How can we better support workers who lack confidence in their skills?

via More, Different and Better by Guest Blogger (Ann Joss)

It’s always good to be reminded of the reasons we do what we do, and the NIACE round table on 29 November did just that for me. Over the last couple of decades trade unions have demonstrated over and over again that peer to peer interventions are the most effective way of helping workers with little or no formally recognised skills and qualifications, overcome their learning barriers and turn around their lives.

Union learning representatives (ULRs) have been hugely influential in convincing colleagues to learn, employers to support them and learning providers to be more flexible in their arrangements for delivering learning. The 2012 NIACE Adult Participation in Learning Survey showed that in every category of employed learners, the main reasons for learning are career related, and 26% of all learners interviewed (i.e. including the unemployed and others not in employment) took up learning for help in their current job.

This reinforced unionlearn’s findings in a recent survey, where 85% of ULRs who responded said that there was at least some demand amongst their colleagues for learning to help them with their current job.

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Hazel’s comment:
It was the phrase “peer to peer” that caught my attention.
Many readers will be aware that I have been battling mental ill-health for some time and the peer support of my fellow sufferers through The Elephant In The Room (a Facebook persona created by Mind, the mental health charity) has been invaluable to me.

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