BECTU rep's courses will give you the skills and knowledge you need to support BECTU members and help make your own workplace a better and fairer place to work.
If you have been appointed as a BECTU workplace representative then you may be entitled to paid release to undergo training for the role (please check with head office).
We run a comprehensive programme of courses for our reps so that you can learn about the role in the company of friends and colleagues who, like you, work in the creative sector.
Our courses are rigorous but informal, informative but fun and are run according to a democratic and inclusive philosophy that places the learner at the heart of education.
To the right of this page are a number of downloadable documents that explain more about BECTU courses.
The BECTU course programme 2009-2010
This programme is run at the union's head office in Clapham. We are very keen to run courses around the country where there is sufficient demand. All these courses are accredited with the Open College Network through our partners in the Trade Union Studies Department at South Thames College.
1-day Induction for New BECTU Reps
This course is designed to welcome you as a new union representative. You will learn about how BECTU works, what reps actually do and how the law and agreements protect you and your right to be an active trade unionist.
Dates: 9th February 2010, 25th May 2010, 14th September 2010, 7th December 201
Branch Reps part 1: How to Represent your Members
You will learn more about the activities and duties union reps are entitled to undertake. The course looks at policies and agreements at work including grievance and discipline procedures - through case-studies and collective problem solving you will receive a solid grounding in how to represent your colleagues.
Dates: 26-28 January 2010, 20-22 April 2010, 28 - 30 September 2010, 2-4 November 2010
Branch Reps part 2: How to Organise a Union Branch
Following on from the union reps part 1, this course will cover the organisational building blocks of the union - meetings, making policy, being well-organised and recruiting & retaining members.
Dates: 9-11 March 2010, 19-21 october 2010
Safety Reps part 1
As a new safety rep you will need to understand the foundations of safety legislation so on this course you will learn about the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the related regulations governing the duties and activities of union safety reps. You will get the opportunity to carry out a 'workplace inspection'.
Dates: 23-25 March 2010, 21-23 September 2010
Safety Reps part 2
In the second part of the safety reps programme you will look in more detail at risk assessment and the related regulations. You will also learn about specific legislation dealing with workplace standards, hazardous substances and much more.
Dates: 18-20 May 2010, 23-25 November 2010
Negotiation Skills part 1
This course will introduce you to the theory and practice of negotiations. You will learn about the tactics and the rules of negiotating, how to deal with opponents and how to achive a 'win-win' solution. The skills you learn on this course will have wide application beyond the workplace.
Dates: 13-14 April 2010, 7-8 July 2010
Negotiation Skills part 2
Building on the skills you learned on the first part you will look more deeply at the psychology of negotiation before going on the research, prepare and carry out a negotiating scenario based on a key industrial issue such as pay or redundancy.
Dates: 16 - 17 February 2010, 12-13 October 2010
Introduction to Employment Law
This course is designed to introduce you to the structure and workings of the legal system as it affects people at work. It is an introduction only and is not intended to develop expertise in employment law. You will examine legislation, investigate case-studies and discuss issues relevant to BECTU members.
Dates: 1-3 June 2010, 5-7 October 2010
Introduction to Public Speaking
Dates: 2-3 March 2010, 22-23 June 2010
How to use the BECTU Website
This course is specially designed for branch secretaries and branch web-page editors. You will learn how to use the different resources and functions contained within the website to help improve local organisation and the communication between members.
