Well done this year and Happy Christmas

A big thank you to all who have helped to turn 'Let’s Build Bridges' from a nice idea into a serious project! We all agree that young people should be given the best possible opportunities to build careers – this after all is the purpose of every university, college or academy ever founded.

But student-Alumni networking is an important part of this process that is still unfulfilled. Everything I have been told by people so far, has confirmed that there are still gaps to be bridged. Students of every profession at every university should be connected directly online with the professionals (Alumni) of that industry, and Birmingham University is the ideal place to get started.

For this reason, I have started Let’s Build Bridges as a project to bring together the people who can get the ball rolling. While it may seem like a long time has passed, members of both this group and many others have come forward with some remarkable insights, into the challenges facing student-Alumni networking. They have also brought me some intriguing strategies and methods to overcome these challenges, which I intend to put into action from 2014.

We are now at the research stage, finding out what the students want, what form online connections must take; and most importantly, how to bring them about. There will be many changes, as the project evolves to deliver the desired outcome. I agree with the majority of views so far, that we should concentrate our efforts on one campus, start small and then build on thus achievement. We will find ways to improve student-Alumni connections, build new ones, and use this as experience to make even more.

20 or 30 years ago, this level of online interaction between students and Alumni would have been impossible. Students’ exam commitments, Alumni work commitments, and people’s family commitments have always made it hard to arrange face to face meetings, or even telephone conversations at a time convenient to both students and Alumni. Therefore, from what all volunteers to this project have confirmed so far, social media is still the most flexible means to allow both students and Alumni to interact effectively. People have often told me that to provide student-Alumni networks for all would be a 'massive undertaking' which indeed it is. But I've known too many young people who were denied their shot at something better; and too many adults who look back and regret what might have been. Now is the time to act, and do something about it.

In the face of difficulty, it is easy to do nothing. But had the founders of The Sanctuary Group (my employer) thought this when they wanted to start 'The World of Property Housing Trust,' in 1969, several thousand homes, and professions today would not exist. And I will use The Sanctuary Group as an example. A critic could say that you can’t possibly house all of the homeless, or that you can’t possibly help all of the vulnerable: there are endless numbers in needs of help, and providing care and homes for all would not be achievable: so why even bother? I am sure that my colleagues have heard this many times: for every person we help, there always seem to be more who need it. There are indeed many serious challenges to helping the vulnerable and homeless: the financial and legal obligations alone would seem staggering to the average member of the public. 

But this has not stopped us from trying. Every day, the people I work with face astronomical challenges to keep the process going. My colleagues are among the most tenacious people I have yet known. They work flat out, to solve overwhelming problems, and often put in extra time to make sure they are deal with. Yes, at this time, we may not be able to house physically all of the homeless, or provide care for all of the vulnerable. But 95,000 isn’t a bad start, and we expand every day to keep doing more.

By the same logic, I say that the challenges facing young people’s opportunities can be overcome. Although this project is my own personal initiative, it is certainly inspired by the work of others.With the academics and business people involved in the project's networks alone, we can build the first few bridges, and start the process going. Once people realise that there is a way to connect students and Alumni effectively, they will follow our example, and the process will go viral, eventually spreading to every place of higher education, and for every profession.

In the meantime, well done for all your work this year, and have a well earned break. We'll resume in earnest come January.

Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best Wishes,

James M

Founder and Project Coordinator

       

Dewey Decimal System

When the time comes we will need to decide how subjects and topics are to be divided. For example, would we class Japanese and Chinese studies under one 'Language' network, or allocate a separate one for each?

Also, many skills cross over into different subjects. Topics such as Gaming Design may involve both computer programming and designing skills.

For these reasons, a basic layout of subject areas needs to be in place, to group the different schools by network and a good starting point would be the Dewey Decimal System.

This time honoured library classification system will be the ideal basis for deciding which subjects will go into which networks, and I would like to propose it as the long term guide, when the classification of networks needs to be decided.

Opportunity: The Need for Networks

As part of a larger article to follow, I would like to sum up why it is so important for us to support and develop opportunities for young people.

