Mr Cable told delegates at this week’s unionlearn conference in London: “You have developed a powerful model in unionlearn, reaching out to businesses and giving individuals a chance they never would have had. I want you to build on what you have already achieved.” Mr Cable praised unionlearn, part of the Trades Union Congress, and the Union Learning Fund, which together helped more than 230,000 people to improve their education and skills last year. John Hayes, the further education minister, presented the unionlearn Quality Awards at the conference and in the process became the first Conservative minister to address a TUC conference since the mid-1990s.