Let's Build Bridges

Let's Build Bridges
There are many bridges we can build

Saturday 25 October 2014

Degree or No Degree? The Fight for Education

As the debate rages about tuition fees, and the challenges that the current generation of students are facing, I want to make sure that all young people are getting a fair chance for an education. We all agree that young people deserve education of training to an adequate level, to prepare them for life, but with the cost of tuition fees in the UK at £9,000 a year, this is a serious financial burden for young people considering higher education.

Yes, financial support can be provided to them. It is true that young people from low income families can still have the financial support to go to college or university: and as students, they will be able to make use of their student-Alumni networks to gain careers. But the fact remains, that the prospect of a £50,000 debt - not including rent, food costs, clothing, utility bills, and commuting costs - is off putting to anyone who wants to study at a college or university, as people have said recently on BBC 3's Free Speech Programme. So I say that we need to put safety nets in place, to make sure that young people aren't priced out of an education. All 16-24 year olds who choose higher education should have the right kind of financial assistance that won't land them in debt, when they finish their studies and graduate. For anyone who chooses not to have higher education, an alternative should be offered for them.

Apprenticeships are brilliant, because they give the candidate the most important means to make a career: real experience in their industry of choice from day one. And what I like about the apprenticeships especially, is that they work by levels, through qualified assessment. I'm a firm believer in the fact that you don't need to teach someone what he or she already knows: the candidate can be assessed and qualified to his or her skill level. You can start from even a basic level of training and get maybe a level 1 or 2 certificate in your chosen industry. This may not sound like much, but I can assure you: it is very important to an employer, because this shows your potential. And here's the thing: this system could also be used for NEETS.

Young people who are not in full time education, or training (including apprenticeships) - otherwise known as NEETS -  could still be assessed and qualified the same way, as part of a pre screening process.  I know that the Government is paying assessors to concentrate on candidates who qualify successfully for an apprenticeship: but a special scheme could be set up for those who don't. (I've also written about this in another article: http://letsbuildbridges.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/a-new-way-to-assess-non-graduates-neets.html )

A pre-screening process could be built into several key institutions, to catch young people whose talent is not yet realised. For example, the Job Centres, and youth drop in centres, could hire qualified assessors, to check the skills, as part of their service, to the young people who come to them. Organisations like the Training Providers Association could use qualified assessment, as part of their referrals process. If a trainer, or recruiter has found that a 16-24 year old candidate has a skill for which he or she is not yet qualified, then an assessor can award that young person a grade as part of the transfer. This can be coordinated at each stage of young peoples' careers.

Assessors who come into contact with non-graduates with ungraded skills, could offer them a s special one off assessment, sponsored by the Government. Recruiters and assessors could arrange to work in tandem, checking unqualified volunteers, and then, young people on work placements, for possible apprenticeships. Such a process could even be built into initiatives such as the ASCENT programme, which I understand, is helping people to find work. This would not be a full blown apprenticeship in itself, but would go a long way to reflecting the young person's actual skill level: and putting him/her in a better position to apply for further education or training. And a young person who has never worked in an industry before, should have a clear career path into it: from to the voluntary work to get started; to active work placements; then to an apprenticeship/higher education degree, to become a fully fledged member of that industry.

For young people who are in higher education, I say more needs to be done to make colleges and universities' student-Alumni networks the bridges into each industry. As I have argued in other articles, each school of study could have its own student-Alumni network, so that students and Alumni of that industry work as a team from day one. Engineering students and Alumni for example, could be given a special Engineering network, within a university's main online network  - the main network retaining its use for students and Alumni of all disciplines. Student societies are another untapped networking resource, again as I have argued elsewhere on these pages. All students who are members of a society on their campus, that has been established for more than 10 years, should consider negotiating with their society's Alumni to see what links they could forge. For example, a science club could in fact offer useful links to Alumni who are practising scientists and so on.

Lessons could also be learned (no pun intended), from the structure of the apprenticeships system itself. I encourage more universities and colleges to offer apprenticeship-style internships and placements for their students, in local businesses, so that the student works as an intern, and the employer mentors and coaches him/her for work in that industry. Working experience goes a long way on a resume, to getting the job, and a student can even make some useful connections to get started. The businesses themselves could even become sponsors, helping to fund the students' tuition. That is why work placements like this could become an integral part of each college or university degree. Alumni in professions that rely heavily on connections for people to get jobs (such as theatre directors, or music producers), could build more specialised online networks for the purpose.

In this way, we can use our education system effectively. As a slogan once said, 'No Child Left Behind'. No 16-24 year old should be left behind either. So by ensuring a series of safety nets in place, we offer young people the education they need: either in the form of a degree at college or university; an apprenticeship in the industry of their choice; or qualified assessment to enhance their talent. Young people deserve a chance. Let's make sure that they get it.


