Think Enterprise Publication | September Edition
READ INSIDE
WE TAKE A LOOK AT
SFEDI AWARDS NOMINATION
ENTREPRENEURS’ CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
REMEMBERING
KEVIN RUMFITT
U.S RESEARCH
OFFENDER TO ENTREPRENEUR PT.2
Vol. 23
THINK ENTERPRISE September Edition Vol. 23
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SARAH TROUTEN, IOEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Hi and welcome to our September Edition of Think Enterprise. This month I am delighted to feature SFEDI Awards, we have spoken to a wide range of our partners delivering SFEDI Awards qualification as well as learners who have benefited from these innovative programmes. It’s also fantastic to see SFEDI Awards have been shortlisted at the 2018 NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Also included this month is an update from our guest blogger and IOEE Fellow, David Morgan who is currently making his way across America, undertaking research into really inspiring and effective programmes for offender rehabilitation. We also hear from our regular blogger Enterprisingly Me discovering how difficult it can be to find the right team, which I’m sure strikes a cord with many of our readers. This month I visited London South Bank University to undertake their re-approval as one of our Centres of Excellence, I must say we were hugely impressed with the great work being done there and are extremely proud to welcome them back to our network for a further three years. Finally, last month I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear the news that Kevin Rumfitt, CEO of our one of our closest partners IOSCM had passed away. Kevin was a colleague and friend to many of us at SFEDI and IOEE and he’ll be missed by us all, his vision and passion for business was infectious and I know this will continue through the legacy of IOSCM. Enjoy this months edition!
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CONTENTS 6. REMEMBERING KEVIN RUMFITT It is with a deep sadness, we share with you the news that Kevin Rumfitt, CEO of IoSCM passed away.
8. SFEDI AWARDS SHOWCASE We take a look this month at some of the fantastic work being done by SFEDI Awards the UK”s only enterprise specialist Awarding Organisation.
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10. entrepreneurs champion of the year August saw the announcement that SFEDI Awards CEO, Nic Preston, has been shortlisted for the 2018 NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
12. SMALL CAN BE BEAUTIFUL WITH ENTERPRISE
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We spoke to Sue from Social Business Alliance (SBA) CIC is an innovative and inspiring IOEE Academy that works with various partnerships to showcase the life-changing value and benefits of social enterprise as a way to do business.
14. A NEW START THROUGH ENTERPRISE Groundwork South Yorkshire is a charity on a mission: to promote active citizenship, support disadvantaged communities and improve open spaces across South Yorkshire.
16. SOCIAL IMPACT THROUGH ENTERPRISE »» p.12
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We spoke to Robert Turnbull who has a longstanding relationship with SFEDI Awards and the IOEE and has
a wealth of inspirational work in the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship under his belt.
18. CHANGING LIVES WITH ENTERPRISE We speak to Sam Everard is the CEO of SAMEE, a Disability Confident Leader charity based in Dorset, which achieved its IOEE Academy status last year.
22. Digital Badging: The Future of Professional Development October sees the launch of SFEDI Awards’ digital badging trial. From 1st October those who hold or achieve a qualification from our Business and Enterprise Support suite will be issued a digital badge.
24. OFFENDER TO ENTREPRENEUR - PT. 2 »» p.24
David Morgan our IOEE Member of the Year gives us an insight in part two of his Winston Churchill Memorial Trust travels to the United States of America.
26. enterprisingly me A monthly feature where you can follow entrepreneurial adventures. Names have been changed to protect the innocent but everything you read really happened, making for a very interesting read.
