UNION LEARNING FUND

RMTnews :: may 2005 22 FOR A FEW years now learning has been on the agenda at Wilts and Dorset Bus. It started with Poole and District Bus RMT branch secretary Peter Gale and Salisbury 3 branch secretary Joe Hayes getting trained up as Union Learning Reps. They then recruited other reps, the first of whom was Brian Lewis. Brian took on the responsibility of being the ‘lead’ Union Learning Rep. Early in 2003, the reps, RMT’s education officer Ray Spry-Shute and the TUC met with the company and local colleges to discuss creating learning opportunities in or near the workplace and the idea of a learning bus took form. To turn the idea into reality was going to take a lot of hard work and money. Teresa Williams, Regional Development Worker from the Rail Union Learning Programme, was brought in to coordinate the project. The company donated a bus and agreed to pay the running costs, and Teresa managed to secure funding for refitting and laptop computers. After a nearly a year of hard work the bus had two open days, one at Poole and one at Salisbury. Over 120 bus workers visited the open days, where they had the opportunity to talk to tutors and reps, and to have a go on the laptops. Wilts and Dorset learning reps are now busy setting up courses and workshops based on what members have asked for, including computing, languages and sign language. There has already been an IT course at Poole and learning rep Kevin Saunderson was on hand to help out and answer questions. Courses are being designed to fit in with shift work and the Learning Bus is currently timetabled to visit Poole and Salisbury each week, although reps ‘Baggy’ Bagwell, at Ringwood, and Dave Wyatt, at Lymington, have been inundated with requests. The learning reps at Wilts and Dorset are hoping that the project goes from strength to strength to providing opportunities to learn and making a real difference. WILTS AND DORSET LEARNING BUS LAUNCHED Members at Wilts and Dorset Bus Company will feel right at home when they pop into their new learning centre - it's a bus! The new mobile facility will drive to depots, bringing learning closer to bus workers Union Learning Reps Kevin Saunderson, ‘Baggy’ Bagwell, Dave Wyatt, Brian Lewis