Women, Work and Society UNISON Programme

The programme is open to women who are interested in understanding more of the issues surrounding women’s lives in the community and workplace. It is particularly designed for those with few or no formal qualifications. It aims to build women’s confidence in their ability to learn and provides a stepping stone to further education or vocational opportunities.

Enrolment on the programme is offered to UNISON women members and to women in workplaces who run the programme as part of their training offer to employees. It is particularly suitable for women working in the Health and Care sectors and in Local Authorities.

What does it cover?

The programme offers two courses for women.

Women’s Lives: An Introduction to Study
gives students the opportunity to develop an understanding of issues relating to women, such as education and images of women, as well as to develop some basic study skills such as:

• Writing
  
• Comprehension
  
• Note taking
  
• Research skills
  
• Analysing skills

Time Out For Study
is a workplace education programme for women, offering three short courses:

• Effective Communication
  
• Stress and Work
  
• Women in the Workplace

How is it organised?

Women’s Lives is offered to UNISON women members in local community centres close to where they live, and at their place of work in consultation with employers. It usually runs for about four months with eight fortnightly study group meetings and a residential school or day schools.

The course is accredited with the Open College Network and students can gain two credits by completing a portfolio of work.

Time Out For Study is offered in the workplace in consultation with employers and UNISON, usually for ten weekly sessions along with around ten hours home study. This enables students, if they wish, to gain an Open College Network credit by completing a portfolio of work.

Many women have benefited from these two programmes to go on to further education and job training and promotion opportunities they would otherwise have missed out on.

East Midland:
Marylise Dufaux
89 Prospect Street
Alfreton
DE55 7GY
0115 985 8116
mdufaux@wea.org.uk

West Mercia:
Maureen Russell
169 Newcombe Road
Handsworth
Birmingham
B36 9HF
0121 605 4179
mrussell@wea.org.uk

Eastern:
Margaret Todd
15 North Street
Stanground
Peterborough
PE2 8HR
01733 319324
mtodd@wea.org.uk

Thames & Solent
Annie Winner
38 The Hill
Garsington
Oxford
OX44 9DG
01865 361841
a.winner@virgin.net

South Eastern
Jill Britcher
WEA South Eastern District Office
57 Riverside
2 Sir Thomas Longley Rd
Rochester
Kent
ME2 4BH
01634 730101
jbritcher@wea.org.uk

N. Ireland
Ann Ringland
WEA
Ballybot House
28 Cornmarket
Newry
BT35 8BG
028 30 268679
anne.ringland@wea-ni.com

S. Wales
Lynel Khatib
10 Coopers Yard
Curran Road
Trade Street
Cardiff
CF1 5DF
02920 552277
L.Elkhatib@swales.wea.org.uk

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