The State of Things

In recent news, there have been rumblings within the economies in mainland Europe. This goes to show, that the Government's cheerful message that we are 'coming out' of the Recession just isn't true. The empty shops; the number of homeless people on our streets; food banks; and the sheer number of applicants for jobs in all of our cities, should have been obvious clues to this. So rather than wait for disaster to strike again, I suggest that we take action.

In the film Margin Call, which captures the events around the beginning of the Recession, the fictional company's CEO (played by Jeremy Irons), recounts the previous economic downturns in the last few centuries. "What can we do?" he concludes dismissively.

What we can do, is to take a few common-sense measures to help our economies:

• Student-Alumni networking should be brought up to full capacity. Colleges and universities are information powerhouses, with students and teachers from around the world. This knowledge should be put to good use through knowledge transfer between students and Alumni. If every student worked as an intern in his/her chosen industry, then this would allow these students to put their knowledge into local businesses, and hence, into their local economies. The Alumni in turn would be able coach and mentor the students, in readiness for their careers. This would be a win-win scenario for both sides.
• Qualified Assessment should be used to assess the skills of Non-Graduates. The apprenticeships system has been a proven success for all professions: and this same system can be used to assess and qualify all 16-24 year olds who are not in education or training. This would ensure that their grades reflect their skills, so that talented non-graduates are still able to build careers: and non-graduates of even average ability get a chance to develop their skills.
• Business start-ups should be enabled as much as possible, to create new jobs. Crowd funding has given a huge boost to investment for small businesses. What we need now are the mechanisms to get the right people and ideas together to set businesses up. I believe that a new Toolkit for start-ups will be a good way to achieve this.

If this were done in all countries whose economies are struggling, then I believe it would go a long way to strengthening them, so that when the next financial Tsunami hits us, we stay standing.

I invite you to make it happen.

Global Enrepreneurship Week

To add to the momentum of Global Entrepreneurship Week, this week, I invite all entrepreneurs to take a look at this; here's a special new resource for you: http://letsbuildbridges.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/a-toolkit-for-entrepreneurs.html

What's In it for Me?

Someone has just raised an interesting point. The question everyone is asking is: the start-ups database is a good idea, but what's in it for me? A good point, and I'd like to answer it. In fact, that question could be asked for student-Alumni networking, non-graduate assessment.  And the same answer applies. On the surface, this may appear to be just another endeavour among hundreds, if not thousands of attempts to create new jobs and opportunities - so why go with this one? And my response is; because it addresses a very basic need: people's aspirations for jobs and careers.

Jobs and opportunities are the raw materials of our economy. The Government and the employment agencies are very good at processing them. (The number of adverts encouraging business start ups, and giving start up advice at the job centres, are proof of this.) But what they don't tell you, is that they need entrepreneurs and volunteers like yourselves to create jobs and opportunities in the first place.

Let me give you a few examples. As one member of this Forum has told me, he feels that the over-55's are one group of people, who are marginalised and undervalued. It is true that many of the unemployed professionals I have met, have had worked for decades in their industries, and have a very high amount of skill; but who have, in effect, been written off, because they have passed a certain age. The 79% increase since 2008 alone, in lawsuits for age-related discrimination, shows that ageism is a real problem.

So I say to anyone over 55: here is a way for you to be valued. If I were starting a new business, I would want someone who actually knew the industry I was planning to get into, to advise me. In fact, I would want someone with a lot of experience, who knew the industry inside out. (And I for one, certainly want to be listened to when I turn 55!) This is definitely an area where being of an older age is an asset. People who have worked in an industry for decades don’t need to be patronised, by being put through the usual job programmes and courses: they should be empowered to come together and use their experience to start something new. That is why I believe that professionals over 55’s would make very good advisors for business start-ups, and can also play a big part in setting them up.

The same goes for non-graduates. There are plenty of young people aged 16-24 who went straight into work, and may not have as many qualifications as others. But they actually have a lot of skill, from experience, and have talent that has not yet been discovered. While we don’t always get the break we want in life, I’ve known many non-graduates, who have earned their place in good organisations. One school leaver who I knew, worked her way up to manage a chain of stores. What non-graduates do need thought, is the chance to prove themselves. An entry level job in a start-up or small business could be the perfect place to take the first step. Non-graduates could lend their skills to help set up a new business; and in the process, gain new connections, insight, and earn major points for their resume.

On the innovations side; from working on projects, I know for a fact, that there are always ideas that people have, that they can’t put into action, and have to be shelved. Granted, some were made into business ventures that didn’t work, but there are plenty more ideas that were never tested at all. Colleges and universities are definitely the place to find these innovations. The amount of new ideas I have heard students come out with, is amazing. And their universities and colleges themselves have many side ventures, from their partnerships with key business organisations.

To the students-Alumni and careers officers of the colleges and universities: I invite you to use these innovations, and upload your concepts onto this database, for budding entrepreneurs to make into products and services. If your innovation has not yet been utilised, then perhaps a new entrepreneur can find a way to bring it to life.

And there are many others in the workplace who feel stuck in dead end jobs, with no real development or career. I’ve seen them in many different organisations, over many years. It’s always the same old story. These people want to do so much more. They have ideas for things, and some even have pet projects or special interests that they are trying to nurture on the side. But for one reason or another, their role either does not allow them to what they really want to, and there aren’t the opportunities to move on to. So they get frustrated, or bitter, and eventually leave or are thrown out in unhappy circumstances. It didn’t have to be this way.

