the fourth module, finish the six training blocks through the company and finalise her three-year apprenticeship. Lauren said, “I’m keen to complete the full CISCO CCNA certification and follow on to the more advanced CISCO CCNP course, which would validate my ability to plan, implement, verify and troubleshoot local and wide area networks as an internationally recognised qualification.”

In two years, Lauren will finish her Modern Apprenticeship and begin working as a regular employee in the BT Wholesale and Ventures department, within the Mobile Ethernet Access Service world. “I love my job. It’s 100% the best job I’ve ever had.”

Lauren McDonald was chosen as the 2016 STUC Learner of the Year and received the award at the Scottish Union Learning Conference on Tuesday, 8 November in Glasgow.

Notes for editors

 

• Scottish Union Learning is part of the STUC and was launched in May 2008.
• 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 Scottish Government.
• Union Learning Representatives help union members get access to training, new skills and personal development. They liaise directly with fellow workers, employers and training providers to identify a range of learning opportunities and make them available to the workforce. Unions and Union Learning Reps provide learning and skills support to many of the 580,000 trade unionists in Scotland who are affiliated to the STUC.
• Lauren’s learning was paid for through the Learning Fund, which is administered by Scottish Union Learning. The CWU applied to the Learning Fund to organise courses in BT. The course was put out to tender through the Learning Fund procurement process and the provider was chosen by the STUC Learning Fund Advisory Panel. Lauren’s course was provided by Glasgow Clyde College.
• Scottish Union Learning supports trade unions in accessing skills and lifelong learning opportunities for their members that contribute to collective prosperity, fairness and equality, for workers across Scotland.

 

For further information please contact:

Jennifer Payne, Marketing Officer

Scottish Union Learning

Tel: 0141 337 8130

Email: jpayne@stuc.org.uk