Right now, our economy in the UK is not doing well. Although we have recovered some losses from the recession, and the Coalition government have tried, we are still facing a lot of setbacks. Cuts are being made to local council services. Energy bills are rising. Wages are falling. The most talented members of our workforce are migrating or emigrating to find work abroad, and many nationals from Romania and Bulgaria among others, will soon compete for jobs on the UK market. Times are tough and the pressure is on.

As I look around, I see people getting on with their lives, and trying to enjoy what they have. Festivities are all around for Christmas, and for a while at least, people may forget their troubles. But the question still hangs in the air: what about the future?

We are all worried what is to come. With fewer jobs, lower wages, higher bills, and an endless rise in global competition, rebuilding our economy seems a hopeless situation. Where do we even start? People may ask. We don't have the funding, our expertise is challenged from abroad, our industries outsourced or downsized to cope.

And it is young people who will be hit the hardest. The next generation will be denied the opportunities for good careers, and will either move abroad, or give up altogether. We can't let this happen.

However, we are obviously not going to kick-start the economy with money alone. Funding is tight in even the best of projects, and cuts will have a knock on effect. Growing competition from Brazil, Russia, China and India, makes the building of more factories and infrastructure harder to do.

So where do we start? First things first: we need to network. Get the smartest, most successful members of each industry around the same table to discuss things, and they will set the process in motion. Guilds and Think Tanks have been used in the past, and for the 21st Century, we should take this to a digital level

If the students and Alumni of each profession were put into the same online networks, and the networks organised in the right way, this would ensure knowledge transfer in every part of the business and academic sectors. It would lead to new developments and ideas, as the students of a profession, the professionals in the field, and the retired veterans of that profession would share their knowledge. Developments would come form all points of view.  This in turn, would lead to new enterprise, and ultimately, to jobs.

Though student-Alumni networks may not seem the most effective way to face the Recession, let's remember, that it was the right combination of academic insight and business acumen during the 18th and 19th Centuries, which led to the Industrial Revolution, here in Britain. We did it once, we can do it again. Networking is the way forward. If it's who you know, not what you know, then we should build more, and effective, networks to make it happen.

For the sake of a whole generation of young people, let's do this.

Knowledge Transfer

The purpose of this project is to connect the students and Alumni, to allow knowledge transfer among other goals.

 

For an example of the process, just go to the Facebook page below ('Let's Build Bridges')and look under my post on knowledge transfer, or click the link on the right hand side of this page:

 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/419487984829959/

Challenges So Far, and Solutions

Points So Far


At the University of Birmingham (England), research will now be conducted to determine which students or student societies would be in favour of networking with Alumni, and if so, how they would like to network. If you are a student of this university, you are also welcome to bring your views to this blog and the related Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Student engagement will certainly be critical to the success of early networks. I agree with the advice given so far, that networks cannot and must not be forced upon students without their consent and co-operation.

It is important to bear in mind the students’ point of view. Having been a student, and on student committee’s I remember that we considered ourselves as the elected authority to make the decisions, and would have regarded proposals made by other authorities (no matter how benign) as interference. Also, while I understand that from our point of view, the mentoring scheme is meant to be a two way process, from the students point of view, it can seem like a one way street. Students may feel patronized to submit to someone else’s guidance: and this is an important psychological aspect to bear in mind, for the challenges that we face.

Empowerment of student committees is therefore of the utmost importance. We must regard student committees as the existing authorities, and work with them as equals. Careful, two way negotiations should determine each set of arrangements. It makes sense to ensure good relations with the committees, because if they decide to help, they can deploy large number of students, and their cooperation will save us considerable time and effort.

Further challenges raised so far in relation to student-Alumni networking include:

• That Alumni and students want to discuss privately when talking online.


• That in the past, networks have been underused, and participants to mentoring have not always honoured their agreements.


• That students and Alumni may each go into a different career path from their field of study, or profession.

To address the first point: this is precisely why I recommend a closed LinkedIn format. For example, engineering students who begin their studies could be offered a special LinkedIn network, that connects them directly to Alumni who are in the engineering profession. The network would be closed to the public, allowing both students and Alumni to discuss engineering issues, mentoring, and job opportunities in confidence, under the university's supervision. That said, I am more than happy to compromise, in favour of any kind of online connection, as long students and Alumni are connected online. The LinkedIn network is an option that could come later on. We could start with one to one connections by email, and then build on existing arrangements to develop a more sophisticated way of networking.

