Category Archives: Education

FREE ON-LINE COURSE

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Northern College Micro Courses

These free online courses are open to anyone and are designed to introduce you to a range of subjects through an e-learning experience before committing to one of our longer traditional courses.

  • Employability skills – Whether you’re looking for your first job, have been out of work for a while or are even looking for a change in career, this bundle of resources will help you kick start your job search.
  • Digital literacy skills – Digital literacy skills are a must-have in a world which is increasingly becoming online and virtual. This course is an introduction to the skills required for those taking their initial steps in using ICT and the internet and is a starting point for further study.
  • Numeracy skills – Ideal for learners working at Entry Level 3, who might have some gaps in their maths knowledge and/or skills. This course will give you confidence to take a more formal and accredited course at this level.
  • Maths – Level 2 refresh – Good maths skills are an essential part of everyday life and this course will assist learners working at Level 2 who might have some gaps in their knowledge and/or skills. It has been split into 3 separate areas; fractions and percentage, number and BIDMAS, perimeter, area and volume.
  • English skills (part 1) – This micro course has been designed as the first part of a two part offer, and it will assist learners working at Entry Level 3 who might have some gaps in their knowledge and/or skills. Once completed you can continue-on to part 2.
  • English skills (part 2) – This micro course is the second of a two part offer to assist learners working at Entry Level 3 who might have some gaps in their knowledge and/or skills. This course should improve your skills and confidence to take a more formal and accredited course at this level.
  • English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) – Good language skills are important, and this micro course covers some of the essentials needed to develop English language skills at a basic level.  It presents you with an ideal opportunity to improve your skills and your confidence before studying in a more formal manner.
  • Covid-19 and safer workplaces – a guide for UNISON members – Covid-19 and the lockdown has left UNISON members feeling concerned, anxious, even stressed. This Micro Course has been designed to help plan what steps you will need to take, and how you can ensure you and your members are being as safe and risk aware as possible.

If you are interested in any of these courses, please visit Northern College website at:- https://www.northern.ac.uk/courses/micro-courses/

For more information about UNISON online courses for members and activists, please visit our website at:- https://yorks.unison.org.uk/online-training/

UNISON COURSES FOR MEMBERS

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 UNISON Learning & Organising Services

Courses currently available for members:

⇒ Mental Health and Well Being
⇒ Staff Skills Academy
⇒ Bereavement awareness workshops for members in social care
⇒ Personal Development for UNISON Members
⇒ Help with Digital Skills
⇒ Get online with Learn My Way
⇒ Everyday Skills in Maths and English
⇒ Family Maths Toolkit
⇒ Activist Learning
⇒ UNISON e-learning
⇒ Organising Space

If you are interested in attending a UNISON course and would like to know more – please contact the Branch Education officer, Linda Wood, for a chat: l.wood@shu.ac.uk

UNISON SURVEY: SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

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Help us to help you!

UNISON are carrying out  a survey to find out how you feel about your current level of skills and what skills you think you would want for the future. This survey will help us develop future training courses to support you in your workplaces.

This quick survey will take only 15 mins to complete.  There are no wrong answers, we just want to hear about your views. For taking the time to do the survey you will have the chance to win an all expenses paid weekend trip to Croyde Bay, Devon or the chance of winning £200 or £100 Love2Shop voucher UNISON SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE SURVEY

 

UNISON MEMBER LEARNING

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Building Confidence in Women, 2-3 March 2019

1 night residential at Novotel Hotel, Leeds

Cost to branch £150 per delegate

Building Confidence in Women, 6-7 July 2019 – places available

1 night residential at Novotel Hotel, Leeds

Cost to branch £150 per delegate

 

Everyday Living Everyday Numbers – 12 March 2019

Non-Residential at Commerce House, Leeds

Cost to branches: FREE

Pre-Retirement Workshop – 20 March 2019

Non-Residential at Commerce House, Leeds

Cost to branches: £10

Confidence Building (Power to be You) – 22 March 2019

Non-Residential at Commerce House, Leeds

Cost to branches: FREE

Assertiveness Habit – 25 April 2019

Non-Residential at Commerce House, Leeds

Cost to branches: FREE

Women’s Assertiveness

Assertiveness training offers a means of learning an invaluable set of communication skills, which helps us to express our opinions, needs, and feelings honestly and directly. The philosophy behind assertiveness training is expressly non-competitive and great care is taken to enable each participant to strengthen their self-esteem and prevent themselves being manipulated or exploited. The course is delivered in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. You will leave the weekend with some useful techniques to be able to assert yourself in different situations.

 “ The training has been really good, I now feel ready to assert myself. Both outside and at work. Thank you!”

Women’s Assertiveness, 22-23 June 2019 (places available)

1 night residential at Novotel Hotel, Leeds

Cost to branch £150 per delegate

Women’s Assertiveness, 26-27 October 2019 (places available)

1 night residential at Novotel Hotel, Leeds

Cost to branch £150 per delegate

If you would like to attend please email j.ward@shu.ac.uk.

 

Student Loans: are you paying back the right amount?

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Members who are paying back a student loan should check that the correct amounts are being deducted.  

 There is no indication that this is a widespread or systematic problem, but the possibility of error exists and could have significant financial consequences.   We have had some examples over the last year of members who have became aware that they were overpaying on their student loan, and so we thought it was useful to raise awareness of the issue.

 Refunds can be made where mistakes are made, but note that issues need raising with the Student Loan Company.   The University payroll team is instructed by HMRC (who get their information from SLC) of any changes to student loan repayment plans, and are not otherwise able to make any changes.

 First of all, check that you are liable to make repayments. There are tens of thousands of people who are known to have started repaying too early. Liability only starts in the April after you graduate or leave higher education. And you don’t need to repay unless your earnings have reached the necessary threshold in any tax year.   The current threshold for those who started University during or after 2012 (England/Wales) is £25,000.  It’s different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.   

 Secondly, check that repayments have been stopped or started as appropriate if your earnings dropped below the threshold in a month – although the earnings threshold is for a tax year, the calculation will be on a monthly basis.

 Thirdly, check that you are not still paying despite having paid off your loan.   Again, tens of thousands of people have ended up overpaying because of the way in which HMRC annually report earnings to the Student Loans Company – eventually this should be detected and notified to the affected individual, but let them know if you spot it yourself.

 Finally, check that you are paying according the correct repayment plan.  Plan 1 is for those who took out their loan before 1 September 2012.  Plan 2 is for those who took out their loan on or after that date.   Repayment rates are calculated differently for each plan, which is why it matters.

 If you want more information or need to check any details, see the Student Loans Company website:  http://www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk

 If you have overpaid and want to be refunded, call the Student Loan Company on 0300 100 0611.  You might need personal data such as national insurance number, payroll number and PAYE reference.

 Example of newspaper coverage of student loan overpayment, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/student-money/hmrc-blames-student-loans-company-mass-overpayments/

Dan J Bye