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REMEMBERING KEVIN RUMFITT It is with great sadness that we heard that Kevin Rumfitt, CEO of IOSCM had passed away. Kevin was instrumental in the strategic partnership between SFEDI and IOSCM forging the way for the creation and development of an innovative approach to supply chain management learning and development. This article reflects on the inspirational life and career of Kevin; After leaving school in 1984, Kevin started his working life. From his humble beginnings as a Warehouse Operative with a haulage company, he spent the first ten years of his career as a Postman, Forklift truck driver, Van driver, a Warehouseman and a Supervisor. In 1993 Kevin took on the role of Material and Production Controller, he quickly found his feet in the supply chain and began progressing up the career ladder. By 2002, Kevin was the European Supply Chain Manager for a large food packaging Manufacturer. A terrible student, but a great teacher, Kevin came to the realisation that there was very little in the way of professional Supply Chain training available in the market and having worked his way through the ranks, managing teams of varying sizes, he was very aware of the need for it. This awareness was ultimately the reason why Kevin created IoSCM. Using his experience of working in the Supply Chain and the knowledge and skills he had gained during his career, the Institute was brought to life. Kevin’s desire to create Professional Qualifications, Global Memberships and outstanding
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support for individuals working at any level of the career spectrum in any sector of the supply chain was now a reality. IoSCM was officially launched in 2008. For the first few years, much of Kevin’s time was spent travelling the world working with Governments and Global Supply Chain’s. In the background the team on the ground were writing and designing high quality training materials and creating membership packages that would provide unlimited benefits to the members. Over the years the Institute continued to grow and expand under the watchful eye of Kevin, working with some of the biggest Supply Chains in the world and courses being delivered by training partners globally. Kevin was recognised nationally and internationally, winning numerous awards for the contribution he made to education and the wider supply chain, these awards included being the recipient of the IOEE Innovative Partner of the Year, presented at the House of Lords in 2016. The great achievements of Kevin will continue to flourish through IOSCM and bring many more opportunities to individuals and businesses throughout supply chain management.
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SFEDI AWARDS SFEDI Awards is the UK’s only dedicated Awarding Organisation for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
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SFEDI AWARDS
Being entrepreneurial is not just about starting a business. It’s a mindset, or a way of thinking. Entrepreneurs just think and do things differently. You can be entrepreneurial even if you are working for someone else, with the buzzword “intrapreneurial” highlighting the desire of employers to have adaptable, flexible employees who can think for themselves. Being entrepreneurial can mean knowing your industry inside out, and being able to exploit that knowledge to create new opportunities. Being entrepreneurial can mean sharing ideas freely, and celebrating socalled failures as learning and growing experiences. Being entrepreneurial can mean simply thinking outside of the box, and expecting the unexpected. However, entrepreneurial skills aren’t always recognised. Step in to the frame SFEDI Awards, the UK’s first and still only enterprise specialist Awarding Organisation within the UK supporting entrepreneurs through a network of dedicated partner organisations providing flexible training programmes and qualifications to meet the needs of entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey. Supporting individuals within schools, colleges, universities, within the unemployed and employed markets and also within prisons pre and post release, our passion is to help people to achieve their full potential.
And whether you choose to start and run your own business or work as an employee or take a bigger part within your local community, the wider subject of enterprise supports individuals to operate in challenging times and environments the world over. A community of skilled, flexible and creative individuals can only be beneficial to the creation of jobs, the operation of communities and the future of society. Not only do we need entrepreneurs and enterprising individuals, we need a highly skilled support network of business and enterprise support and training professionals to help to spread the word and support people through the tough times, as well as the good. The development of a national quality standard underpinned by research by both SFEDI and our partners at the IOEE is vital in ensuring that those support professionals do good and not harm to the next generations of entrepreneurs. We are proud to work with the IOEE as partners in the development of these behaviours, knowledge and skills and this issue of Think Enterprise celebrates the hard work and dedication by those who work with us to support those who strive to fulfil their potential.
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ENTREPRENEURS’ CHAMPION OF THE YEAR August saw the announcement that SFEDI Director of Quality, Nic Preston, has been shortlisted for the 2018 NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards (North Region) for the Entrepreneurs’ Champion of the Year award. There was tough competition to make the shortlist, with a record number of businesses and individuals entering the awards nationally across the wide range of categories.
supporting entrepreneurs of the future and the Government’s aim to reduce reoffending rates. This work has also seen SFEDI Awards profiled internationally through the European Commission’s EntreComp framework and best practice guide demonstrating how enterprise and entrepreneurship education can help to turn lives around.