For the second point; to those who doubt that students and Alumni can be made to honour their agreements all of the time, I have a good example of how commitment can be maintained: the Guild Musical Theatre Group. In this student society, all members were volunteers who were fully committed to the performing arts, even though they all came from many different departments of our university. The student committee always took the business of putting on shows very seriously (I know because I was on it.)

Shows were always to a professional standard (and still are).  Members knew that they always had to put the effort in to be in shows: as it was made clear to them that, regardless of their membership, that all auditionees start from square one. So if you didn’t make the effort, someone else would take your place. Use it or lose it, it was as simple as that. And while many people did it for fun, there were those I knew with a burning desire to perform on stage for a living: and a some did just that, despite coming from different schools of study. Had they been offered to join a network with professional performing artists, I know that the ambitious ones would have seized the opportunity there and then.

This is how I would recommend that commitments be honoured between students and Alumni who agree to network online. Admins appointed like a committee, would ensure that the students who signed on were left in no doubt that access to Alumni is a privilege, and an integral part of their learning experience. Timescales and agreed schedules could be set, for who will discuss what with whom: like existing mentoring schemes. The difference would be that any students who did not conform to their agreed timescale would be removed from the network, and their place given to others. Alumni who did not honour their agreements could be similarly removed from mentoring, and their slots offered to others.  Before long, it would start to become clear, that a place on the network was something important to strive for, and I think students would realise they needed to make the effort if they committed themselves to it.

Thirdly, it is true that students may decide to change their degree while in higher education; or to go into a different career from the one they studied for. Likewise, Alumni may opt for a career change so many years down the line. That is why I suggest going by area of interest. At New York State University, there is an excellent 'Constituent' scheme to enable students and Alumni to do this. Students, student societies and Alumni of similar interests are encouraged to network together and share connections and information.

In much the same way, I suggest that we connect students by their current field of study, to Alumni currently in the same profession, and student societies with the same interest. For example, students currently studying medicine could be connected to Alumni of that university or college, who are currently practising doctors and nurses. Student societies whose interest is in medicine, health or sports science could be given special passwords to access the network, and share ideas with the medical students and Alumni. Their insight will be useful: for it is worth noting that there are many young people who wanted to go into a profession, but may not have felt it was a sustainable career. Their interest in a student society of that career path should still be supported.

Alumni who began their career in other professions, but who changed their career paths to practise medicine, could be offered to join the medical network. Likewise Alumni who left the profession could be offered places in other networks suitable for their new line of work. An Alumnus who has retired from the medical profession, but has been in other professions also, could be offered a choice by the university of which network they would like to join.

Therefore, to conclude the points made so far, I invite all experts and veterans of student-Alumni networking schemes to contribute their views on any of these ideas, so that we may develop the best possible way to connect the students and Alumni.


Best Regards,

James McGarry
Voluntary Project Co-Ordinator

 

Project Report, Novermber 2013

 

Introduction

Thank you to all who attended the meeting dated Friday the 8^th November, and I will send this message to those who were unable to attend, but wanted to be kept informed. A number of points were raised at the meeting, and the appropriate responses are given in this document. The points raised at the meeting dated Friday the 8^th November include:

·         That the project should be concentrated on a specific university of choice.

·         That there should be a clear timeline of events

·         That it should be established exactly what the students themselves want.

·         That the university’s own interests as an organisation should be respected.

Therefore, to ensure maximum results, the first 3 universities of focus will be the University of Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge. Sanctuary staff and others, who are Alumni of these universities, are invited to join the project, to offer their advice and participation.

The first university of choice will be the University of Birmingham. As an Alumnus of this campus, I am working with the university’s Alumni Office to find out exactly which networks and mentoring are offered to the students, and what could be improved upon.  To respect the university’s interests as an organisation, it is best to ensure that both the students and Alumni of that university support an integrated network, before one is implemented.

