Amicus has always provided its own education and training at national, regional and local levels. Now it has extended that provision by entering a learning partnership with the School of Continuing Education at the University of Leeds. The School has a long tradition of collaborating with trade unions to develop labour movement education and has a record of research into the links between the academic and trade union worlds as well as into work and learning. One of the long standing objectives of the School has been to make University education more accessible to a wider community and it has built links with trade unions in order to do this. To find out more about the School of Continuing Education select this link and to meet the Community and Industrial Studies Team - those most closely involved with the Amicus partnership - select this one.

Amicus believes that its learning partnership with the University has both extended the learning opportunities available to its members and helped us to improve the standard and quality of that learning. Whitehall On-line is a product of this partnership as is the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programme which offers a range of courses, designed and delivered by University staff, on trade union history, politics and society. All of the courses are offered within the framework of the Learning and Acting in a Changing World programme.

Visit the Learn floor to find out about ODL courses.

One of the main benefits of the partnership with Leeds is that many of the residential union courses offered at Whitehall College, the ODL courses and on-line courses, are accredited at University level. This means that Amicus members have the chance to accumulate credits from the University of Leeds leading to a 60 credit Continuing Education Certificate or a 120 credit Higher Education Certificate. Of course, some members will not want to be bothered with accreditation and it is entirely voluntary. Others, however, will welcome the chance to embark upon a university education at very low cost and with the support of their trade union. At the moment only first year level courses are available but higher level courses are planned for the future.