Past winners include David Buttress of Just Eat, Julie Deane OBE of The Cambridge Satchel Company, James Watt of BrewDog and most recently, Hannah and Sophie Pycroft of Spectrum Collections.
Nic said: “Being shortlisted is a great honour and a reflection of the dedication and hard work displayed over the years by the whole team at SFEDI Awards. Supporting the development of enterprise and entrepreneurial spirit through meaningful and flexible education has been a driving force for SFEDI Awards since its creation and it is great to see the impact this has had over the years past and the impact it will continue to have in the years to come.”
Reaching the short list stage of the Awards is a recognition of the work SFEDI Awards has been doing in prisons within the UK
Creator of the Awards, Francesca James, said: “We have been inundated with some incredible entries this year, and all
Now in its sixth year, the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards has celebrated some amazing entrepreneurs over the years, many of whom are now household names.
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shortlisted applicants should be extremely proud of themselves! This year has yet again seen a record number of entrants and we’ve been absolutely blown away by the strength and diversity of applications.” “We cannot wait to celebrate entrepreneurship across Great Britain with them, and put a spotlight on the incredible talent within the British entrepreneur ecosystem.” Gordon Merrylees, Head of Entrepreneurship at NatWest said: “Following another record-breaking year, I want to thank all of the entrepreneurs who entered and congratulate those who have been shortlisted, I look forward to seeing them at the regional finals.”
“Entrepreneurial spirit is still clearly alive and well, and NatWest is thrilled to be able to continue to support these awards to celebrate success with the businesses that are the lifeblood of the UK Economy as they start, scale and succeed.” The NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards will celebrate entrepreneurship across a number of categories at 5 gala finals across the UK, including; Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester & London. You can find more information about the awards and the ceremonies here: www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards. com
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SFEDI AWARDS
SMALL CAN BE BEAUTIFUL WITH ENTERPRISE
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Social Business Alliance (SBA) CIC is an innovative and inspiring IOEE Academy that works with various partnerships to showcase the life-changing value and benefits of social enterprise as a way to do business. One of SBA’s recent partnerships has been with the charity MK Snap, where it has been delivering SFEDI Awards qualifications to adults with learning difficulties. We caught up with one of SBA’s Directors and IOEE Fellow Sue Quinn, to discuss how tailoring its programmes to meet the needs of individual learners helps them to develop personal confidence and social skills through the achievement of their qualifications.
Our SFEDI Awards courses deliver much more than an academic qualification and certificate, both to the learners and to us at SBA.
MK Snap is a special needs organisation based in Milton Keynes that delivers education, life skills and opportunities to people with learning disabilities, providing them with ‘the skills they need 12 | Think Enterprise
to be the best they can be’. Learners can participate in a wide range of activities, such as arts, crafts, cooking, IT and gardening, but none of their classes have been accredited until its delivery of SFEDI Awards qualifications via SBA. SBA has been delivering SFEDI Awards’ Level 1 Award in Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualification, and Sue tells us that not only is this giving learners an official educational certificate, but that the benefits of this achievement far surpass that of just an academic qualification. Sue says: “SBA supports people in a variety of ways. We help people who want to set up social enterprises, we train business advisors, mentors and coaches, and we also give people the opportunity to get very specific qualifications around social enterprise. Our work with MK Snap is particularly special as these are learners who would usually find it very challenging to get
formal educational qualifications, and we’re able to give them the opportunity to harness their creativity and inspiration.” Creativity and innovation are at the heart of SBA’s work with MK Snap, and Sue explains that such an approach has to be actively adopted in all elements of the preparation and delivery of the courses, as well as encouraged with its learners. Sue says: “Everything has to be very carefully considered and prepared in advance, as we have to make adjustments for how our learners will get the most out of our delivery. For example, there could be a young learner with autism in the class, and they might really benefit from routine and understanding the structure of the session, and the best way for them to learn may be by doing things in a very practical way. “In these sessions you won’t see a typical classroom where the teacher is at the front and the learners are taking notes – actually, one of the things we’ve found really helpful is getting learners to audio record the sessions, just on a mobile phone. Of course, we get permission from learners and parents to do this, but our learners wouldn’t be able to write notes down, and making a recording takes an enormous pressure off them to remember everything and take it all in at the time. All of our work at SBA, but particularly with MK Snap, is about tailoring every aspect of the experience to the learners in front of you. That’s how you get learners engaged in the experience.” SBA operates as a Community Interest Company. It is funded through contracts, including the European Social Fund and Government (DWP), and it runs as a social enterprise by using the profits to support people in enterprise and education who would otherwise be unable to pay for it, making this SBA’s social return on investment. SBA has been in operation for over 10 years now, working closely with SFEDI Awards since 2012 and celebrating being awarded its IOEE Academy status back in 2015.
