Edmonton – January 6, 2015 – UFCW Canada members across the country are raving about the union's groundbreaking online education program, webCampus, which offers free online courses to all UFCW Canada members, their family members, and community partners.

Many UFCW Canada members and allies take webCampus courses out of personal interest, while others see them as a way to develop their knowledge and professional skills.

Alexandru Caldararu is the Lead Instructor of the Community Support Worker Program at NorQuest College in Edmonton. He first discovered webCampus through his mother, Ecaterina Caldararu, a long-time UFCW Canada Local 401 member who works at Real Canadian Superstore. She knew that Alexandru was looking for avenues to improve his understanding of labour relations, and recommended that he look for online learning opportunities provided by UFCW Canada.

Since registering for webCampus in September 2013, Alexandru has completed 90 courses through the program. He had the following to say about his experience with webCampus:

"My favourite webCampus courses were Parts 1 & 2 of Stress Awareness. As someone who has worked in an office setting for much of my adult life, I never fully appreciated just how much stress a sit-down job places on the body. I found the template for a workplace stress awareness survey to be particularly valuable, and have incorporated much of what I learned in these classes in my own workplace investigations.

I would definitely say that I have benefited greatly from my involvement in webCampus. Each of the courses I have taken has improved my understanding of the internal mechanisms of a trade union or enhanced my knowledge of broader social issues. In particular, I learned a great deal about the importance of ergonomics in creating a healthy shop floor, how to conduct proper investigations, how to better prepare for arbitration/mediation, and how to more effectively interpret laws that impact my workplace.

I have already completed the Human Rights Advocate and Media & Communication Specialist courses, and I am very interested in completing both certificates offered through Mohawk College next year. It has been a great privilege to take advantage of all webCampus has to offer, and I am grateful to have found out about this wonderful free resource from my family."

Registration for webCampus is now open. To register for webCampus, and to find out more about the program, visit the webCampus website today.