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!