by Kate Ramsden

Pat Rowland

The STUC is to lobby the Scottish Government to increase investment in education, skills and lifelong learning and will press for laws to compel employers to invest in training and developing the workforce. It will call on the Government to increase investment in pre-school learning and early intervention

Supporting the motion, Pat Rowland of UNISON Scotland, and herself a Head of a Pre-fives Centre, told congress that investment in pre-school learning and early intervention for children with the greatest learning difficulties can only be delivered by fully qualified early years' officers such as nursery nurses, who have the skills and training to enable under fives to reach their potential.

"It is these workers who have the knowledge to work with all agencies to devise a support plan for these children, whether their barriers to learning are intellectual, physical, social or emotional."

"Initiatives like these cannot be done on the cheap or we will fail our most vulnerable children," warned Pat.