TOMORROW’S SCHOOLS!

“Tomorrow’s schools will need to help students think for themselves and join others, with empathy, in work and citizenship. They will need to help students develop a strong sense of right and wrong, a sensitivity to the claims that others make on us, and a grasp of the limits on individual and collective action. At work, at home and in the community, people will need a deep understanding of how others live, in different cultures and traditions, and how others think, whether as scientists or artists. Whatever tasks machines may be taking over from humans at work, the demands on our knowledge and skills to contribute meaningfully to social and civic life will keep rising.
For those with the right knowledge and skills, digitalisation and globalisation have been liberating and exciting; but for those who are insufficiently prepared, they can mean vulnerable and insecure work, and a life without prospects. Our economies are shifting towards regional hubs of production, linked together by global chains of information and goods, but concentrated where comparative advantage can be built and renewed. This makes the distribution of knowledge and wealth crucial, and that is intimately tied to the distribution of education opportunities.“
ANDREAS SCHLEICHER ‘WORLD CLASS How to build a 21st-century school system’

BEING WORLD CLASS MATTERS!

“In 2015, almost one in two students – representing around 12 million 15-year-olds – was not able to complete even basic reading, mathematics or science tasks1 in the global test known as PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) – and these were students living in 70 high- and middle-income countries that participated in the test. Over the past decade, there has been virtually no improvement in the learning outcomes of students in the Western world, even though expenditure on schooling rose by almost 20% during this period. In many countries, the quality of the education a student acquires can best be predicted by the student’s or his or her school’s postal code....  change can be an uphill struggle. Young people are less likely to invest their time and energy in better education if that education seems irrelevant to the demands of the “real” world. Businesses are less likely to invest in their employees’ lifelong learning if those workers might move away for a better job. And policy makers are more likely to prioritise the urgent over the important – even if the latter includes education, an investment in the future well-being of society.... in most countries we can find excellence in education in some of the most disadvantaged schools. And consider that many of today’s leading education systems have only recently attained these top positions. So it can be done.
And it must be done. Without the right education, people will languish on the margins of society, countries will not be able to benefit from technological advances, and those advances will not translate into social progress. We simply cannot develop fair and inclusive policies and engage all citizens if a lack of education prevents people from fully participating in society.”
ANDREAS SCHLEICHER ‘WORLD CLASS How to build a 21st-century school system’

PUBLIC SERVICE!

"Public service is a combination of 2 things. The small, routine, mundane, but reliable processes & actions that bind us together. And the big picture, the vision of a better future & the values that drive those who deliver public services" - @CEisenhart

NESTA: Linking skills to occupations: Using big data to build a new occupational taxonomy for the UK

Nesta says that "the skills we need for work are changing" and don't we know it...
"From automation to climate change and from globalisation to our ageing population, there are a myriad of factors changing the nature of work in the UK. These factors mean the majority of workers are in occupations with highly uncertain futures (Bakhshi, Downing, Osborne and Schneider, 2017).
Amidst this changing landscape, policymakers, educators, businesses and individuals need timely information on how occupations are changing and how they can help workers to transition out of at-risk occupations where skills are becoming redundant. To generate these insights we need a framework that links skills to occupations."

Jyldyz Djumaliev, Antonio Lima and Cath Sleeman have been doing some interesting research to group occupations on the basis of skill requirements contained in 37 million UK job adverts. The resulting occupational classification captures both the skill specialisations and skill levels of occupations. Over the next six months, Nesta will be working to show how this work, which links occupations to skills, can be applied to learn more about skill needs in the UK. 

Watch this space!

'BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS' COMES TO THE SHEFFIELD INCLUSION CENTRE!

I was at the Sheffield Inclusion Centre this morning with my colleague Andy Ireland who is the headteacher at the Centre. 

Andy and his team, at the Centre aim to provide a dynamic and supportive learning environment for young people who have found school challenging for a number of reasons. A team of, I counted 61 on the noticeboard in the reception area, experienced and committed staff who understand the youngsters individual needs, deliver a curriculum which promotes both their academic achievement and their personal development and prepares them for a return to mainstream/special school or, full time further education, an apprenticeship or a job with training.

Andy and I discussed having a group of their Year 10 students on a Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programme starting in September. This could connect to post-16 vocational pathway provision at Sheffield College linked to areas like engineering, catering, construction and health and social care. Interesting times.... watch this space!

WESTFIELD SCHOOL CELEBRATION EVENT!

I was at Westfield School last night to celebrate the achievements of their Year 11 students who had completed the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programmes.

We know that BLBW is one of the most successful employability and world of work programmes in the country and the wonderful young people receiving their passport certificates last night demonstrate why it is so successful and why it is important to extend and further develop it to reach even more young people.

SCR VISION: A BETTER FUTURE TOGETHER NEWSLETTER

Last year, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust brought together colleagues from across the region to present how, with determination and collective endeavour, we can maximise the economic and social potential of the Sheffield City Region (SCR).

