Public and Commercial Services Union

The DWP young members (YM) training event was held on 31 October in the PCS Leeds office. 20 feedback sheets were completed out of 25 attendees (not including the group young members officer or guests). An evaluation of the feedback and conclusions for the next steps are detailed below.

The objectives of the course

This event was specifically designed for active young members and branch young member officers in the DWP group.

The DWP Group Executive Committee (GEC) recognises the importance of building young member activity and supporting the young members officers we have. As well as building confidence and some basic skills, the forum is an opportunity to meet with other active young members and feed ideas or best practices to the Young Members Advisory Committee (YMAC) to take forward.

Motion A214 and the ‘DWP young members organising plan’ outline the main focus of young member activity in the DWP group this year. This is to increase the number of young member officers and the support they receive. By doing this, we ultimately want to improve our density of young workers in PCS so that we can effectively represent them and give young members a voice in the union.

Most useful part of the course?

Summary:

Networking/meeting other YMs – 7
Learning role of young members officer (YMO) and involvement of YM network in the union – 6
Group discussion and debate – 5
Activity two (getting members involved/objections) and activity 3 (role play using objections to joining the union) – 3
Activity 4 (written communications) – 1

Actual comments:

‘Discussion’
‘Networking with other young members’
‘It was useful you meet other YM reps and share views and ideas’
‘Meeting other young members’
‘Finding out what was involved for the young members’
‘Role plays, activities 1 and 2 – a lot of useful information gained from these activities, increased my understanding about what being a young member is all about’
‘Producing written communications and activity two, particularly the resources for activity two’
‘Meeting other young members. Seeing how young members fit into overall union structure’
‘All of it’
‘Understanding a little bit about the process of what the union and its reps take’
‘Networking and meeting other people’
‘Group discussions’
‘Meeting other young members and sharing info and experience’
‘The explanation of the young persons rep’
‘Meeting other YM reps and PCS personnel’
‘Discussion’
‘Activity 3’
‘Group discussion – Hearing other people’s views and sharing mine’
‘Learning the role of a YMO as before today I’d had no training’

Least useful part of the course?

Summary:

Nothing - 14
Activity 3 – 1
Activity 4 – 2
Activity 5 – 1

Other comments:

‘YM structures of roles’
‘Young Members officer role description – as I’m not one yet, but it was still useful to see the job role’
‘Discussing what happens higher up the food chain’

Was there anything you think the course should cover but didn’t?

Summary:

The comments are mixed but as there are so few it would seem the current content is adequate, but perhaps more time could be spent on activities to explain the basics.

Actual comments:

‘Advocating young members issues within union/to management’
‘Ways of joining the YMAC’
‘No freebies – most other PCS courses give out freebies’
‘The process taken from member to rep’
‘I would have liked more depth on the actual role description’
‘Events and activities related to the role of a YMO’
‘The only thing that could have been different was the way the structures are explained and would have been good to have Mark explain what he does’

What have you gained from doing the course?

Summary:

Comments indicate that attendees gained an improved knowledge and understanding of the role of YMOs and how they fit into the union.

Actual comments:

‘A better understanding of how the YM committee works’
‘Some ideas to take forward, arranged for Mark Chisman to come to my branch’
‘Very interested in joining the young members committee, will go back and speak to my rep’
‘More responses to members when encouraging them to support campaigns/strikes’
‘Understanding of issues facing young members and how officer fits into union’
‘Better understanding of YM issues’
‘Confidence and a great knowledge of job role’
‘Understanding of my role’
‘Better understanding of my role’
‘Knowledge of my role and the PCS in general’
‘Increase understanding of where you fit into the system’
‘Met new people, better informed, more confidence’
‘Better understanding of what is required of me. I have new friends/contacts I can discuss issues with’
‘An understanding of the union, why people should join the union, what my job entails’
‘A more detailed knowledge of the YM rep job role’
‘Greater knowledge, insight into the role, contacts’
‘A wider knowledge of how the young members committee works for its members’
‘Knowledge of other regions and their young members’
‘A better understanding of what the young members officers do, and meeting all of the other young members’
‘More complete understanding of certain aspects’

What do you intend to do now as a result of doing this course?

Summary:

Set up YM events – 6
Get more involved – 4
Report back to other union reps – 2
Support the YMAC - 2

Actual comments:

‘Support the committee’
‘Develop my role within PCS’
‘Speak to my rep to see if I can join the network’
‘Continue as before but with more confidence and skills to use’
‘Get more involved’
‘Liaise with Motherwell PC to arrange future joint activities’
‘Sort out Northern region’
‘Set up events and encourage YM to join’
‘Promote YM issues in my contact centre’
‘Some work’
‘Liaise with Dundee pension centres with issues and arrange possible future joint young member events’
‘A presentation at the next BEC meeting telling reps what I learnt and gained from attending the course’
‘Became more involved in my role and take forward the ideas discussed’
‘Continue networking and building membership’
‘Support the committee’
‘Feedback to regional meeting. Possibly organise a meeting with my local young members’
‘Look into becoming a young member officer’
‘Look into becoming a YMO and to seek out other YMs at my office’

Question	Excellent	Good	Satisfactory	Poor
How would you rate the structure and content of the course?	10	9
How would you rate the course delivery and presentation?	13	6
How would you rate the course materials and other resources?	10	9
How would you rate the facilities provided by the venue?	13	6

Conclusion

The course seems to have been very well received. The attendees have indicated an increased knowledge of their role and greater confidence which means that ultimately the aims of the event have been met.

To ensure that the aims of the event are fully met going forward I recommend that I put arrangements in place to regularly contact all of the 25 attendees, say quarterly, to check and record their progress in PCS. This will enable the YMAC to increase the support attendees receive by maintaining network contact with them and also enable the GEC to see if attendees are developing in a range of PCS activity as a result of attending this event.

Th e ‘meeting other young members’, ‘learning the role and involvement of young members in the union’ and ‘group discussions’ were the most popular aspects of the course. The written communications activity seemed to be the least useful, albeit it was cited as the most for one attendee. The course structure/content and materials scored slightly lower than the delivery, although all they all received a ‘good’ or excellent’.

As the networking and meeting other young members were seen as the most useful part of the course, I recommend it as essential that we fulfil the aim of holding a young members event or establish a sub-committee in each DWP region, so that young member reps have support structures and the isolation that is felt within branches can be combated.

To build on the success of the ‘learning about young members officer (YMO) and young members involvement’, the young members advisory committee will ratify the role of the branch YMO at the next meeting in January 2009, and propose its acceptance as a recommendation to the GEC in the same month. The description of the role can then be widely promoted and distributed so that active young members have more confidence in carrying out their activities. The YMAC should consider using the course material to run regional based courses for young member activists or workshops on the role of the YMO which can include a session on PCS structures.

For the next young members’ training event in 2009, I would recommend that more debating sessions are built into the structure, as it increased participation during the course and attendees found this useful. We could possibly achieve something similar through workshop based activities. Some areas of the course took longer than expected and the resources pack wasn’t utilised as much as it could have been. A lighter agenda with fewer activities packed into one day would be beneficial.

Overall the day was very successful and positive. The work of the YMAC must be to ensure that the momentum is continued throughout the coming months.

Helen Flanagan
Group young members officer