Training materials. A Better Way to Work

Citation

(2000), "Training materials. A Better Way to Work", Education + Training, Vol. 42 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2000.00442bad.005

Training materials. A Better Way to Work

Training materials

A Better Way to Work

Trades Union Congress1997ISBN: 1850063907£20

Keywords: Young people, Career planning, Work, Trade unions

A Better Way to Work is a set of educational materials designed to help young people aged 14-19 to prepare for the world of work.

The activities have been designed for use in schools, but some are suitable for use with young people attending youth clubs and centres. The materials fit the aims of careers education and guidance and will also help to prepare young people for work experience.

The pack has been developed by the Trades Union Congress, working in collaboration with affiliated trade unions. Specialist trade-union staff were consulted about particular activities and information for the pack was provided by the TUC and trade-union information centres.

The pack consists of activities which cover important issues about working life and people in the workplace. The activities do not deal comprehensively with these issues in textbook fashion, but have been chosen to fill gaps in the materials currently available to schools. Several of the activities offer a trade-union perspective, but the authors appear to have tried to ensure that the issues are treated in a balanced way and that they follow the National Consumer Council guidelines for industry-sponsored materials.

A Better Way to Work comprises five units: Trade Unions at Work, Rights and Responsibilities at Work, Equal Opportunities at Work, Health and Safety and The Future of Work.

Each unit has the same structure, consisting of:

• •

  group leader's notes which describe the content of the unit and the learning outcomes for students;

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  an activity which introduces the topic or theme of the unit;

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  a work-experience preparation activity;

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  case studies which raise issues about the topic drawn from real examples;

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  an assignment which involves students in workplace investigations and allows them to gather evidence of key-skills achievement; and

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  briefing notes for trade unionists and other visitors.

The pack can be used:

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  by advisers in careers programmes;

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  by form tutors in personal, social and health education lessons;

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  by business-studies teachers in GCSE and GNVQ courses; and

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  by workers at youth centres.