There is clear evidence that both students and Alumni  at the University of Birmingham have demanded closer online networking throughout the year,  according to the findings of the university’s Volunteer Relationship Manager, Kerri Holland.  In a recent poll taken on Birmingham University’s Alumni network, a clear majority have voted in favour of networking more closely with the students:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=118866&trk=my_groups-b-grp-v

I have also asked a representative from the NUS to contact the Student Executive, so that we may hear the students’ point of view. It is likely that the students will agree on some kind of closer online networking. I will wait to hear the university’s Student Executive’s thoughts on this.

Once it is clear and where any improvements need to be made and what the students want, my fellow Birmingham Alumni and I will go with student volunteers to the university’s Careers Network, to make the case for more networks and mentoring.

Online Networks as the Solution

I believe that an online network of fully interconnected students and Alumni, is the best possible way to ensure both mentoring and knowledge transfer. It is true that both students and Alumni are very busy with work, study and family commitments: and that is precisely why I recommend an online network as the best option, to allow members to contribute at their convenience.

 Initiatives such as the Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Network (KEEN), (see www.worcester.ac.uk ), have proven that direct knowledge transfer from graduates can be used effectively for the benefit of all enterprises. The work of all regional Local Enterprise Partnerships is further proof of successful collaborations between the academic and business sectors.

Successful collaborations between universities and other organisations to integrate their services, have led to clear results; a perfect example of this being The Hive at Worcester, as a successful collaboration between the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council : http://www.thehiveworcester.org/ From these examples,  I argue that integrated online networks will provide an effective means for us to continue this trend on a permanent basis.

As per the advice given, I agree that the most effective model of would be an integrated LinkedIn network  - I would argue within each department of the university -  to link the students and Alumni of that profession.  For example, engineering students and Alumni in the engineering professions could be connected by a closed LinkedIn network, owned by the university. This would allow members to discuss their profession in confidence, supervised directly by the university, and would allow mentoring, knowledge transfer, networking and job creation, as well as job opportunities.

To ensure that signatories commit to using this network, a select group of students and Alumni would be encouraged to help administer the network. They would be responsible for the recruitment of new members, organising and agreeing on discussions, and ensuring that members adhere to the university’s rules.

The admins should think of themselves as a committee or admin team, and allocate their roles accordingly. They should arrange for successive admins to be available, when it is time to hand over their responsibilities. In this way, the process of mentoring and knowledge transfer will become self-sustaining, and it should no longer be necessary to ask for student and Alumni volunteers: as they will be actively recruited by the network’s admin team, under the university’s supervision.

Therefore, I assert that online networks to connect students and Alumni will be the best possible means to ensure both mentoring and knowledge transfer, and I challenge those who disagree to prove me wrong.  If it is proven beyond any doubt, that all bridging networks are already in place, or that there are a sufficient number of Alumni, who mentor the students of every department at each place of higher education, then the aim of this project will have been achieved. However, I suspect that when the information is compiled by the volunteers, this will not be the case.

Timescale and Budget

The creation of new online networks, such as LinkedIn can normally be done free of charge. In most cases, this would involve a reshuffling of students and Alumni who are members of other online networks elsewhere, into new ones created to connect them with one another. However, an invitation alone to join such networks may not be enough. There needs to be a sufficient number of students and Alumni who interested, to justify establishing new, integrated networks for them. Therefore, it may be necessary to hold a networking event to bring large numbers of students and Alumni together, who can then be offered a place in a new network, created for their field of study (see below for notes on this process).

According to the estimates made so far, the average cost of a campus-wide event would be around £1000. In most cases, the university’s Alumni Office and Student Executive should be able to cover most of the overheads. However, it is unlikely that they will be able cover all costs and resources in all cases. Therefore, it is prudent to set aside a reserve fund of sorts, to be put towards  events when necessary. Given that Sanctuary tenants have access to funding for Fixers projects, the best solution appears to be for student tenants to apply for funds to put towards events held at their university of study. In this way, funds could be targeted only at campuses where networks and mentors were not already in place, which would be cost effective and accurate.