Best Regards

James M



Founder

Let's Build Bridges [an open forum]




A Thing of the Past? The New Fight for Jobs

It's tempting to believe the Government's rhetoric that we are 'coming out' of the Recession, but I don't buy it.  Many shops stand empty, food banks are on the increase; and the last job I applied for had over 150 other applicants. It's a familiar story. My interviewers' feedback for one job said it all. "We know you can do the job: but so can 19 of the other people who applied for it." Add to that, the wave or redundancies soon to be made in several of our nations' key companies: and it doesn't take a genius to work out, that the Recession is not a thing of the past. As I have argued elsewhere on these pages, it is still very much with us.

The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 not only killed a great many innocent people, it also caused severe damage to communities, infrastructure, and the lives of many survivors. The Recession, while not as physically dangerous, has caused major psychological damage to our society as a whole. It caused serious internal damage to institutions, which did not show at the time, but is not coming to the surface, in the shape of cuts to local government, as well as on-going redundancies throughout private sectors companies.

So what is the solution? While I may not have all the answers, there is one way we can definitely get people their jobs back. The Government will of course, be working on job creation schemes, which at the moment, are still sorely needed. But since around two thirds of jobs are to be found in the smaller businesses, it makes sense that we concentrate on the most reliable source for new jobs: business start-ups.

When we think about it: what is a business? A team of capable people, working to make a concept a reality, by providing a product or service, to customers. Without start-ups, there would be no business as I'm sure business people reading this will agree. So if we can find ways to put both aspects together, we can ensure the creation of more small businesses, and hence, more jobs.   From experience, I know that when you're working on a project, there are always new ideas for products and services, that innovators have had to shelve.

There are also plenty of capable adults whose talents are not used, nor are they valued. And there are young people whose skills are not yet realised, but have real potential to offer. Put all of these elements together and you have the makings of a new business or institution. Common sense tells us that a healthy economy needs thriving industries and enterprise, so that people have more money to spend, so this is where we should start. Our digitally connected society allows us access to many social networks to make this happen.

That is why I am currently working with others, to create a new kind of database for business start ups. If innovators upload ideas they have not yet implemented, onto a special database; and people wanting to start a new business, put their contact details onto that same database; then entrepreneurs will have all the basic resources they need to start a business, in one place. Entrepreneurs need something that not only allows them to select not only the people to work with, but also, the new products and services to try. They need a special kind of business app, that provides them with a complete Toolkit for a start-up.

If such an initiative seems hard to achieve, then consider this. In my region alone, we have seen the building of Europe's first fully integrated facility, The Hive; which combines both Worcester University's, and the County Council's libraries; to create an information powerhouse for both students, and members of the public alike. Its counterpart, the Birmingham Library, has shown similar cutting edge innovations in learning resources, that will inspire librarians around the world to do the same. The Sixways rugby stadium, for sport; and the Midlands Arts Centre; have also been a huge inspiration to the people who practise their craft. They will inspire countless generations of athletes and artists to do the same.

Every one of these projects began as an idea. With the right resources, determination, and the commitment of a dedicated group of people, it became a reality. This is what we can achieve if we put together the innovations of the thinkers, with the right groups of capable people, to build new businesses.

So I invite all people who want to start a business, or have a concept they want make a reality, to please submit your info to:

gorilla.opportunity@gmail.com

And you're welcome to join the network on Google+ :


It's time to create jobs. Let's do it.


Best Regards

James M



Founder

Let's Build Bridges [an open forum]






Friday 10 October 2014

A 'Trip Advisor' for Recruitment?


Here's an idea that I think will help improve young people and adults' employability.

The recruiters I have spoken to have confirmed that while there are many online feedback services for companies in general, there is not yet a specific service, exclusively for recruitment and application issues. If this is true, I propose that we set up a special online feedback service, for users to comment on all issues affecting the recruitment and application for full time or part time employment.

For example, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation might consider working with the Review Centre, or similar service provider to set one up. A larger network would have more impact, as the Review Centre's users are over 3 million in number. There are, of course, legal issues to consider, such as non-disclosure agreements from the recruiter's side, and possibly in the case of some applicants as well.

Therefore, to ensure equal protection for employers and reviewers alike; job applicants could write anonymous online reviews about their experience, and recruiters could also write anonymously, about general issues they have dealt with. Neither they nor the organisations involved, would be mentioned by name; but general issues that came up again and again, could be raised online, to be considered by the recruitment industry as a whole.

In this way, a specialised feedback service for job applicants, and recruiters, would allow system wide improvements to be made throughout the recruitment and application process as a whole. I submit that this would go a long way to helping the employability of both young people and adults.

I welcome your thoughts on this.