“We work with very small groups of about 8-10 learners - it just wouldn’t work with 15-20 people in a classroom with learning difficulties, as it’s important each learner gets individualised support - which means that our courses take a great deal longer to complete, and are therefore a lot more expensive to run. Ultimately, we have a small number of people achieving these qualifications, and on paper this can look frustrating – but in my personal experience, delivering these qualifications feels so much more valuable because of it. It’s testament to the learners, the teachers, the staff and the parents, to the huge collective effort it takes to give people this opportunity. “Nothing compares to seeing the joy in our learners’ faces when they they’re presented with their certificate, and seeing them sharing the experience with their families. If you’re caring for someone with a learning disability, you’re constantly battling to get the right support and the money you need. For parents and relatives who are caring for someone they love, getting to see this person gain official certificates in education and enterprise is just something you think you might not ever see. “Furthermore, you see learners walk away with much more than the actual qualification at the end of the day too. We have the privilege of watching our learners grow and flourish, improve their confidence and their social skills, become more vocal and contributing to conversations, understanding how to listen and not interrupt, and building really positive relationships with themselves and others as a result of it. “Our SFEDI Awards courses deliver much more than an academic qualification and certificate, both to the learners and to us at SBA. Our learners leave with a sense of achievement and a sense of worth, and to be able to deliver these SFEDI Awards qualifications is incredibly rewarding.”
In delivering the SFEDI Awards Level 1 Award in Passport to Enterprise and Employment to its learners, Sue tells us that SBA is in a unique position than makes their learning experiences stand out from the crowd. Sue says: “What we do is a bit different, as we deliver a very small volume of courses, but that have enormous life-changing impacts. There are other organisations delivering SFEDI Awards qualifications in this way, but this makes us lot stand out from the crowd from many centres, due to the fact that others can often deliver really high volumes of courses for lots of learners because their learners can sit themselves down in front of a computer or in a group classroom setting and complete self-guided work or work with the help of the trainer. That in itself is amazing, that getting a qualification is so accessible to so many people who need that support in enterprise and education, but we are the complete opposite of that.
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SFEDI AWARDS
A NEW START THROUGH ENTERPRISE Groundwork South Yorkshire is a charity on a mission: to promote active citizenship, support disadvantaged communities and improve open spaces across South Yorkshire WE SPOKE TO KIRSTY BAYLIS AT GROUNDWORKS SOUTH YORKSHIRE.
young people, bringing her to her career at Groundwork today.