Some people have great innovations. Others have skills and labour to lend. Still others, have years of experience, and good connections. If all of you come together right now, then you have the makings of a business. So to all these people, and more, I say to you: you do not have to sit there in frustration, or wonder what might have been. Young people  who are reading this article: you should not have to struggle to get a decent job or career. This is your future and you are our future. To fellow adults: I say that as those of us over 30 know only too well, that there is nothing worse than looking back on your life, and regretting what might have been. Believe me, you don't want to do that. So to young people and adults alike, I say to you: if you feel undervalued, held down, or have a burning idea/skill for making something new, then come and be a part of this. Help start something where you get to be valued and develop.

You are welcome to list your ideas, or contact details for concepts, contacts or skills you would like to lend, onto the following pages:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxBc5hecrgEfTFJDQm11STM3TVE#list

 

Kind Regards

 

James M

This is Your Chance

Qualified Assessment: How We Can Unleash Young People's Potential

Hi All

One of my friends from recruitment has raised a very interesting point. The conventional ways of recruiting a candidate for a job, would be to assess his/her work history, check the required grades, and conduct the necessary interviews. But the massive development of social media over the last few years, now means that a person's attitude, personality and many other traits can be judged very precisely, from his/her online activity.

Online behavioural studies are an evolving method of recruitment. There is, I am told, a very sophisticated process to measure people's potential in this way. And therein lies the potential for something very important: this method of recruitment could also be used to help NEETS.

As I have said before, I firmly believe that young people  who are not in education or training (also known as 'NEETS'), can still be assessed and qualified according to their skill level. This will ensure that non-graduates to get the higher education they may have been denied. After all, people should not have to be taught what they already know. If a young person possesses a skill for which he or she does not yet have a grade, then that young person should be assessed and qualified to reflect his or her actual skill level. I myself have obtained a customer service and a music qualification through assessment, so it can definitely work.This will give them a fighting chance against their full time apprentice, and student counterparts.

The government could create a scheme, where special referrals can be made, by employers, teachers, parents; or an ‘Responsible Adult’, to offer a young person a free (full) assessment of his/her skills and abilities. This would be similar to the pre-screening process for apprenticeships: but it could be applied to any given skill: or even a full assessment of all the young person’s skills. Once a Formal Recommendation is made, an assessor could be appointed, to check the candidate’s progress. The assessor would determine what grades the candidate would qualify for; and if the candidate needs to sit an exam, what further training or preparation is needed for this. The candidate would then receive the grade(s) from the assessor, or be referred to sit the relevant exam.

Qualified assessment has been used in the past, but I believe that the full assessment of non-graduates, both in and out of work should be made universal. The way for us to ensure that they have good success, is by using the same qualifications system, as for apprentices. In this way, all young people, aged 16-24 should be offered a free full assessment of their existing skills and abilities.

Further: the attitude, personality and the psychological alignment could be assessed, of a young candidate not in education or training. A profile could then be made from this information, and it could be used, in much the same way as for candidates marked for top organisations, to gauge a candidate's exact potential.

I think this would go a long way, to helping non-graduates (especially NEETs) to overcome the social and financial barriers they may face, to securing a good career. The challenge will be how to integrate this into our society's institutions. A good place to start would be the job centre. A candidate's alignment potential could be assessed, as well as their potential for certificate qualifications. In fact, there are several key stages where this may be applied, as I suggested in another article:

• School leavers. 16 year olds and above who are going straight into full time work.

• Job seekers. As well as the normal courses offered to those seeking employment, a comprehensive assessment could be carried out on non-graduates, to give them the chance to qualify for key grades.

- In full time employment. If an employee’s line manager, or a student’s teacher can see that he or she possesses an ungraded skill, then a candidate in any profession should be referred for assessment.

• Long term unemployed. Full assessment should also be offered to anyone who has been actively looking for employment for more than a year.

• Registered disabled. Any non-graduates who consider themselves to have a handicap or disability, should be offered full assessment of their skills, to allow them to adjust fairly, and give them opportunities to find the work they want.

• Incarcerated or long term detained. All 16-24 year old non-graduates in care, detained, or incarcerated, could be fully assessed as part of their rehabilitation/treatment.

If qualified assessors, profilers and recruiters could be stationed in each of these situations, they could work in tandem, coordinating their efforts, to ensure that young candidates can be qualified according to their ability: and also, assessed by online interaction, according to their real potential. Once an employer sees a young person’s potential, a lot of things can happen. The candidate can be offered night classes; an apprenticeship; or further certificates, as part of his or her on-the job training.

There will of course, be some young people whose skills are average, and who are not particularly ambitious. They are happy with a job that pays the bills, as long as there are good friends and hobbies to take part in. But by offering all non-graduates a free full assessment, I believe that even the less talented candidates will be made happier. They will know they were given a real chance for something better, and will not be left wondering what might have been.

To the recruiters, assessors, and careers officers: I urge you to develop a new type of certificate qualification: to assess young candidates' professional alignment, from their online interaction, communications and other skills. This, and a full qualified assessment of their other skills, will ensure that all young people not in education or training get the chance for an education and a career.

We should try this.

Best Regards

James M

Founder

Video Update for November - Let's Build Bridges (an open forum)