18 October, 2010
The ICEM is encouraging trade union activists from southern Africa nations, Brazil, and India to be one of 20 participants in the Global Labour University’s (GLU) six-month “Engage” programme. A 1 November deadline for application approaches for a unique opportunity to engage in a diploma course that puts individuals on the front lines of current labour policies in the rapid globalisation of trade.
The 20 trade unionists from those areas nations assuredly will strengthen their trade union capacities regarding analysis and then intervention on issues affecting labour struggles. “We see this as a big advantage for affiliated trade unions to have people with this experience return home and be involved in strategic national issues,” said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. “We’re very enthused about this shortened curriculum and what it has to offer.”
For details, including application and scholarship availability, visit the site here. Applications should be sent to [email protected].
The curriculum will run from April to September 2011, and takes place at Kassel University in Germany and the Berlin School of Economics, as well as an internship at a global trade union federation. The programme was developed by the GLU, InWent Capacity Building International, a German labour-management development centre, the two German universities, and the global trade union federations.
The six-month course includes 3.5 months of academic instruction that includes policy workshops with trade union representatives, and then a two-month internship on policy initiatives with a global trade union organisation. This is the second offering of the “Engage” programme. The first was a pilot project this year.
The six-year-old GLU, part of the ILO, has trained trade unionists in economics and in social sciences from 49 countries in its short existence. The “Engage” programme gives national or local trade union staff the opportunity to pick up specific curriculums tailored to improve their skills at home.