Groundwork South Yorkshire is a charity on a mission: to promote active citizenship, support disadvantaged communities and improve open spaces across South Yorkshire, through helping people to develop and reach their full potential. As an approved SFEDI Awards centre, Groundwork has been delivering enterprise qualifications to 18 – 24 year olds, including refugees who have recently come to the UK on Syrian and African resettlement programmes. This month we chatted to Groundwork’s Kirsty Baylis to talk about the transformative powers of enterprise, through giving young people opportunities in education. Kirsty joined Groundwork in April 2015. Her role as a Youth Programme Manager is challenging and demanding, but where many would find such a role to be an intimidating undertaking, Kirsty is fuelled by an unstoppable passion and determination to make a real difference to young people’s lives. After graduating from Nottingham University in 2008, Kirsty’s introduction to the third sector was a job running a small charity. This by-chance position led her to work with a children’s charity in Birmingham, and it was here that she found her calling to work with
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Kirsty says: “I studied Communication and Politics at university, so this isn’t the typical career path, but you’d be surprised at how much of it can be useful when working with young people! However, it was working with a children’s charity that gave me my first taste of working with young people of different ages and backgrounds. I used to imagine I’d be a teacher, as I’ve always been very comfortable working with and supporting children and young adults, especially those young people who have a lot of barriers or a lot of issues with behaviour or attitude. I feel like I can get through to them and make a difference. I think there are probably a lot of people who couldn’t do this job, but for me it’s exactly what I need to be doing.” Kirsty is currently working on Groundwork’s Talent Match contract and delivering the SFEDI Awards Level 1 Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualification. These programmes are enabling Groundwork to teach enterprising skills to 18-24 year olds who may have had limited or no education, and who are now in a position to make steps towards their working futures. Kirsty says: “A lot of the learners have grown up in the UK but have been in and out of school, and they’re just completely disengaged and disenchanted with the idea of education. At 16 and 17 they’re so glad to be out of the school system that they have a couple of years of not wanting to do anything, and then they get a bit older, say 18, 19, 20, and they start thinking, ‘right, okay, I kind of
want to do something now…’. They start to see people around them going out and doing stuff, even if it’s just their friends who are now earning their own money and going out at the weekends, and they start to feel like they want to get moving and do something too; they’re ready to choose their own path. That said, whilst they’re ready to take that step, there’s often still a lot of bravado you have to get through first. It takes time to work through that and get them to harness their ambition, but you do get there.” The way that the Talent Match Enterprise programme is presented and delivered through Groundwork is key when it comes to engaging its learners, and Kirsty explains that by giving young people flexibility and control of their own learning, you enable them to feel empowered about education. Kirsty says: “There isn’t this ‘you must turn up once a week or you’re kicked of programme’ approach - it’s completely run by the individual young person. They can do this how they want, whether that is to be there in person regularly or they just want a chat once a week, or they might just text to stay in touch and ask for support and advice every now and then. Even the occasional contact can be a big thing considering a lot of learners’ backgrounds. “The thing is, giving learners that freedom actually encourages them to participate. They don’t want to be at school being told what to do, so being in charge of their own future and having that choice is empowering, it gives them a sense of purpose. This approach has seen huge successes that have spread across other projects and courses including SFEDI. It says a lot that our learners genuinely really want to take part and complete their journey, and that they want to keep turning up, time and again. That’s the reason why it’s so successful. ” However, Kirsty tells us that many of Groundwork’s learners actually have no experience at all of the education system here, as they have only recently come to the UK as refugees on either Syrian or African resettlement programmes in the last six months, and this poses a different set of challenges and obstacles. Kirsty says: “This is challenging in a very different way, it isn’t about breaking down a whole different set of barriers and finding ambition. A lot of refugees we work with have very harrowing and heart-breaking stories, and they are very overwhelmed. They’re here, and they’re trying to learn, but they have almost no understanding of speaking English, and this is extremely hard. “When we ran the SFEDI Awards course recently it was the first time we’d delivered it exclusively to a group of young people, and 80% of the class were refugees
who had been in England for less than six months. It’s intimidating and difficult for these learners, and when they’re beginning the course they know that it’s a good thing and that they’ll get a certificate, but they don’t quite get what they’re turning up for. However, as the course progresses they start to understand more and grow confidence, and then the turnaround is incredible. “You see such a huge change in these learners. You think of what they have been through and what they were like when they came to us, and then you watch their evolution into someone who feels more confident and capable, more supported and settled. By the end of the SFEDI Awards course, each individual could stand up and eloquently present to the group for 5 – 10 minutes. “It’s unbelievable when you think that our refugee learners have been in the UK and learning English for probably less than a year, and then there they are - standing up and speaking English confidently to a full room. Watching this transformation and knowing that you’re making a difference to their lives is amazing, and it’s exactly the reason why I do this and why the SFEDI Awards course is so valuable.”
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“Robert has been a finalist for both the Enterprise Support Champion and the Enterprise Educator at the IOEE’s Celebrating Enterprise Awards at the House of Lords last year, and has worked closely with the enterprising bodies.”
