16 employers local to Weston College spent a day in the company of 120 Construction Students last week.
Not unusual you might say?
However in this case the employers were largely Environmental specialists from organisations identified by the college as strategically significant to support the establishment of the Colleges new centre of excellence in Enviro-tech for the construction industry.
Working Knowledge organised and facilitated the event, which included recruiting the employers on behalf of the college.
Students gathered evidence during the one-day event to achieve the Edexcel Workskills Qualification at Level 1.
Andrea Greer, Executive Director College Service, said “Working Knowledge really delivered to our brief when recruiting employers who were real experts in sustainability and were an absolute pleasure to deal with”
The Vice Principle, Judi Harper, said…“I think it has been an absolutely fabulous day”
The local Weston Employers left with a very positive view of the college and the quality of teaching and facilities that the students enjoy.
Here are some comments from the local Employer’s
An excellent day which brings us back into contact with ‘raw’ material that will be taking our place in due course. A real life experience for us, as well as the students. Well facilitated.”
Alan Wade, EiC Ltd
“This was an excellent experience, to get involved in the development of the college students into the world of work.” Jon Gilling – Environment Agency”
“Well thought through and designed learning experience. Rewarding as a ‘business expert’, as I hope it was for the students.”
Jessica Harper, North Somerset Council
What did the students think?
Some examples of feedback collected at the end of the day:
“The practice involved preparation for the future.”
“Very well planned and gave everyone a confidence boost.”
“I don’t like teamwork in general but we worked well as a team and performed well overall.”
“It was a good event.”
Working Knowledge partner with over 100 HE and FE and specialise in delivering events that achieve employability and enterprise skills qualifications for students while engaging local employers.
In the past 6 years over 8000 students have been introduced to 1500 employers at our events.
To find out more about Working Knowledge please email Dr James Lott 07980 589427 james.lott@twkg.net with your questions.
Working Knowledge: Enterprise Training for Student Success
Good people skills are crucial for getting into the graduate job market, according to the findings of an academic study published by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HESCU) in its Graduate Market Trends newsletter earlier this year.
The research into graduate employability, carried out by academics from the University of East Anglia, found that employers valued interpersonal skills above all other employability skills, followed by written communication skills.
The researchers commented, ‘For many employers, less is expected regarding technical skills than the one thing that all graduates are presumably good at: the ability to present ideas clearly, both verbally and in writing.’
Employers, individuals, colleges, training organisations and representative organisations are asked to share their ideas on how they would like skills policy to be set out in the future.
Consultation opened on 22 July 2010 and responses will be received until 14 October 2010.
The Guardian reported this month that an ‘aspect of the worrying trend in youth unemployment is that there are thousands of young people who don’t have the skills, confidence or qualifications to find their first job. They may have struggled at school or grown up thinking no one cared, and they are being driven further from the job market, as they struggle to compete with a backlog of graduates.’
So it’s clear that we need to tackle this entrenched youth unemployment now and that educators and employers must work together to give these disadvantaged young people the long-term support they need to escape unemployment for good. 1 million youth unemployed makes for a frightening headline.
One way colleges are responding is to offer the Work and Employability Skills qualifications this coming academic year to give their students an edge in the job market.
At Working Knowledge we partner with FE colleges nationally to deliver work, employability, enterprise and life skills on your behalf. We do all the planning delivery and portfolio collection for you.
We deliver the qualifications by running events that are exciting, challenging and fun. The events involve local and regional employers that we recruit on your behalf and who, in many cases, go on to offer students work placements, guest lectures and apprenticeships.
Students not only feel more confident about their career goals after our events, thanks to a large extent to the engagement with local business people, but also feel more motivated to complete their core programme.
Our partner colleges fund our programmes that last from 1-3 days either through the qualifications that we deliver on your behalf (including all portfolio collection) or through project funds such as Aimhigher.
Take a look below at what local employers and students thought about recent Working Knowledge events held in Bristol;
Business Secretary Vince Cable has written to the Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency setting out how government funding for 2010-11 should be spent. Priorities include increasing the number of apprenticeships places; reducing the number of 18-24 year olds not in employment, education or training; and encouraging more people to participate in adult and community learning.
A series of measures to set colleges free from unnecessary bureaucracy, are the first stage of a new skills strategy that will give flexibility to respond to the demands of employers and learners.
Speaking at City and Islington College in London, Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning Minister John Hayes said he wanted to lift restrictions on how colleges operate.
Launch of the European Skills for Employability Awards by the European Alliance on Skills for Employability
Have you created or implemented an initiative that has used ICT training or digital technology skills development to raise employment prospects and improve digital and social inclusion? If so, you should enter the European Skills for Employability Awards,a development of the Skills for Employability Laboratory facilitated by CSR Europe and Econet. Read more here
At a recent TED event (Canada) Cameron Herold makes the case for parenting and education that helps would-be entrepreneurs flourish — as kids and as adults.
An entrepreneur since childhood, Cameron Herold wants parents and teachers to recognize — and foster — entrepreneurial talent in children. Bored in school, failing classes, at odds with peers: “This child might be an entrepreneur”.
So many of our experts, partners and clients kindly supported us in the Barclays competition https://www.takeonesmallstep.co.uk/Entry/View/2474 and not just by voting but also with messages of support. Thank you to all of you.
Unfortunately we were not successful. I know; it is their loss!
The £50k cash prize would have enabled us to unlock another 15 colleges to then be able to inspire an additional 5000 students every year.
In fact, now we have realised what an investment could do for us we have decided to look for a syndicate of small investors to help us on our journey.
So, if you know anyone who is keen to raise the aspirations and confidence of the UK’s young adults while opening the eyes of employers to the young talent available locally, then please do point them our way.
In the meantime, over the next 6 weeks we are introducing another 800 FE students to 100 businesses and planning more events for the next academic year.
Hot off the press from the HEEG conference at the University of Greenwich on 15th June; Working Knowledge director James Lott led a workshop entitled “Stimulating the Entrepreneurial Mind”. Following the topic of the conference “Towards the Entrepreneurial University. Are we getting there?” the workshop proposed some simple approaches to stimulating an entrepreneurial mindset.
As part of the workshop delegates were invited to submit a solution to the Sheep and Wolves puzzle which is attached to this post; see below. The prize for the first winning solution received is a pair of tickets to a cinema showing of your choice. Solutions please via email to James at james.lott@twkg.net. Good luck!
