WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS IMPORTANT?

THESE THINGS MATTER!

THE HARD WORK OF SOFT SKILLS

One of the things McKinsey learned in their research is how highly employers value “soft skills”. 

'EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT: DESIGNING A SYSTEM THAT WORKS'!

"We face two related global crises: high levels of youth unemployment and

a shortage of people with critical job skills. Leaders everywhere are aware of the possible consequences, in the form of social and economic distress, when too many young people believe that their future is compromised. Still, governments have struggled to develop effective responses—or even to define what they need to know."

WOW... IT SHOULD BE AN ENTITLEMENT!

It is encouraging that employers and businesses in the Sheffield City Region recognise that we need to strengthen the relationships between employers and schools, academies and colleges and boost the number, range and quality of experiences of the world of work and work placements available for all young people and particularly for those achieving average or lower than average GCSE grades. 

WOW MATTERS!

We know that young people are struggling to secure first-hand experiences of the world of work (WOW) and far too many have no real awareness or knowledge of the world of work, career pathways or future job prospects. We also know from research, evidence and some innovative projects in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, that experiences of the world of work can be a major catalyst for change among young people, particularly those who are underachieving, disadvantaged and harder to reach.

I LOVE BARNSLEY!!

I was at Horizon Community College again last night to attend a session organised by Paul Bibby and Kelly Drury from the Barnsley Healthcare Federation. The session was for employers to let them know about ways they could help and support the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' programme. 

SCR VISION: EDUCATION AND SKILLS WORKSHOP!

"When it comes to recruiting young people, most employers – particularly smaller businesses – value experience above all other criteria. And too few young people are gaining adequate experience of the world of work while still at school, college or university. This is contributing to fewer employers recruiting young people and finding that many of those are not adequately prepared for the world of work."

CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey (2014)

I was at Sheffield Hallam University yesterday attending the SCR Vision Process Education and Skills Workshop. We need to develop an SCR Skills Strategy and an important element is the schools and colleges piece.

GRIT = PERSEVERENCE, DETERMINATION, PURPOSE AND PASSION!

I was listening to Angela Duckworth this morning talking about grit , which is a positive trait that involves perseverance of effort to accomplish a long term goal no matter what challenges lie in the way.

THE CULTURAL PARADIGM!

Culture is one of the keys to success...

PASSIONATE LIFELONG LEARNERS WANTED!

CULTURE MATTERS!

The culture of an organisation is so important. How do you move on from saying the words to actually making the cultural change? 

CULTURE CREATES GREAT LEARNING!

In this fragmented, bitty educational landscape, everyone who cares about learning needs to understand that, wherever you work, live and play, and whatever community you belong to, your beliefs, attitudes, and values determine your choices, your decisions, and your effectiveness.

CULTURE MATTERS!

The culture of an organisation is so important. How do you move on from saying the words to actually making the cultural change?

WE NEED TO CREATE A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE!!

"Whether they burst with excitement or simmer quietly, when you are in the presence of enthusiastic people, you feel happier and more excited about your life, perhaps you even feel inspired."

REMEMBER THAT PASSION MATTERS!

THIS IS A PASSIONATE ENTERPRISE!

Another week punctuated by stories from the NAHT Conference and parents keeping their children at home to avoid the KS1 SATS. It makes you realise if you had forgotten that education is a passionate enterprise built on the interaction between human beings: teachers, students and parents.

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD WITH THE CUTLERS' SKILLS!

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER BARNSLEY SCHOOL!

Kelly Drury, Training & Professional Development Manager at Barnsley Healthcare Federation, and I visited The Dearne ALC today. We were there to launch the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' programme to another fantastic group of young people.

'BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN BARNSLEY'... THE PATH TO A GREAT CAREER!

'BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN BARNSLEY'

Kelly Drury, Training & Professional Development Manager at Barnsley Healthcare Federation, and I visited Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School and Horizon Community College today. We were there to launch the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' programme to two fantastic groups of young people.

WHY VOCATIONAL LEARNING MATTERS!

This NFER Thinks paper argues for a fundamental change to the way we view vocational education.

EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT RESEARCH!

There is a growing body or research and evidence about what works regarding routes and pathways from education into employment. This publication from NFER gathers a lot of it together...

REMEMBER THIS SUNNY SUNDAY...

THE EDUCATION LEEDS EXPERIMENT: 2001-2011 TEN GREAT YEARS!

We had a great ten years in Leeds and our successes were everywhere; not just the GCSE/Level 2/Key Stage results but our attendance and exclusion figures, the OFSTED data, our healthy schools data, our PE and school sport data, our Stephen Lawrence uptake, our Inclusion Chartermark uptake, 29 new schools and much, much more. Colleagues in schools and Education Leeds did a simply brilliant job... and always remember when it comes to judging successes and failures...

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

LUNCH WITH MY FRIEND RUTH!

I had lunch yesterday with an old friend. Ruth Baldwin was one of the extraordinary, unique and fabulous individuals who made such a difference as part of the Education Leeds team over the ten years this fantastic experiment lasted and it was wonderful to see her again.

DON'T BE A COASTER, A JOGGER OR A STRIVER, BECOME A STAR!

HARD WORK, DETERMINATION AND PERSISTENCE COUNT!

I was in Barnsley again first thing this morning planning with Kelly Drury,who is the Training and Professional Development Manager at Barnsley Healthcare Federation.

THE CUTLERS' SKILLS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

The Cutlers’ ‘Better Learners, Better Workers’ programme is a consistent and coherent employer-led approach that develops, in young people, the skills needed for employability and the world of work. It reconnects schools and business / employers through Business Champions and builds relationships and an understanding of the world of work in schools. In simple terms, it provides:

• Businesses with home grown talent which will allow them to grow and:
• Young people with the skills they need to gain employment and be the best they can be

MANNY AND ETHAN AND THE CUTLERS' SKILL SET IN ACTION!

I have just received some fantastic feedback from Sarah Ward, Managing Director Straaltechniek UK Limited, on the work experience placements we organised for the Cutlers' 'Made in Sheffield' engineering ambassadors from Westfield School.

BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN BARNSLEY!

 I visited Horizon Community College again this morning to work on the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' programme.

WOW MATTERS !

'BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS' AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING!

Project-based Learning lies at the heart of the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' approach we have been developing in Sheffield and are now piloting in Barnsley and Rotherham and hopefully Doncaster from September. It provides us with the opportunity to connect with the real world and young people's interests and passions and to bring learning alive for  those who find engaging with the classroom tough.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY?

We have created a negative and destructive culture where bullying, command and control, academisation and high stakes testing are seen as the only way to achieve excellence. Those in control dismiss anyone who disagrees with, them despite evidence from the best performing systems across the world which highlight that structural change isn't the key to success and reinforce the need to nurture, develop and support outstanding teaching and learning supported by learning leadership, beautiful systems and intelligent accountability.

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE... ANYONE CAN DO IT!

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth,

while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped

to deal with a world that no longer exists."

I always ask myself after visiting great schools and brilliant places what is it that makes it a brilliant learning place and what can we learn from what talented colleagues are doing...

The answers aren't rocket science...

CREATIVITY IS AT THE HEART OF EVERY SUCCESS!

JUST PLAN, DO, CHECK AND ACT!

I have been reading some of William Deming's work. Deming was an American statistician, professor, author, lecturer and consultant. He is perhaps best known for the "Plan-Do-Check-Act" cycle popularly named after him which we know better as plan-do-review. In Japan, from 1950 onwards, he taught top management how to improve design, product quality, testing, and sales. Importantly, Deming offered fourteen key principles to managers for transforming business effectiveness. The principles apply as much to schools as to any other organisations.

PASS IT ON!

THIS LONG WEEKEND, WHILE YOU HAVE THE TIME!

We all want to be well thought of, to be special and important to someone. Most of us never get the feedback, never have these glimpses of how we are seen by others and the difference we have made.

So this long weekend, make sure that you pick up the phone, send a card or write an e-mail and tell people how much they mean to you and the difference they have made to your life!