NUJ should be focussed on training

I had to write something about the National Union of Journalists' strike ballot at RBI because a) it affects me and b) it is missing an important point.

I am a member of the union, which is why I feel strongly about what I am seeing. I don't want to go into the detail of the RBI situation but I do want to raise the one issue that seems to be lost in much of the NUJ's recent efforts to defend jobs.

That issue is training. We all know how quickly the media is changing both the way we produce and consume and share information. This change is challenging us all to come up with new business models.

It is also challenging us to change the way we work and that means adopting new attitudes (open, keen to learn, share and do things differently) and skills.

Right now the job of the union should be to help members upskill for digital publishing. And this means pushing employers to provide the relevant training and opportunities. Who knows, could that even mean using training resource collabaratively for the greater good of journalists?

At RBI there is no learning rep and a look at the NUJ training site reveals that the new skills agenda is not being pushed.

When it comes to new business models, the NUJ also has an opportunity to work with employers to help shape new ways of working and of making money. Is this happening? I don't know but I suspect not.

Strangest of all is the fact that these are very exciting times to be in the media (in terms of learning new skills, raising your profile etc) - but you would not think so.

This is a period of immense change and those of us who work in the media need to keep abreast of this change. And organisations that represent those that work in the media must keep pushing the training agenda. These are collaborative times, so let's collaborate.

No one wants to see jobs lost but until we find new ways of making money to replace sliding print revenues this is the reality.

What will be even more tragic is if the NUJ fails to rise to the training challenge because it is too busy 'defending jobs'.

I would have expected a bit more creativity at a time like this (do unions do creativity?) and more focus on what members need to do to be employable. We know there will be more jobs lost across the industry but the union could and should be mapping out what a future in digital publishing will look like.

Surely other unions are addressing the same issues and challenges right now? Maybe my time as a member is coming to an end as I am out of step with current NUJ thinking.

But the debate about the role of unions during periods of change is one that needs to be ongoing

I'll post a link to this on the NUJ at RBI blog.

Comments

[Chris Wheal]

Try to be a bit more constructive.

The union is its members. If your workplace has no ULR - why don't you volunteer? You'd get loads of support from the NUJ Training department.If you won't volunteer, is it fair to moan that no-one else has either?

It would be great to have people interested in training getting active and pushing the agenda, though, to be fair, your analysis of our training provision confused me.

The courses listed include:

Dreamweaver Introduction
Internet Research
On-line Publishing
Podcasting for Print Journalists
Setting up a Blog
Video Blogging for Print Journalists
Writing for the Web

We will be adding to those shortly.

When you say "Right now the job of the union should be to help members upskill for digital publishing" tell us what courses you think we currently don't but should offer, the content and expected learning outcomes.

Don't bother doing it on a blog; you can phone the training department and tell them (politely). Members coming to us with ideas is how all our courses start.

Finally, we do work in partnership with employers. I recently ran a writing for the web course for Informa, for example, and we are in talks about providing more training to their journalists.

So, you not out of step with the current NUJ thinking. I am sorry your efforts to get in touch with us were not answered (I assume you did ask to speak to someone about training before writing this?)

Chris Wheal
Chair, NUJ Professional Training Committee

[Martin]

Hi Chris

Thanks for your comment and thanks for clarifying what training the NUJ provides.

I think my point was more to do with standing back and looking at the importance of training through a time of change.

My post was not intended to be a moan - far from it, I think this whole area is a big opportunity for the union.

I am involved in training at RBI and would be happy to share my views with you about what training should be provided for journalists.

In terms of me writing my views on my blog rather than calling in - I'm afraid this is just one of many ways I communicate what i am thinking. My blog is great place to have a conversation and i am pleased you came here to discuss what I have written.

Online tools enable journalists to be far more transparent - it's what our readers expect. I'd expect all journalists to be communicating using all tools available, not just the phone.

The training at Informa sounds interesting. Is there a case study showing how that worked, was funded etc?

I'll get my thoughts across to you shortly.

[Martin Cloake]

Martin,

I'm in the process of trying to find a date to come and see Karl Schneider for a look at how the production systems work at RBI, so it might be worth me, you and Chris meeting to discuss what we can do. The NUJ's training dept is very proactive and Chris and I have both delivered courses for it. Drop me an email at martincloake@mac.com

[Martin]

Sounds good, Martin. I'll drop you an email.

[Chris Wheal]

Good idea Martin (or is that Martins?).

Karl took my job at Electronics Weekly when I left Reed in 1989.

It would be good to catch up.