Henry Fowler

• Course studied: Politics BA (Hons)*
• Year of graduation: 2011
• Current job title: Head of Education, Campaigns and Organising
• Current employer: General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU)
• Industry sector: Trade Unions

For most of my life, education and learning was difficult for me. After a challenging time at sixth form college, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to pursue higher education, but I applied to the University of Northampton because of the incredible breadth of the politics degree offered.

From understanding the economy, the way in which we make decisions as people, and the society around us, I was convinced that the course at the University of Northampton was for me. As someone who benefits from working closely with others, including lecturers, I quickly learnt that I’d made the right decision when I experienced the fantastic amount of time that the lecturers and staff spent on supporting my development.

By far the most enjoyable part of the course was the wide range of interesting modules, which consisted of a whole range of topics, subjects and elements of the University. For instance, I was able to combine practical knowledge of the inner workings of parliament with the theoretical and political development of China that shapes the global economy today.

My time at UON helped my career development as it enabled me to build a broad and balanced understanding of the academic, theoretical and practical skills I needed to understand the political, social and economic foundations of our society, and how to utilise this understanding to radically change the balance of wealth and power to workers. It also enabled me to understand what I wanted to do with my life and for the last ten years I’ve worked within the Trade Union movement, supporting the struggle of these workers.

In addition, my studies allowed me to develop strong skills in working with people and enabling teams to work towards commonly held aims, including how to align outcomes across different groups. These skills are fundamental in working across large organisations and building consensus across volunteer and paid staff teams.

I’ve been extremely lucky that from a period as a Trade Union activist, I’ve been able to work as a full-time organiser, regional officer, and national campaign manager. The experience I gained during this time enabled me to take on my current role as Head of Education, Campaigns and Organising at the General Federation of Trade Unions, managing an education programme which develops the activists of today and the union leaders of tomorrow.

Alongside my studies, I was proud to represent the faculty during University open days, showcasing the excellent tutors and courses across the politics department. In doing this, I was able to meet with potential students and their families, engage with groups of people to convince them to choose politics, and develop my own active listening skills.

The University of Northampton has a clear commitment to supporting, developing and engaging its students. The relationship I built with my lecturers has lasted until today and I’ll always be grateful to the University for transforming my understanding of the world and making me realise that education was for me.

I’m now involved in several volunteering projects. I’m a steering group member of Organise Now, which is a peer-to-peer support project, providing advice, guidance and support to all workers that want to start a union at work. I’m also a board member of the International Association Strikes and Social Conflicts (IASSC), which is an association of institutional and individual members, with the aim of promoting and disseminating studies on labour and social conflicts in an interdisciplinary, global, long term historical and non-Eurocentric perspective.

I would describe my experience of studying at UON as a transformative process that enabled me to develop my skills, knowledge, confidence and support network which is helping me throughout the rest of my life.

*UON no longer offers Politics BA (Hons), but you can apply to study Politics and International Relations BA (Hons).