Homes firm’s twin pledge opens doors to learning

Nov 28 2007 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

STOCKTON’S Tristar Homes has made a double learning pledge.

It has signed a learning agreement with its in-house unions, and at the same time signed the Government’s Skills Pledge.

Tristar’s managing director, Steve Boyd joined public sector union, Unison’s head of learning and organising Pam Johnson, at the TUC’s Congress House in London, to sign the agreement.

The company and its unions believe that its project entitled Unistar Learning is a model union-led work place learning project.

The project’s value was highlighted by Tristar employee Chris Anderson, who said: “Learning at work has changed my life.”

Chris pointed out that he has embarked on a career change - from a driver to a trainee plumber, something he could never have done before Unistar Learning provided the support and guidance he needed.

Julie Robinson, Tristar’s Learning co-ordinator pointed out that despite being a relatively new project, Unistar has already made a major contribution to improving their workforce’s skills levels.

She said that the project’s initial success is thanks to a team of three hard-working union learning reps, and the unions involved including building workers’ union, UCATT, and Unite.