John F. Kennedy once famously said "all of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent" a sentiment shared by both the Open University and Unionlearn. This rewarding partnership was established in 2006 as both organisations shared the common goal of widening life opportunities and offering support to those who want to develop new skills.
But acquiring new skills brings challenges. Both the Open University and Unionlearn recognise the reservations people have when considering returning to study. Some feel they don’t have enough time to take up learning, don’t have the confidence to take up a course, are unsure of their future prospects or might not have the funds to invest in retraining. This partnership provides support and advice to make juggling work, family commitments and study more manageable.
The Open University offers a huge range of courses to suit all abilities. And true to its aim of being ‘open’ you don’t need formal qualifications to study. The Open University has more than 600 courses including everything from short courses in effective leadership skills, managing conflict, transferring life skills to employment skills or improving your negotiation skills to full degrees. All of The Open University’s courses are flexible enough to allow you to stay in work while you are studying.
As 2009 plays out against a backdrop of recession and the global economic crisis, Unionlearn and The Open University understand not only the importance of retraining but also the constraints on household budgets. Unionlearn has negotiated a deal with the Open University which enables union members to receive a 10% discount on most courses.*Terms and conditions apply. Some exclusions may apply, and discounts cannot be claimed retrospectively.
To claim the discount on level 1, 30 and 60 point courses, firstly union members must decided what course they want to study, noting down the course code. They must then call the Student Registration Service stating that they are calling from a union, following which they will then be asked to provide proof of membership.
The numbers to call are:
From within the UK 0845 300 60 90
Republic of Ireland 01) 6785399 or +44 28 9032 3722
Other EU countries & Switzerland +44 191 477 6100
Elsewhere (including BFPO) +44 845 366 6053
For CLPD flexible online courses, students can register online via the CPD website (following the link to Professional Bodies) http://www.open.ac.uk/cpd/index.php?q=node/49 as the course links here already have the discount applied. Union learners can register multiple times for these courses (they don’t have to be new to the OU like the Level 1 courses).
The OU featured a short film on Congress TV, please click on the icon to view.
Site last updated June 2009
