The trade union approach to education is practical, progressive and democratic, building on your own experience and knowledge to give you the skills and confidence to represent people at work.
Are courses professionally run?
Trade union courses are well-regarded (rated as excellent by the government Office for Standards in Education) and are run in an inclusive, friendly but professional way. BECTU reps courses are tutored by professional tutors from the TUC studies department of South Thames College.
What are the educational methods used?
Discussion and debate are the key tools of trade union education, so your contribution and views will be encouraged and respected. Our training methods are firmly grounded in educational theory, they are effective and participatory.
We take our responsibilities around diversity and equality very seriously indeed and our Equality & Diversity policy reflects our commitment.
You will be warmly welcomed at all union-run courses and respected for coming forward to be a volunteer active trade unionist. Our education is informed by our values of solidarity, democracy, fairness, justice and respect for difference.
Do I need qualifications?
You do not require formal qualifications but you will need to be open to new ideas and willing to work collectively with other colleagues.
Can I gain recognised qualifications?
Most trade union courses are accredited with the Open College Network (OCN). This means that you can accumulate academic 'credits' for your work at levels 1,2 and 3. Courses run by ourselves, the TUC and the GFTU are all registered for OCN credits. If you want to learn more about 'levels', 'credits' and 'qualifications' go to our own 'lifelong learning' section where you will find everything explained clearly.Some more advanced programmes such as the TUC Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety at OCN Level 3 are accredited, in this case to meet the academic requirement for Safety Technician (Tech IOSH) grade.
How much will it cost?
Trade union courses are usually free and BECTU (or the TUC and GFTU) will usually pay travel and other reasonable expenses.
How do I apply?
Application is straightforward please link here to find out exactly what course to go on and how to get on the course of your choice. You will also find out more about who runs BECTU courses.
