Empowering future Black leaders

Black members will have the chance to develop their leadership skills when UNISON College starts running a new one-day course in the regions this year. 

“It’s about looking at the skills they’ve got, developing their own leadership skills and helping them to understand their own power” says National Learning & Workforce Development Organiser Oreleo Du Cran, who delivered successful pilots in three UNISON regions last year. 

We know Black members experience discrimination in all kinds of guises and what we want to do is try to remove some of the barriers,” Oreleo says. 

“Some of our members don’t feel confident in their own abilities and their employers have not invested in boosting them, whereas UNISON is looking to UNISON is looking to boost their skills and give boost their skills and give them wider opportunities them wider opportunities going forward.”

Foster carer Lorraine Johnson, who attended Johnson, who attended the West Midlands course, the West Midlands course, says she enjoyed trying says she enjoyed trying new things, like speaking to new things, like speaking to the group while standing up. 

“One of the many things that stood out for me is that stood out for me is that sometimes when that sometimes when we speak, we sit down we speak, we sit down because we think standing because we think standing up could be construed as arrogance,” she says. 

“But I realised that when you stand up, you’re saying, ‘I have something of worth that I would like to say’. 

Swansea Bay Healthcare Branch member Daniel Agbosua enrolled on the course because he wanted to explore leadership from both the trade union and the professional point of view. 

“I was looking at leadership in my workplace as well as leadership in UNISON because they’re both essential to me in my career,” he says. “The course was fantastic: it was very informative, made me understand my skillset levels and, above all, gave me the skills needed to be a leader – kudos to Oreleo, who took the time to explain everything.”

Cardiff & Vale Health Branch member Ditene Favour Emono signed up because she thought the course would help her in her new role as a UNISON steward. 

“Oreleo was very knowledgeable on the subject of leadership and created a learning environment where everyone could contribute freely and to help each other,” she says. “The training was motivating and enlightening for me: it provided me with loads of insights about how the union can advocate for employees and made me more excited to be a part of UNISON.” 

Ditene has used what she learned on the course to engage potential members about how joining UNISON would work for them – especially because of the extensive development opportunities available through UNISON College. 

“I have actively spoken boldly about the union to almost every worker I have met since the course,” she says. 

Ifeoma Ugwuegbulem, another Cardiff & Vale Health Branch member, enrolled in order to explore leadership in her career, in the union and in her personal life. 

“The course was fabulous: it was transformative and empowering and I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end,” she says. “I learned so much about communication, decision-making and building confidence as a Black person: it was a really valuable opportunity.”

Ifeoma has been quick to put into practice what she learned on the course. “I want to be able to speak up for my fellow Black people, and since the course I’ve been speaking to people, my friends, my colleagues, Black and white, about UNISON – they have to join the union!”