Starting Your Own Business

16 April 2026 6:00pm–8:00pm

Virtual Training via MS Teams (2 sessions on 16, 23 April at 6pm - 8pm)

This course will help you to consider your business plan ideas and learn about the processes of setting up your own business.  You will explore useful websites and resources to help you to feel fully prepared for starting your own business learning about the motivators to work for yourself as well as the skills and qualities needed to be successful.

To register your interest for this course, please email Rose on r.bent@unison.co.uk

Making Equality Central to your Union Practice

27 April 2026 9:30am–4:00pm

UNISON Regional Centre, Quayside House, Leeds

To register your interest for this course please contact your branch. You will need approval from your branch to attend.

Equality is written into our rule book and into our objectives and policies, but making equality part and parcel of everyday business is no small task. Making equality central to your union practice is a course that explores internal and external tools, which can support equality bargaining, negotiating, and representation. The course also looks at how to identify equality themes in organising and recruitment, as well as considering the different equality roles in UNISON and how you can utilise their support.

Branch charge: £30 per delegate

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)

28 April 2026 12:00pm–2:00pm

Virtual Training via MS Teams

In today’s fast-paced digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we work. To stay ahead, it’s essential to harness the power of AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini. This course will guide you through the responsible and effective use of these AI assistants, enabling you to boost productivity and streamline your workflow. This course is designed for those new to AI or seeking to enhance their productivity or simply curious. Join us on this exciting journey looking at the potential of AI.

To register your interest for this course, please email Rose on r.bent@unison.co.uk

Digital Skills: Introduction to Selling online

28 April 2026 12:00pm–2:00pm

Virtual Training via MS Teams

Explore online selling through social media. During this session you will learn how to list an item through MarketPlace in Facebook. We will discuss the importance of photography when advertising an item for sale and how to research a fair price for the item you wish to list. You will learn the importance of description and marketing the product through your description and photographs taken. This is an ideal first step course to introduce you to online selling together with online safety tips to keep yourself safe when using the internet.

To register your interest for this course, please email Rose on r.bent@unison.co.uk

Introduction to Employment Law (virtual)

17 April – 1 May 2026

Virtual Training via Zoom (3 x Fridays, 9.30-13.00)

To register your interest for this course please contact your branch. You will need approval from your branch to attend.

This course is designed as a general introduction to the law on employment rights and contracts of employment and is aimed at stewards with little experience of employment law and no previous training in employment law beyond what is covered in the general stewards’ induction course: The Organising Steward.

Branch Charge: £50 per delegate

[Fully Booked] Organising Steward – Leeds

27 April – 1 May 2026

UNISON Regional Centre, Quayside House, Leeds

To register your interest for this course please contact your branch.

This face to face training looks at what the roles of the steward are and gives you the skills, knowledge and understanding to carry out these roles, for example recruiting members and involving them in the union and how to work with members to tackle problems at work.

This course will run on 27, 28, 29, 30 April, 1 May 2026.

This course is 30 hours learning in total.

Branch Charge: £150 per delegate

Enhance Your Excel Skills

1 May 2026 10:00am–1:30pm

Virtual Training via MS Teams

Microsoft Excel is the most popular and widely used spreadsheet software in the workplace and this course is for people who want to extend their spreadsheet skills beyond the basics.

You will be guided through the skills you need to produce highly efficient and productive workbooks including how to: create a VLOOKUP table, create a Pivot Table and Pivot Chart, sorting and filtering, use the IF function and more.

To register your interest for this course, please email Rose on r.bent@unison.co.uk

Deaf Awareness & BSL Taster

12 May 2026 10:00am–4:00pm

UNISON Regional Centre, Quayside House, Canal Wharf, Leeds, LS11 5PS

This session aims to highlight the communication differences of deaf/hearing people, building up an awareness of the challenges faced by the deaf community. It will also explore how organisations can break down the barriers to these through educating about what can be done to support the Deaf to create a more integrated inclusive working environment for all. There will also be an opportunity to learn some basic BSL signs during the session.

To book your place you will need to contact your branch for approval to attend.

Master Your Career – The Power of the CPD

18 May 2026 12:00pm–2:00pm

Virtual Training via MS Teams

This session moves beyond ‘mandatory training’ and will help you turn your daily hard work into a visible track record for promotion. During the session you will start to map your everyday tasks to the Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours (SKBs) required for Level 3 and Level 5 Management apprenticeship and learn how to build an ‘evidence bank’ for promotions and appraisals.

To register your interest for this course, please email Rose on r.bent@unison.co.uk

Excel for Beginners

19 May 2026 10:00am–1:30pm

Virtual Training via MS Teams

Microsoft Excel is the most popular and widely used spreadsheet software in the workplace and this course is aimed at those with little or no knowledge of the software. The session covers creating a new workbook, adding and editing data, working with formulas and charting.

To register your interest for this course, please email Rose on r.bent@unison.co.uk