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Patience and Nicholson's programme makes a difference

Operations manager at Patience and Nicholson in Kaiapoi (North Canterbury), Rick Smith says the Learning Reps Programme, which started up in July 2009  "has already received an enthusiastic response and uptake from a significant number of staff at the company.  Some of the major benefits of the programme have been increased production, recognition of problems, fault finding, improved morale and staff retention.  It makes a real difference to the way we train and reward skills within the business." *

Rick Smith says the company is using the programme to  "increase access to training and thereby upskill our employees.  The more knowledgeable they are and the more skills they have, the better they will be able to solve problems and produce quality work." **

Learning Reps at Patience and Nicholson have completed their Learning Reps training and received their certificates in a ceremony last year.  As well as helping co-workers with training, they have been helping develop a good relationship with their Industry Training Organisation (ITO), as well as working with the company on implementing a Competitive Manufacturing Initiative (CMI).

(Patience and Nicholson are manufacturers and distributors of precision cutting tools for the domestic and overseas market). 
_{* Northern Outlook, 12 Sept 2009    ** Kaiapoi Advocate, 30 Oct 2009}  

Migrante Aotearoa and Learning Reps Programme working together      

The Learning Reps Programme is now an integral part of the Migrante Aotearoa work programme after more than 100 national representatives of migrant worker communities voted to include it in their annual plan for 2010.

Programme Manager Sandy O'Neil addressed the inaugural congress of the organisation that represents and advocates for migrant workers on Saturday, 5th of December.  She highlighted the Learning Reps Programme as an opportunity to inspire communities to get back into education.  The Learning Reps are a friendly face in the workplace and advocate for learning to co-workers and employers.  They are an important source of information for migrants who may be unaware of workplace qualifications and systems available to support industry learning.

A weekend training programme will be rolled out In Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch from January to March 2010.   

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Learning Representatives Programme

The Learning Representatives Programme is part of a range of initiatives to increase the participation of working people in learning at work.

Learning Reps are elected by workers in an enterprise to play a leadership role in encouraging workplace learning. They are trained in the skills that are needed for the role: to provide information on what learning is available, to make learning a group activity, to help co-workers identify their learning needs, and to work with the employer on finding solutions.


                                                                                                       download Learning Reps Pamphlet 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Sometimes workers:

• are not aware of training opportunities that are available
• do not have a clear career path ahead of them
• do not have the reading or maths skills that are needed to advance themselves
• do not get training in communication or interpersonal skills
• do not get training in the skills that increase their value to the company

Learning Reps help find learning solutions!

For workers the Learning Reps programme is about skills, careers, opportunities and recognition.

For the company the Learning Reps programme is about growth, productivity, quality, morale and staff retention.

For both it is about management and employees working together on training opportunities, and setting up a communications system to support workers who want to get ahead and make a greater contribution at work.

The project is funded by the Tertiary Education Commission, managed by the Council of Trade Unions with the support of Business New Zealand.

A full training programme to NZQA standards is available to support Learning Reps in their new role. Reps learn about the connection between skills and productivity, what is on offer from the ITO or local providers, how to encourage workers into learning opportunities and, in particular, how to take the important first step towards qualifications.  Reps learn the fundamentals of adult education and handling literacy issues and how to promote learning as a group activity.  Of importance is the session on the personal, structural and institutional barriers to learning and ways to step over the barriers.

"We can get into learning if we all do it together"

- resolution from a seminar for railway employees.