The launch was the start of a journey towards an SCR Vision. The group have now produced a newsletter, describing some of the positive developments there have been in some of the six areas highlighted as critical, including the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programmes. These individual initiatives and strengths, as well as the collaborations across our anchor institutions and with other partners, all combine towards achieving the collaborative shared vision.

"As we said in our report, we care deeply about our region and hence we remain keen to help and support our elected leaders, businesses and other organisations, as they drive the region forward to be a truly great place for all its citizens."

Tony Pedder OBE
On behalf of the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

"Better Learners Better Workers
The Better Learners Better Workers programme - launched in 2010 when the Company of Cutlers, which represents top engineering and manufacturing employers in Sheffield City Region, undertook a study with Sheffield City Council into what employers needed from school leavers - now reaches across South Yorkshire, with programmes running in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. At the heart of the programme is embedding of work skills into the curriculum through real-life industry projects and training sessions, work placements, internships, and greater engagement between employers and schools. There are now programmes in 30 schools training 500 Ambassadors and reaching over 6000 young people across the Sheffield City Region."

THE CUTLERS'S SKILL SET!

WHAT SKILLS DO EMPLOYERS ACROSS THE WORLD WANT FROM YOUNG PEOPLE?

CHALENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES: AUTOMATION, GLOBALISATION AND COLLABORATION!

THE GATSBY BENCHMARKS!

The Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programmes will help school's Careers Leaders deliver a lot of the statutory requirements around the Gatsby benchmarks. 

We can help schools address the needs of individual students, particularly those on pupil premium and from harder to reach communities. We can provide up-to-date, local and relevant carers advice and labour market information. We can provide high quality experiences of the workplace and  encounters with employers and employees.  We can also provide encounters with higher and further education. Importantly, we can also provide each targeted student with a business mentor who will work with the student during the programme to support them as they develop the skills needed to thrive and succeed in the world of work.

THE DFE CAREERS STRATEGY: MAKING THE MOST OF EVERYONE'S SKILLS AND TALENTS!

Importantly, the DfE see that skills matter and that we all need to make the most of everyone's skills and talents. This important principal lies at the heart of the Cutlers 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programmes and we will be celebrating the achievements of 169 young people on Wednesday evening at the Cutlers Hall in Sheffield! These talented, wonderful, creative and determined young people have worked with us to develop the skills that matter over the last two and a bit years and employers in the Sheffield City Region recognise them as the future!!

THE CUTLERS BLBW PASSPORT CEREMONY!

We are facing a big week for the 'Better Learners, Better Workers' scheme with a celebration conference on Wednesday at the Cutlers Hall in Sheffield, followed the same evening by a celebration of what really matters... our ambassadors; the young people who have lit up the programmes over the last two and bit years. We are expecting around 170 young people, and their parents, carers and guests, to bring the Cutlers Hall to life as they accept their passport certificates from this year's Master Cutler.

CEC/BLBW CONFERENCE

We are facing a big week for the 'Better Learners, Better Workers' scheme with a celebration conference on Wednesday at the Cutlers Hall in Sheffield followed the same evening by a celebration of what really matters... our ambassadors; the young people who have lit up the programmes over the last two and bit years. We are expecting around 75 delegates at the conference which celebrates what we have achieved over the last eighteen months with the support of the Careers and Enterprise Company. Come if you can!

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS!

 

WHY NOT COME AND FIND OUT ABOUT THIS BRILLIANT PROGRAMME!

FREE CONFERENCE FOR...
Headteachers, Senior Leadership Team and Work Experience and Careers Staff...

PLEASE COME...
You are warmly invited to The Better Learners Better Workers Annual Conference
10.30am-3.45pm, Wednesday 28th February 2018
The Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, S1 1HG

To book your place, please register for the conference below:
https://blbwconference.eventbrite.co.uk

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO INTERESTED COLLEAGUES AND YOUR NETWORKS!

SKILLS ARE THE FUTURE!

I was listening to the news this morning focusing on Amazon’s new store, Amazon Go. It doesn't work like a typical Sainsbury’s or Tesco supermarket — instead, it's designed so that shoppers will use an app, also called Amazon Go, to automatically add the products they plan to buy to a digital shopping cart; they can then walk out of the building without waiting in a checkout line.

With technology advancing and the world rapidly changing, it’s only logical that the skill set needed for jobs in the future is, too. While the digital world is growing, skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork and resilience are becoming more and more valued. These are the skills at the heart fo the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programmes and young people will increasingly need them to thrive and succeed in the world of work.

THE BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS CONFERENCE!

Employers, Headteachers, Senior Leadership Team and Work Experience and Careers Staff You are warmly invited to...  The Better Learners Better Workers Annual Conference (FREE event)

10.30am-3.45pm, Wednesday 28th February 2018
The Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, S1 1HG

The NEW DfE Careers Strategy: 'Making the Most of Everyone's Skills and Talents' requires schools to provide all young people:

• with an offer which will help them understand the full range of opportunities available to them
• to learn from employers about work and the skills that are valued in the workplace
• to have first-hand experience of the workplace

"We want all young people in secondary school and college to get an excellent programme of advice and guidance that is delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience."