The first of the events was to be an X-Box/Console Tournament of choice this Christmas, at the University of Birmingham. This exciting event should attract a diverse range of students and Alumni of all disciplines, who can then be offered new networks prepared for them, or be invited to become the admins of the university’s existing LinkedIn network. However, it is now more likely to be held early next year, given the short time left before Christmas. I will discuss this further with both the Alumni Office and Student Executive, to see what can be achieved. It is my intention to have new networking arrangements or new integrated networks in place for all fields of study, by the end of the first quarter of 2014.

Sanctuary will also benefit from the transparency of this project. The online networks for Let’s Build Bridges are purposefully open ones, to give them two advantages. The first is to make the project accessible to all willing volunteers. The second is to demonstrate the expertise of Sanctuary and other volunteers to both the business and academic communities, who will follow these networks closely as the project gains momentum.

Summary

The nature of our work at the Sanctuary requires us to be proactive and to influence change. This I believe is one change that is clearly worth influencing. For reasons given so far, I argue that online student-Alumni networks will be the most effective way for Sanctuary to help students’ employability in this project. It would help not only the mentoring of students by Alumni, but also facilitate knowledge transfer for the benefit of the students, their universities and institutions, and will in turn, benefit Sanctuary as an organisation. Therefore, with immediate effect, I will endeavour to concentrate on the networks at the University of Birmingham as the first example, and I invite fellow Alumni of this university, as well as the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and any willing volunteers to join me. Together, we will demonstrate Sanctuary’s expertise to improve students’ employability and future. Let’s make this happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further Information

 

·         Evidence and opinion poll in support of student-Alumni support for integrated networking at the University of Birmingham: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=118866&trk=my_groups-b-grp-v

·         Example of a successful knowledge transfer arrangement, the Knowledge  Exchange and Enterprise Network (KEEN): www.worcester.ac.uk ; enquiries: wbs@worcs.ac.uk

·         The Hive, Worcester, a successful example of collaboration for an integrated service for both students and Alumni: http://www.thehiveworcester.org/

·         Links to main online networks for this project Let’s Build Bridges:

Linkedin network: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Lets-Build-Bridges-5133737?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/419487984829959/

Blog:  http://letsbuildbridges.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

 

For Inspiration

Here's something that was the kind of article to inspire this project. A humorous but heartfelt story that tells it like it is. And yes it's about the performing arts, but it's just as true for all industries.  Just because times are hard, doesn't mean we should turn the other cheek. Sometimes, opportunities need to be made, so that these people can live their dream.

http://bloodyhellbrennan.com/2013/07/24/a-resting-actors-response-to-is-acting-today-just-too-tough/

Report on Progress, September 2013

Long Term Plans

Let’s Build Bridges is a project for the purpose of forming bridging networks for students and Alumni of all professions, at all places of higher education. It is best thought of as a partnership between several different organisations, who are working towards this goal. At the time of writing, it is a Fixers project, supported by Sanctuary Group volunteers, and working in co-operation with the National Union of Students. The project will keep going until bridging networks are in place at all universities and colleges, which means that it may undergo several changes, and arrangements may be made with more organisations, given the scale of the project, and what must be achieved.

Since the NUS have had similar ideas for integrated networks for long term employability, it makes sense to co-ordinate all efforts on both the students’ and Alumni side of the operation. Students and Alumni involved can lend each other support, whenever contacts need to be made, or higher education authorities need the reassurance of both, to set up a network. For example, the NUS have kindly agreed to speak to the University of Birmingham’s student executive about the project. This will be crucial in convincing them to host the first event. By the same token, volunteers from the Sanctuary Group and others in the business community will be able to talk to their former University/College authorities as Alumni , whenever the students need Alumni support, to launch a network, or networking event.

 

Social Media Considerations

The best social media option so far, from discussions, seems to be the use of closed Linkedin networks. These can be set up and controlled directly by the University/College authorities, who can lay down their rules for all users to follow. In this way, the university or college benefits from this arrangement: because it is their network, their students and their Alumni, even though the network will have a knock on effect on others in the same industry.

So far, a mentoring scheme seems to be preferred by both students and Alumni. Students could sign onto the network and be connected directly to the Alumni of their university/college, who would mentor them in interview techniques, jobs to apply for and so on. By the same token, student members would be able to forward information that they believe would help the Alumni in their work. In this way, knowledge transfer could be achieved equally, across both the academic and the business sectors.