James M

Founder

Let's Build Bridges [a forum]

Saturday 4 October 2014

Stepping Stones: the Pathways to a Career


‘Where do I get started’? This is the most important question that every future professional will ask and therefore, every recruiter, employer or institution should always remember. We need to make sure that there is a clear pathway for every young person or adult, to progress steadily, from a hobby in their spare time; to full training, and then to a career in the profession that he or she has chosen. But for a new recruit to do this, a series of stepping stones need to be in place; leading from the moment a person shows an interest in a new profession, to the moment when he or she becomes a fully-fledged member of that industry. This is our challenge.

A big part of joining any profession is the path that a new recruit takes to get into that profession. It doesn’t just begin when the new recruit joins a course to study for a new profession. The experience is earned at a far earlier stage. For example I have been interested in conducting singers, but how do you become and MD? It has certainly helped that my choir’s leaders have let me have a go at conducting rehearsals. This is the first step. Anyone serious about a career MDing can use this experience to get on the career path to becoming one. The same logic applies to every other profession.

Clubs and societies are not just pastimes. They are arguably the first step in the process leading to a career. This I would say, is where professionals really begin. As the uninitiated, they learn to work as part of a group, learning a skill, and the commitment and responsibility that goes with it. They learn teamwork, and the importance that any one individual plays in the process. And then they put this into a game or performance that can inspire many.

This life experience can then be used to gain entry into new courses, or to volunteer for unpaid tasks in the profession of choice. The recruit can then build upon this work, to apply for placements and internships in the companies of his or her chosen industry. The past experience counts for a lot when a recruit is fighting to break into a new industry. The placements and internships can then lead to an apprenticeship, or part time/temporary role. Until finally, the new recruit is offered a full time job, making his or her ambition into a real career.

That is how it should work for every profession that a person wants to get into. Sadly, not all of the steps that people need to get into professions like sport or the performing arts are in place right now.  Let's Be Cops may be a comedy about two hapless police impersonators; but at the heart of it, is the serious story of two unsuccessful men, who are trying to do something worthwhile with their lives: and after all, how do you become a cop? To any recruiter facing a shortfall in candidates for your industry, I say to you: the reason you don't have enough people, is most likely that the career pathways are not in place to allow them into your profession. The clubs and societies for these industries, at the time of writing, are dropping away; as their organisers are having to divert attention to pay their bills. Resources are also tight, and I understand that pastimes are not high on the list of people’s priorities right now.

But at the same time, these clubs societies and voluntary initiatives need to be kept going for the sake of tomorrow’s professionals and industries. How do you become a scientist? Or an engineer? Or a doctor? I suspect that if the best doctors, engineers or scientists were honest, they had a genuine passion for their profession from a young age, and were involved in clubs or societies, read magazines about, and did voluntary work to do with each of their industries. This is something that we need to nurture today: both for young people interested in these careers for the first time; and for adults who want a career change. Otherwise, as other bloggers have proven, lack of experience means that an applicant falls into the old Catch 22 situation, and is not able to get the job:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140928204520-12998207-survey-conducted-on-linkedin-states-the-obvious-lack-of-experience-is-the-biggest-issue-entry-level-professionals-have?trk=object-title
To use sales logic, as I was once taught in training, a sales campaign must have 3 key elements to be successful: ease, choice, and accessibility. It should be easy for customers to find products: an online search, phone call or personal enquiry should quickly take them to the product they are after. The second part is that they must be able to have a wide range of choices available for the product or service. And if we couldn’t find them the one they wanted, there should have been plenty of alternatives available. The third element was accessibility. A customer should be able to find, select and purchase a product directly, without having to spend time going through screen after screen of red tape and legal jargon. These elements ensured that the campaign ran smoothly, and made it a huge success. That is why this logic should be applied to recruitment as well.

Consider the English Football Association. Their system was designed so that, in theory, a lowly amateur football team could get professional status and then rise through the divisions. For a few decades at least, the best really could get to the top. Granted the system has been eroded by internal politics and by forces of globalisation of sport, but for a long time, at least, the principle of a real meritocracy was established. How many careers have been made and how many millions of people’s lives have been inspired, because of this?

Indeed passion goes a long way to success. While proposing the plan for a visual arts festival, I suggested that the organisers recruit their volunteers from among the existing arts clubs in the city. It was there that the passion would be found. As the saying goes: if you’re looking for an apple tree, look in an orchard. People who loved art would seize the opportunity to take part in such an event. They would always go the extra mile to help; and for them, it would be a dream come true.

And as I found, when doing voluntary work for the arts; young people’s passion for the industry is something else. Having been bombarded by media stereotypes of juvenile delinquents and ‘spongers’ living off the state, I thought that young people didn’t have the drive to apply themselves. I was in for a rude awakening.

