My Manifesto for Change/An Opinion Poll

Something I would like to propose to you all, and to the wider community of working professionals. Originally, this project was to focus mainly on student-Alumni networks as a way to create opportunities. I know we must walk before we run, and there is a lot still to discuss about the networking between students and Alumni in higher education.

But it occurred to me that this is only the first part of the process. The question has been raised: what about the young people who didn’t get the chance for higher education? And what about the adults who are now facing redundancy from a great deal of professions? With these people in mind, I gave the issue some thought, and this is how I propose we structure Let’s Build Bridges:

1. 1   Student-Alumni networking for graduates and employed professionals. Students of all professions are connected to Alumni in their chosen profession, to allow mentoring and coaching of students by Alumni; and innovations and ideas for the Alumni in their professions by the students.
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3. 2. On the job assessment for non-graduates.  All 16-24 year olds not in full time education should be assessed for all skills they possess or have learned, and should be qualified accordingly, by an assessor.
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5. 3  Start ups, led by unemployed professionals. All adults aged 25+ who are unemployed professionals, are empowered to go into business together, and start their own small to medium businesses.

Several points need to be made here. While working on the student innovations’ side, it was clear to me that we would need someone to implement them. While larger organisations would be excellent for this, a new product or service may need to be trialled on a smaller scale first. At the other end of things, I know that there are adults with the opposite problem. Many are facing redundancy, or have lost their jobs, and need something to work with. The solution to both problems is: put the two together and they will help each other.

The graduates’ innovations can be allocated for groups of unemployed adults to set themselves up as teams to make that product, provide that service, or implement that concept. The start-up side would work a bit like Staff Bay. Part agency, part start up, unemployed professionals would be encouraged to sign onto a network as normal, and then given the choice of which student product they wanted to work with, and which other professionals they will need to do this.

When we think about it, there are ex managers, accountants, manual labourers, computer programmers, and HR staff among those laid off. These are highly capable people: who have run the companies, made the products, and provided the services. If they are brought together correctly, they can build companies of their own. All they need are the right contacts and innovations to work with. And the newly qualified non-graduates would have many skills to offer them as well.

I realise that this plan is jumping ahead of the original somewhat, when there is already a lot of work to do on student-Alumni networking. But at the same time, this project is about creating opportunities, and we need to make sure that everyone facing the challenges of this Recession gets his or her chance.

Therefore, I have put an opinion poll on the blog, to see what people think. If there is enough support for the other 2 options, then these will be added to the project. After all, we need to be fair to those whose who want opportunities. So I would like to see what can be done.

The opinion poll will stay on the blog for about a week, and I will collect you votes after then, if you would like to cast your vote.

I look forward to seeing your ideas.