Case study: Unionlearn: the Green Skills Partnership for London

The Green Skills Partnership for London (GSPL) was set up to deliver green skills within target sectors, such as, construction, retrofit, horticulture, waste management and hair and beauty. The partnership includes trade unions, employers, FE colleges, community representatives and state agencies in South London and is convened by the TUC’s education arm Unionlearn.

The project works with training colleges, community groups and employers in areas of high unemployment to provide work experience and apprenticeship opportunities in sustainable construction and building technology .

The Partnership links college training with local community groups which helps widen potential participation on its training course. This could also increase the number of jobs, work experience and apprenticeship opportunities with smaller local employers such as hairdressers, estate agents, maintenance and insulation services.

An important principle for the Partnership is for green jobs to be associated with decent jobs, a notion that will underpin all relationships with partner organisations. It will mean raising issues of the minimum wage, access for disadvantaged groups, local employment opportunities, community benefits, health and safety standards, career progression and trade union membership.

At present it is working in the London boroughs of Wandsworth, Lambeth, Lewisham, Greenwich and Southwark with employers such as Wilmot Dixon, a sustainable construction company , Lendlease/Beonsite, an employment agency for people from excluded groups, and Groundwork, an environmental regeneration charity . The Partnership will soon be working with construction company Carillion and construction union UCATT in Tower Hamlets, with the potential to progress into Hounslow.