The users could be made to sign an agreement before joining the network. This agreement would make clear to both student and Alumni users, that they may discuss details and cases of their profession in confidence with one another, but are not to disclose them to anyone outside the network: except for qualified professionals and college/university staff, who are already trusted with this information. The professionals in the field would therefore be able to go into as much detail as necessary with the students, without breaking data protection, or any professional oaths they may have sworn.

If a student changes their degree/qualification, then they may change to another student/Alumni network in their new field of study. But they are still bound by written agreement with the university/college, not to disclose anything they have discussed in their original network. So for example, a student who begins by studying medicine may join the medical Linkedin network for students and Alumni of that college/university. But if he/she changes to study science, then he/she may be transferred to Linked in network for science on that campus, that again connects the students directly with practising scientists. The student may not share medical cases discussed with any non-medical professionals, and is bound by law to keep this in confidence. If they disclose the cases discussed, then the University/college may penalise them.

The same applies to Alumni who change careers. For example, an Alumnus, who changes career from being a doctor to being a lawyer,  could be transferred from the medical , to the legal network of that university/college. If he/she has had several careers, and has now retired, he/she could be offered to join the network from the most recent profession that he/she had retired from. Ultimately, it will be the university/college authorities’ choice as the Administrator of the Linkedin groups, who they will allow into which network.

In time, these networks could become a major part of universities/colleges’ employability for their students. They could be used as a major selling point, to reassure parents who are unsure whether to send their children to higher education, given long term employment prospects. The crucial element to these networks, is that they will give students the personal contacts via the Alumni, in their industry of choice, as well as the information. that the Alumni will provide. Upon graduation, the students can then approach their contacts to get their foot in the door.  

Networking Events

The biggest challenge in establishing these networks will be to bring the students and Alumni together in the first place. Obvious though this may sound, it is unlikely that enough students and Alumni will join the new networks once they are set up: for the simple reason that they do not know one another.

Therefore, a networking event will most likely be needed, as a catalyst to bring both sides together, so that the first group of students and Alumni may be encouraged to join it. This is where Fixers volunteers can come into their own: they can put together and hold events, for both the students and Alumni to take part in. Each event could be anything from designing a new product, to holding a charity event. The crucial part is that both students and Alumni are involved in the event: both behind the scenes, and at the opening itself. Once they have made connections and built rapport with each other, they can then be offered to join a new Linkedin network, as its first team of members.

It is also likely that a team will be needed to run each network, so it is important that a cross section of the students and Alumni be asked to do so. They can then bring in more people from each side to strengthen the network, over time.

Summary

With social media concepts agreed upon,  and co-operation growing between organisations working towards the same end, the long term aim of Let’s Build Bridges seems to be coming together well. The next step will be to confirm the Fixer (young persons representative), and to confirm the Sanctuary volunteers on the Alumni side, as well as others from the business community. Once the first team of volunteers is established, they will become the main networking group, from which all others can be built. There will be many challenges, but since opportunity is a fundamental need, we can and will find the necessary support, to give all students of higher education, and their Alumni, the best possible start in life, and the career of their choice. Let’s make it happen.

Welcome

Welcome to the blog for Let's Build Bridges. This is a project, to build bridging networks, connecting students and Alumni of all professions, at every university, college, or place of higher education. Online social media has connected millions of people around the world, and the aim of this project is to use this media, to make sure that students and Alumni are fully interconnected, so that they may exchange knowledge, contacts, and ideas. This will lead to new developments in each industry, and ultimately, to more job opportunities for all.

If you'd like to be involved, or have something you'd like to say about networking for students and Alumni, please feel free to post your comments on this blog. To become a contributor, just contact me, or one of the existing contributors, to be put on the team. You can then publish posts and articles at any time.

And don't forget, we also have other online pages for the project, including a Facebook and LinkedIn page. Just have a look at our links at the tope of this page. If you know anyone aged 16 and above, who might like being involved, then you're more than welcome to invite them here too.

Let the project commence!