It soon became clear from volunteering as a youth advisor to help children and young people in theatrical, that there were actually a huge number of them wanting to be on the stage. As I have written in other articles, at least 3 amateur societies had a waiting list twice the size of the society itself! The average number on the waiting lists was 80 candidates, which for England, was a very large number. Fortunately an academy system was devised, to engage the young people not in current shows. But all the same the issue was clear. It wasn’t that young people didn’t want to try at all: the opportunities simply weren’t there for them.

And the dedication of these children and young people was extraordinary. In one case, a girl came to audition for a part in a rock musical. Through hours of makeup and months of practise, she had moulded herself into the exact image of the character she was to portray. If her audition was anything like the others, her energy and dedication would be to a professional’s level. The panel would have seen that her character was perfect in every detail.  

She was 10 years old.

I came away from that show feeling very humbled by such dedication.

An even more humbling experience came a few year later, after my role, when I went to see a schools’ version of the musical Les Miserables. Arguably one of the greatest musicals of all time, it requires some serious understanding of the characters and the dramatic setting to pull it off, as audiences may have noticed from the Hugh Jackman film, and from the epic anniversary edition at the 02 Arena. On stage, you can’t just sing the numbers: you have to perform very word, know every character, and live the musical in every which way. So this was going to a huge challenge for any group of young people to take on.

I took my place at the back of the seating area and waited for the performance to begin. A scaled down version of the orchestration began. But it did not prepare me for what came next. Over the course of the following 3 hours, this group of children and young people managed to out-sing, out-act and out-perform every professional group I had ever known. We, the audience, were moved to genuine tears by the death scenes, roused to our feet by the fight scenes, and overawed by the sheer drama of what these young people did. The standing ovation that we all gave them at the end was – I can assure you – quite deserved. I defy any professional dramatist not to be moved by the performance that they gave. It is no surprise that one of the young people is now in a film academy in New York, even as I write.

And yet most of these talented young people would be made to go into ‘safe’ professions, where they would perform repetitive tasks, which were nothing to do with the profession they wanted, their talent buried and never used. Indeed the same can be said for all professions. How many young scientists, or engineers are we turning away, by playing it safe with their future? How many future cops or doctors are we discouraging, by forcing young people into roles that aren’t right for them, just to pay the bills? I say the same thing that I thought when coming away from my voluntary work, and later, from that spectacular show: these kids deserve better. And so do the adults who want a new career.

So how can we make sure that professions really are accessible to the young people and adults who want to work in them? I propose that recruiters consider the following measures, to make this achievable:

 

·         There should be an equivalent feedback service to Trip Advisor, for all recruitment and application issues. This will show where the gaps are in the recruitment for every profession, and will allow the Government, and employers to bridge them effectively.

·         Talent scouts should be sent to every club or society for the profession for which they are recruiting. Passion goes a long way, and the genuine interest a person shows in a hobby, could make it a real profession for them.

·         Clubs and societies that have existed for more than 10 years should be encouraged to negotiate actively, with Alumni/former members who went into the industry. For example, a science club with members who are keen on studying for the profession would benefit from the advice of Alumni who are practising scientists. If successful, training schemes might even be set up, to allow enthusiasts a direct route into the industry.

·         Festivals should be promoted to people who would not normally have access to their subject matter. For example, my old university’s Summer Music Festival gave me, a law student at the time, a chance to be part of something I would never normally get into: an opera! But this is the kind of thing that festival organisers should encourage. Give people a chance to take part in something extraordinary, and you might just have opened a career path for someone.

·         Voluntary placements could be combined with mentoring schemes, so that a student/non-graduate can volunteer his or her help in an organisation, in exchange for mentoring and coaching for that profession. This would work in a similar way to the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Schemes, only we should make sure that it is applied systematically, to every possible candidate, for every possible profession. A Knowledge Transfer Agreement, in effect.

·         Non-graduates who receive a certificate qualification should be automatically registered by the awarding body, onto a recruitment network for that profession. For example, non-graduates with a technology qualification could be registered onto specialised engineering recruiters, to be taken on by them as trainees.

·         Businesses could integrate their recruitment processes with the relevant colleges and universities, so that for example the Business Schools’ graduates are fed directly into major corporations, Law graduates into local government; graduates of artistic professions into teacher training and so on. A special selection process could be agreed on, to encourage recruiters to give their client college or university the first say in candidates.

 

By taking these measures, we can put a series of stepping stones in place, so that a person with an interest in any industry has a direct route into that industry, and can gain all the necessary experience to get there, along the way. Let’s remember that this is young people’s future, and our present. As we adults know, there is nothing worse than looking back with regret at what might have been: you only live once. So by creating an unbroken line between the hobby, the study, the training, and the profession itself, we can ensure that the next generation of professionals get their chance: and that every stepping stone is in place for them to take it.