GPMU national officer Chris Harding said that the funding, which comes into place from this April, recognised the unions commitment to boosting skill levels of members.

The award places the union at the centre of the skills agenda and GPMU members will benefit enormously from this nationally co-ordinated project, said Harding.

Although the finer details of how the money, which will be matched in kind by the union, will be spent are not yet available it will be used to target four areas: skills for life including basic literacy, expanding the unions network of learning centres, increasing the number of learning representatives from 250 to 1,000 and giving access to workforce development programmes with NVQs and modern apprenticeships.

The funding represents a change in the way that the ULF funds such projects. Previously it had awarded grants to individual branches.

The ULF took a decision about 12 months ago that there had to be a national strategy, said Harding.
The ULF was introduced by the government in 1998 to award unions that demonstrate a commitment to working with employers and training providers. Scotland and Wales have their own ULFs.

Harding added that the union members would inform its membership of the training opportunities at local branch level and through regional co-ordinators.

The GPMUs bid was supported by some of the industrys top employers including De La Rue, Polestar, Mirror Colour Print, Johnston Press and BemroseBooth.

Negotiations for this years National Agreement between the union and the BPIF started last week and will continue this week.

Story by John Davies