Union trainees sent on a recruiting drive

Next week's annual meeting of the Trades Union Congress will be a chance to review the TUC's organising academy.

Set up in January and funded by the TUC and 17 sponsoring unions, it has sent out 36 "trainees" into union branches to help with organisation and recruitment. They spend 12 months setting up training programmes and finding new members.

Two trainees were assigned to Natfhe and the Association of University Teachers. Their emphasis is on recruiting casual workers into the unions. Diana Clarke, a formervoluntary sector campaigner, is working with Manchester Metropolitan, Imperial College and other London institutions. Julie Cooper, a former Benefits Agency employee, is based in the West Midlands.