NEW JOBS REQUIRE NEW SKILLS!

We face unprecedented change and automation, globalisation, collaboration and broader social changes like the growing global middle class are transforming the workforce and the nature of work! Work today is increasingly collaborative and focused on solving problems in creative ways. 

COME AND FIND OUT ABOUT THIS BRILLIANT PROGRAMME!

FREE CONFERENCE FOR...
Headteachers, Senior Leadership Team and Work Experience and Careers Staff...

PLEASE COME...
You are warmly invited to The Better Learners Better Workers Annual Conference
10.30am-3.45pm, Wednesday 28th February 2018
The Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, S1 1HG

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO INTERESTED COLLEAGUES AND YOUR NETWORKS!

The Better Learners Better Workers Annual Conference

Headteachers, Senior Leadership Team and Work Experience and Careers Staff... You are warmly invited to The Better Learners Better Workers Annual Conference
10.30am-3.00pm, Wednesday 28th February 2018
The Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, S1 1HG

The NEW DfE Careers Strategy: 'Making the Most of Everyone's Skills and Talents' requires schools to provide all young people:

• with an offer which will help them understand the full range of opportunities available to them; 
• to learn from employers about work and the skills that are valued in the workplace; 
• to have first-hand experience of the workplace. 

"We want all young people in secondary school and college to get an excellent programme of advice and guidance that is delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience."

This conference will showcase this leading employability skills programme which currently works with 28 schools training 500 Ambassadors and reaches over 6000 young people across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. It is supported by the Cutlers’ Company, the national Careers and Enterprise Company and over 100 local companies, who help to provide ongoing, memorable and progressive encounters with the World of Work. The programme will consist of workshops, guest speakers, including a representative of the Careers and Enterprise Company, and opportunities to network with other schools and employers involved in the programme. 

Come and listen to employers, headteachers and young people talk about what works and about a programme that is making a difference in terms of improved attendance, improved behaviour and better academic outcomes!

THEY ARE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY IN AUSTRALIA!

'Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World'

I was re-reading Tony Wagner's book “Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World” which confirms the importance of the work we are doing with the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' approach in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

CAREERS EDUCATION MUST START EARLY!!

Education and Employers has published another important piece of research. Their Drawing the Future report shows that the difference between children’s career aspirations from age seven to 17 are marginal, and too often based on gender stereotypes, socio-economic backgrounds and the media. The report which looked at 20,000 primary school children has significant implications for social mobility and gender equality and also shows that some sectors vital for economic health look set to be badly under-resourced in future.

EMLOYER ENGAGEMENT IN EDUCATION MATTERS!

ALWAYS DEVELOP AND SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY!

LEARN CONSTANTLY!

LEARN TO LISTEN!

REMEMBER THAT WE ALL HAVE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES!

ALWAYS HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS!

LEARN TO BE COOPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE!

LEARN TO BE FLEXIBLE, ADAPTABLE AND RESPONSIVE!

REMEMBER THAT STANDARDS, DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOUR ARE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS!

ALWAYS SEARCH FOR TALENT!

REMEMBER TO SHARE, NETWORK AND LEARN!

ALWAYS BE RELENTLESSLY POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC AND YET REALISTIC!

ALWAYS FOCUS ON BELIEFS, VALUES, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS!

ANOTHER BLOOMING YEAR!

As we start yet another year, I am in awe of some of the outstanding things I see every week in ordinary schools where ordinary teachers working with ordinary young people, are achieving extraordinary outcomes.

WHAT WORKS IN 2018!

2017 was another great year working in some amazing schools with some extraordinary people in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster and whatever happens in 2018 we must continue to tell and share our stories about real people and real places and about what works.

IMPOSSIBLE... BAH HUMBUG!

Throughout my life, people have told me that things are impossible!

IMPORTANT STUFF: CAREERS GUIDANCE AND ACCESS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROVIDERS!

"Excellent careers guidance makes sure there is equality of opportunity . It unlocks potential and transforms outcomes for people of all ages. We need to move towards a culture of having the right advice, in the right place, at the right time – backed up by the experiences with employers and educators that make a difference"
Following on from the publication of the 'Making the Most of Everyone's Skills and Talents' in December 2017, the DfE have now produced this important statutory guidance for schools. 

REMEMBER THAT FAITH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS MATTER MOST!

I have recently had another reminder that I am getting older and it has made me pause, reflect and think about the things that matter most in my life! 

I suppose it isn't surprising that when it comes down to what really matters, faith, family and friends are the things that make life worth living!

BE HAPPY IN 2018!

We know that happiness appears to be connected to seven things: relationships, contentment, security and money, health, transcendence and fulfilment... so what are you doing about it?

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 2018!

Another blooming year and we already have more problems, issues and moans about schools, hospitals, care, trains... wherever you look people are complaining and hard times and tough issues require us to think differently, to shake things up and challenge the status quo... and importantly stop moaning and do something to help!!

AND ALWAYS...

"Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it.”
Wilfred Peterson

REMEMBER...

"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away."
Anonymous