Union Learn announce Right to Request Training suvey results

Union Learn have sent a big thank you to the 623 union reps who replied to their survey on the right to request time to train. The survey results revealed:

• A growing level of activity to promote the right to trade union members and employers: 35% have raised policy and procedural matters with their employer (201 respondents). 44% have discussed at their branch or workplace committee (248 respondents)
• Many of the representatives have supported exercise of the right that is less formal than using the government's procedures and most have used existing channels and procedures including training review systems to put a training request to their employers. We estimate that around one in ten requests have used the full procedure. This pattern of take up among unions reflects the guidance and training for trade union members which has emphasised (like government guidance) that the procedures be used sparingly and existing channels and procedures should continue to be used if they are effective.
• A good mix of training requests
• 37% said they had supported requests for short courses
• 24% said they had supported requests for skills for life or ESOL
• 30% said they had supported requests for NVQ or other qualifications
• 19% said they had supported requests for diplomas and degrees
• 20% said they has supported requests for employer provided training and 18% said they has supported requests for sector specific training
• 83% of representatives said that employers were responding to requests within 28 days. 45% of the respondents had experienced 'positive and helpful' responses from the employer and 43% said there had been reasonable compromises. We estimate that 8 tenths of requests that our representatives are accounting for in this sample are resulting in some form of agreement with employers. If this rate of agreements is achieved on a consistent basis in the future, then the introduction of the right would be rightly regarded as a great success.
• 81% were against an extra business reason for refusal relating to the existence of a training review system being introduced.
• 50% of the survey participants thought that the introduction of the right to request time to train [in its short life] had improved dialogue on training with employers.
• 32.5% reasonably said they did not know which is not surprising so early in this legislation's life. It was however clear in many of the comments that representatives were supportive of the introduction of the right and also hoped to see further government interventions to encourage employers to invest in training.

 

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