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You might think research is dry and boring but a new project on UNISON's lifelong learning programmes may change your mind as researchers look to record the experiences of UNISON members in their own words.

The learning curve

UNISON's work in developing lifelong learning opportunities for members has long been recognised as groundbreaking. So far around 50,000 members have been able to improve their skills both for work and for their personal development.

In many cases the effect on people's lives has been dramatic and what marks this research out is that these effects will be recorded in the words of the students themselves. Suzanne Hyde, who is the researcher on the project, has experience of teaching on UNISON's Return to Learn courses:

"As someone who has worked in adult education for 17 years, I know how much time and effort and energy students bring to the courses. And I also know how much they get out of it and how these courses changes people's lives. This project is a unique opportunity to record the effects of these courses in the words of the learners themselves."

The research project is called Progression Through Learning and is a unique collaboration between UNISON and the internationally recognised Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sussex with funding from the European Social Fund.

Pauline Thorne, UNISON's president, is on the steering group for the research and explains why the union got involved:

"UNISON is very keen to promote education and training to improve the services our members deliver and to enhance their working lives. We are delighted to be part of this research project and know that it will give us strong academic evidence for negotiating a better deal for our members particularly women members."

How the research will work
The project is already under way with the facts and figures of UNISON's lifelong learning programmes being gathered. Suzanne Hyde explains the next stage:

"We are sending out leaflets inviting current and past UNISON learners to get involved by writing about their own experiences of learning and how it has affected them. If they are interested we'll send out a writing pack which gives some pointers on the sort of things they could write about."

The panel gives a flavour of what one UNISON member has already written about their learning and gives a feel for the kind of writing that the researchers are hoping will be contributed.

Suzanne Hyde adds: "We don't mind how learners tell us about their experiences of taking courses through the workplace. They could write a story or a short autobiography, a poem, a diary or send us their story on tape if they don't want to write it down."

Suzanne is keen to emphasise that they aren't bothered about the level of English, grammar, spelling, or punctuation of the writing. "It is the content of the stories and what learners have to say about learning that is important to us." A book is planned so (with the permission of the learners) some of the writing may even end up being published.

When written pieces have been sent in the researchers will choose some learners to follow up on with more in-depth recorded interviews both in person and by telephone.

The aims of the research include influencing future policy on lifelong learning in the workplace and providing a body of evidence that can be of value for many years to come.

Steve Williams is Head of UNISON's Open College and he has high hopes for the project: "This is high quality research and it shows that the serious work we are doing in workplace learning merits serious academic interest. Our members have a right to know whether our lifelong learning provision is working and this research will give us clear feedback on how we are doing."

Story by Brian Homer

Respond to this article

CASE STUDY: EDNA WARWICK "Ten years ago I started working an Exeter NHS Hospital as a housekeeper/domestic. I did cleaning emptying bins and served patients with their food and beverages. I was earning about £2 an hour at the time. "When I had been there a little while I became a workplace representative for UNISON but due to family commitments I could only give limited time. "Over the next year or so I knew what it felt like to be 'the invisible worker' and have people treat you like a slave and give you all of the jobs that nobody else wanted to do. "These experiences made me feel that I had to do something about it and get myself out of this situation. Later I enrolled to do the Return to Learn course. When I completed this course I felt brilliant, I had demonstrated to myself and my colleagues that I could do work at A-level standard. I was 42 years old when I did this. I had left school at 16 and never dreamt of restarting education at my age. "On that Return to Learn course there where eight people, all from support staff. Four of the students almost immediately changed jobs, all within the NHS and all with promotion. Some doing jobs that they would not have previously applied for. "Later a job as an education fieldworker for UNISON came about within my region. The post was for two years. I got up the courage and applied, never believing that I would get it. "When I received the call to say I had the job I cried for nearly a week after. It was a dream come true. UNISON had helped and supported me to achieve my goal and now I had a chance of working for UNISON to help others do the same. I can now as a fieldworker help other low paid workers achieve their goals as I have achieved mine. "So when you say to yourself 'I can't do that' - oh yes you can because I did and I am now 46 years old. Never say never, there is always support there from both UNISON and your work colleagues."

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