Opening Doors to Skills, Confidence and Career Progression at the AA

Community is helping colleagues in The AA access new skills, recognised training and development opportunities that can support their current roles and future careers, but learning doesn’t always have to be about work. It could be developing a hobby, exploring a personal interest, learning something you’ve always wanted to try, or simply doing something that helps you relax, switch off and keep your mind active.

Today we met with Jacqueline Thomas, Community’s Learning Organiser for Wales, as part of our continuing “Upskill and Engage” work through Union Learning in The AA, with a particular focus on the work we have been developing within the Commercial business area.

Over recent months, we have been working closely with Commercial managers and colleagues at the AA to better understand their learning needs, development ambitions and the barriers that can sometimes prevent people from accessing training. This session gave us an opportunity to build on that work and look at how Community Union Learning can provide additional opportunities, funding and support to help our people develop.

The work within Commercial is also helping us understand what works when trying to reach a mobile and geographically dispersed workforce. By building relationships with managers and listening directly to colleagues, we can use what we learn to help strengthen Union Learning opportunities across the wider AA.

Complementing AA learning

Union Learning does not replace AA mandatory or business training, it complements it.

It gives people another route to develop themselves, gain additional qualifications, build confidence, explore their own interests and potentially prepare themselves for future opportunities.

Delivering Union Learning across The AA does, however, present a particular challenge because so many of our people are mobile, geographically dispersed and working independently.

Traditional methods of workplace learning engagement don’t always work. We can’t simply put information on a union noticeboard or expect everyone to attend a meeting at one location.

In fact, we have been delivering Union Learning within The AA since 2019, but many colleagues still don’t know about the opportunities available to them.

Community has been working directly with managers in the Commercial business area, attending workplace events, talking to colleagues and building relationships within individual business areas. The aim is to bring Union Learning closer to our people and create opportunities that work around the realities of a mobile workforce.

A Union Learning Representative (ULR) doesn’t have to know every course or have every answer. Our role is to listen to the individual, understand what they are trying to achieve and then use the Community learning network to help connect them with the right opportunity.

Community members can access more than 700 online training courses, covering a huge range of subjects and providing opportunities for CPD, personal development, career-related learning and learning simply for enjoyment.

We have people that want to improve their digital skills, learn more about leadership, gain health and safety knowledge, develop their understanding of mental health, explore a hobby or personal interest, or simply learn something new that gives them greater confidence.

The wider Community learning picture demonstrates that appetite too. At our August ULR Forum, 560 learners were enrolled in the Staff Skills Academy, with Mental Health First Aid and IOSH Managing Safely continuing to generate strong interest.

Emma Robbins joined us today following the positive work we have been delivering within the Commercial business area.

Emma had previously asked whether we could help get some of her people through training. Last month, we were able to support two patrols through Mental Health First Aid training.

A positive step for learning in Wales

One of the biggest outcomes from today’s meeting was gaining access to support through the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF).

This will help us make Mental Health First Aid and IOSH training available without course costs for eligible colleagues in Wales or who work in Wales, with opportunities in England continuing to be explored subject to available budgets.