Sarafina Kapenangula Heita
Workers' education is deeply intertwined with the realities of our world, responding to contemporary challenges and future prospects. It serves as a crucial response to the dynamic changes in the world of work and paves the way for achieving decent work and social justice. The ongoing significant transformations in the world of work call for heightened vigilance and structured trade union education programmes anchored in freedom of association, collective bargaining, equality, and inclusivity. These programmes empower workers to collectively address injustices and navigate challenges arising from technological advancements, economic disparities, climate change, and labour market inequalities.
Workers' education aims not only to equip workers with skills but also to enable unions and their leaders to understand their situations clearly, broaden their influence, and combat all forms of exploitation. It fosters critical thinking and empowers workers to advocate for their rights in policy-making processes. Trade unions engage in worker education daily, critically examining content, developing independent ideas, and exploring alternatives for practical application. In this sense the Academy will support transformative agenda of unions.
The Bureau for Workers’ Activities of the ILO (ACTRAV Geneva and field) and the ACTRAV ITC-ILO work together to strengthen trade union capacities to overcome the above challenges and advance decent work. By doing so, they actively contribute to the ILO capacity development strategy for its tripartite constituents envisaged at three levels: individual, organizational and policy level. They design innovative and results-oriented training activities that create spaces for an invaluable exchange of experiences and good practices among trade union organizations worldwide and contribute to the empowerment of trade union movement.
OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of the Academy, the participants will achieve the following learning objectives:
Understand the importance of inclusive training for trade union revitalization
Learn how to design and implement innovative learning experiences
Gain proficiency in adapting training content to various learner profiles and needs
Explore the integration of technology and digital tools in training
Develop the skills to use e-learning platforms and tools effectively
Acquire knowledge on emerging topics in the trade union movement and analyse the implications of these topics for trade unions and workers
Develop facilitation and communication skills necessary for engaging diverse groups of learners
CONTENT
The Global Workers’ Academy has foreseen an additional week of intense training on i) Boosting creativity and networking among facilitators; ii) Engaging with new topics and approaches; iii) practicing interactive methods in face-to-face and digital training; iv) Learning innovation and v) Inclusive and participatory training. The training will consist of a series of game storming activities, experimentation of new tools and methods, exchanges of good practices etc.
ACHIEVEMENT
ACTRAV-led Global Network of Trade Union Training Facilitators is established
Multiculturalism and inclusiveness at the heart of learning design
Increased facilitators’ confidence in working on new topics and with new approaches
Increased skill to create dynamic, engaging, and impactful training programs using the toolkit with new methods
New training modules and facilitation guidelines
Facilitators are prepared to apply learning innovation
The combination of the above outputs will contribute to higher quality of delivery of training activities and ultimately the revitalization of trade unions in terms of more effective institutional and organizational processes, transformative leadership and meaningful influence on economic and social policies in a sustainable development perspective.
NUMBER OF HOURS: 60