We offer a scheme where the employer provides the tutor and venues for an in house group. We ensure that the tutor is appropriately qualified, supported and monitored. The employer contribution is recognised by a discounted fee per student. This scheme proves very popular where employers have staff keen to use their teaching skills and reaps additional benefits in making the learning directly transferable to the practice setting.
We have two strategic health authorities who devolve a bursary scheme to us which offers employees in the region access to ‘free’ OU modules (courses). We provide promotional materials for the scheme and manage the administration of the enrolments on a first-come-first-served basis providing a cost effective and valuable alternative learning route for many individuals.
We work closely with key membership organisations to assist in the delivery of learning opportunities to their members.
UNISON has worked closely in partnership with the OU since 1994 with a relaunch of its memorandum of understanding scheduled for March 2010. In this period hundreds of individual members have accessed a 10% discount as well as many others benefiting from in-house schemes negotiated with employers. Current work is focussing on the launch of a portal for members and Union Learning Reps that gives specific advice on how to benefit from the partnership.
The University has a strategic alliance with the RCN which works to widen access to educational opportunities in healthcare settings by influencing and developing appropriate learning pathways. This alliance brought with it the transfer of curriculum from the RCN Institute which have enhanced the OU’s portfolio, especially at post graduate level. For more information see www.openuniversity.co.uk/rcn
