Coca Cola employees are thirsty for learning

Usdaw in partnership with Coca Cola and Foster College were successful in gaining funding from the first round of the Northern Ireland Union Learning Fund.

Through the Union Learning Fund Project, Usdaw offered workers at Coca Cola the opportunity to participate in learning in a new and innovative way. Through the Learning for All project, Usdaw hoped to build participant confidence and to undertake learning, improve literacy and increase ICT skills.

Usdaw chose Coca Cola as its first employer partner in Northern Ireland to participate under the Union Learning Fund project for a number of reasons:

• Coca Cola was a company who were very supportive and open to widening their participation in Lifelong Learning.
• Coca Cola also compete in a global economy and therefore could recognise that any increase in skills and moral that could be brought to their employees would have nothing other than a positive effect on the company as a whole.

Through a partnership between Usdaw, Coca Cola and Foster College, the project aimed to meet employee needs through a work based initiative. A further aim of the project was to promote the idea of Lifelong Learning, improve the life and work skills of participants while, at the same time, benefiting the employer.

Union involvement was the key to getting the project up and running. Usdaw liaised with Coca Cola to forge a partnership that could be built upon.This helped establish a learning culture within the organisation.Two Usdaw members from Coca Cola undertook Union Learning Rep training with the ICTU enabling the representatives to encourage, support and give initial advice and guidance to potential students.

The reps played a crucial role in the success of the project. Another measure of the success of the project is that the other employees who have undergone the training programme have now expressed an interest in becoming Union Learning Reps.

Apart from the organisation of learning, another key factor is the success of adult learning is the methods used in teaching. Staff at Foster College have had many years of experience in the delivery of a wide range of adult learning programmes. From the outset students were introduced to a welcoming and supportive environment.

For many of the employees it was their first step back into education since their school days. It was important for students to be secure in the knowledge that they would be learning in a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of tutor support. Recognising that has everyone has different learning styles and rates; tutors were available outside the course delivery times so that students with particular difficulties could be accommodated.

Coca Cola recognised the benefit of taking part in the initiative and generously gave staff time off so that they could attend classes. Shift patterns made organising class times difficult. In the end members were willing to give up their evenings and Saturday mornings where necessary to complete the course. This reflected the enthusiasm of the workers as a whole within the plant.

Peer support and learning also adds to the success of any learning programme. As students progressed through the course they became aware that looking for answers within their peer group and finding solutions to any problems that they encountered, not only increased their confidence but also helped to improve their analytical skills.

"This has been a great initiative that has delivered solid results" said John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretetary

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