Polish workers in the South East get advice on skills from unions

Trade unionists will provide Polish workers in the South East with advice on their employment rights, and how unions can help them improve their skills, at a keynote event at Hammersmith Town Hall on Saturday 17 March. The event aims to help the one in four Poles, working in the UK who have a Masterís degree, but who are in unskilled or semi-skilled jobs, match up with more appropriate careers. The event is the Recruitment Fair and Career Development Conference organised by the British-Polish Chamber of Commerce. Staff from unionlearn, the TUCís education and skills organization, will be on hand to give advice.

The event will focus on life-long learning and career development, which are at the heart of unionlearnís work with unions and employers in London, Southern and Eastern England. Unionlearn in the South East has a network of over 3,500 union learning reps, and facilitates workplace learning in the regions, working with employers and unions. Many of unionlearnís projects have involved improving migrant workersí skills in the workplace, through IT and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses. Unionlearn has also participated in advice sessions about unions and employment rights at the Polish Catholic Mission and at a job fair in Warsaw.

Barry Francis, unionlearn with SERTUC Regional Manager said:

ìPolish workers are widely recognised as good employees, and unionlearn is working with organisations like the British Polish Chamber of Commerce to help them develop their skills and knowledge.

ìThis event will help match skilled Poles to skilled jobs, which will benefit individuals, employers, and the UK labour market. It is clearly a waste of peopleís skills to have potential doctors working as chambermaids and future engineers stacking shelves.î