Sharing information and skills at reps’ training day

 

Reps and potential reps who attended our local reps’ training day in June provided really positive feedback about the event, reports Steve Thomas.

This annual get together is an opportunity for active members and full-time officers from the Education and Children’s Group to share information and good practice, develop skills and to network.

The theme this year was effective consultation and communication.

After an update on the Soulbury pay claim, we looked at some of the work that Prospect and the group is doing on public policy matters, including in education. We talked about how we can support local campaigning in the workplace.

We also looked at the wide range of advisers, officers and managers who have joined Prospect in the last quarter and our recruitment opportunities as a non-teacher focused union for education professionals.

We ran sessions on the group executive’s plans to:

• explain our priorities for supporting members when they need help at work
• support their careers, and
• address wider policy concerns over the next 18 months.

This is an annual day and we hope that we will see both old reps return and more new reps or interested members attend next time! 

Martin Obermuller is a senior school improvement advisor at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council who attended the training day.

This is what Martin, speaking in a personal capacity, said about the course: “At a time of widening Prospect membership in the local authority family and with council cuts continuing, it is really helpful to be kept up-to-date with the help mechanisms that the union provides for its members and how we as local representatives can continue to play our part effectively.

“It is also very helpful to learn first-hand from Prospect officers about the lobbying work that is occurring on a regular basis. I welcome the continued focus on making the public service workplace a better place for us all to be.

 “It was really useful to network with colleagues from around the country and share ideas and ways forward.

“I hope that many representatives, new and old, make every effort to attend Prospect’s conference in Birmingham in November.”

If you are unsure if you have a local rep but would be interested in finding out how you can help the union in any capacity, please get in touch.