STUC Everyday Skills Event

The STUC Everyday Skills Event is being held in Stirling on 28 February 2008. The key aim of this event is to support Union Learning Reps in the promotion of the Everyday Skills agenda to increase awareness throughout Scotland. This particular event will provide an update on the national adult literacy and numeracy strategy, and will have a strong focus on issues such as dyslexia in the workplace and numeracy. The event is aimed at ULRs, potential ULRs, SULF Project Workers, Tutors and others who have an interest in everyday skills issues. The-one day event will provide participants with practical information and skills through workshops and presentations.

For further information please contact Wendy Burton, Development Officer – Everyday Skills, by phone on 0141 337 8121 or by email at wburton@stuc.org.uk.

Quick Reads are coming!

Ten new Quick Reads titles are being published on the 6th of March 2008.

In the last two years, Quick Reads have firmly established themselves as the perfect books for people who have lost the reading habit or who struggle to read long and complicated books and for avid readers simply wanting a short, fast read. Above all, they have proved that reading can be fun.

2008 sees a stellar line up – from a mix of bestselling fiction and non-fiction authors and personalities – which offers something for all tastes. The ten books will be published on World Book Day, Thursday 6th March, at just £1.99 each and form part of the second National Year of Reading.

In this new list, brand-new novels come from bestselling female fiction authors Josephine Cox and Adele Parks; decorated ex-SAS man and number one bestseller Chris Ryan provides an action thriller and, following the success of previous Quick Reads Doctor Who titles, original Doctor Who author Terrance Dicks brings us a new episode.

Non-fiction titles include a second installment of advice on success from Big Issue founder John Bird; a heart-warming East End childhood memoir from Gilda O’Neill and a special version of Gordon Ramsay’s entertaining biography, Humble Pie. Two world-class sportsmen - the British Olympic medalist Colin Jackson and Welsh rugby player Scott Quinnell, who struggled with reading himself – have written autobiographical accounts of their lives and careers. Vanessa Feltz edits and introduces a gripping collection of real life stories from people around the UK.

Be the first to your local bookseller to make sure you get copies before stock runs out!

Scottish Union Learning Fund Round 7.

The SULF 7 bid workshop took place at the STUC on 24 January 2008. The workshop was led by members of the Skills & Lifelong Learning Team and Rob Lennox from the Scottish Government also attended. The STUC can confirm that the Scottish Government is still working to a timetable of bids being completed and returned by the end of February for consideration during March 2008. For more information, contact Sylvia O’Grady by phone on 0141 337 8124 or by email at so’grady@stuc.org.uk.

Highlands & Islands News

The next meetings of the Inverness, Caithness, Orkney and Shetland Cross Union ULR Forums will all take place on Wednesday 12 March, between 11am and 2pm. The forums will link into to each other via video conference. The venues for each location are in the process of being finalised and further details will be circulated as soon as all the venues have been confirmed.

As the forums normally meet on a quarterly basis, they would be due to meet again in June following the March meeting. In the past, as agreed by ULRs, forums do not normally meet in June as ULRs have an opportunity to get together at the STUC’s Highlands & Islands ULR conference held in June. However, if any of the forums feel that it would be useful to have a June quarterly forum meeting, please do not hesitate to contact Pam Urquhart on 01463 248 905 who will be happy to organise a meeting.

Conference Online!

For a different conference experience in the Highlands and Islands, you might want to attend the Learning Centre Network Conference on Friday 15th February between 12.15 and 2pm ONLINE! To take part, all you need is a computer with the internet on a broadband connection. To register your interest and participate online, go to: www.hie.co.uk/learningworks/learn-centre-zone.html

Save the Date!

This year’s STUC Highlands & Islands ULR Conference will take place on Friday 13th June 2008. The venue has not yet been confirmed (although some of you will be relieved to hear it will be on land!) but we are looking at Dingwall, Nairn & Aviemore as possible sites.