SOCIAL IMPACT THROUGH ENTERPRISE discuss the social and ethical impact of his work, his family inspiration, and taking an unconventional career path into enterprising success. Robert has always actively engaged with enterprise through his relationship with SFEDI Awards and the IOEE, dating back to 2009 when he worked for Business Link and undertook the SFEDI Broker Award. Today, Robert’s primary role is as a Business Growth Advisor, where he helps businesses in south Suffolk to embrace local and national business support, such as accessing grant schemes, training and developing staff, getting them the right advice to help them flourish.
Robert Turnbull has a longstanding relationship with SFEDI Awards and the IOEE and has a wealth of inspirational work in the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship under his belt. He is a SFEDI Awards Programme Leader for the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, joining its Growth Hub in 2014 as a Business Growth Advisor, as well as a Fellow of the IOEE. Robert’s work helps businesses to grow and prosper, and its ethos for education and opportunity extends into the community, with the organisation delivering SFEDI Awards qualifications within prisons. This month we spoke with Robert to
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However, Robert tells us that his path into the field of enterprise was an unconventional one, with ups and downs, health challenges and redundancies, and a number of twists and turns along the way to get him to where he is today. Robert says: “It actually began with selling houses and being an estate agent - dare I say it! During this time I reengaged in education, funding myself through working full-time. I achieved a Master’s of Science in Strategic Marketing Management and in parallel I also trained to be a teacher and assessor through my PGCE no mean feat with a newborn baby daughter.
“I got into enterprise support - which ultimately led to my engagement with SFEDI Awards and the IOEE - through a peculiar pathway in the boom and bust of the housing market. I was unemployed quite a lot and so went on a training course to get a bit more benefit delivered by the local enterprise agency around planning your business, and I did such a good business plan that they asked me if I wanted to work for the enterprise agency, but this didn’t pan out as they lost funding. I then looked at who funded the course and it was the local Training and Enterprise Council, so I looked at their website and got a job managing work-based learning contracts, and this started my journey through delivering workforce development, Investors in People, Business Link and Skills Brokerage. “Unfortunately, 2010 saw redundancies when Business Link ceased, and at this time I also started suffering from epilepsy, which posed a whole new set of challenges. A former Business Link client took me under his wing and gave me a job as Relationship and Business Improvement Manger for an offshore renewables company, where I achieved notable success until redundancy struck once again.
“Fate took another hand and I wasn’t particularly well and couldn’t drive as I was still having seizures, but one of my old colleagues was now the New Anglia Growth Hub Manger and Suffolk Chamber approached me. He knew I wasn’t operating at my full capacity, but the Growth Hub and Suffolk Chamber supported me into work and to get back to
better health and my cognitive norm, which was a difficult time. “While working here we saw the need to do a couple of things differently, and I was tasked with rediscovering SFEDI Awards. With incredible support from SFEDI Award’s Bernie Patchett, I learnt, developed and benchmarked ‘checking’, all the way to the point at which we applied to become a SFEDI Awards Approved Centre, and then becoming an IOEE Academy. This was quite something for a Chamber of Commerce, and 2014 began a long association with both SFEDI Awards and the IOEE, and we all continue to support and learn from each other.” Robert has been a finalist for both the Enterprise Support Champion and the Enterprise Educator at the IOEE’s Celebrating Enterprise Awards at the House of Lords last year, and has worked closely with the enterprising bodies. Robert has had input into some of the enterprise frameworks for his apprenticeships at the request of Nic Preston, SFEDI’s Director of Quality, has given presentations at national Growth meetings alongside Ruth Lowbridge MBE, SFEDI’s Executive Chair, and has helped to organise the IOEE’s very first roadshow in the East of England, alongside IOEE Chief Executive, Sarah Trouten. At the New Anglia Growth Hub, Robert tells us how delivering the SFEDI Awards Business Support qualification internally to our Business Growth Advisers sets a quality standard that benefits its clients, but also how this process of learning and developing has a positive impact across the internal organisation too. Robert says: “It’s about giving people the opportunity to learn and develop, to enable them to transition into other positions or to take on new elements of their job role with newfound skills, experience and knowledge. Ultimately this benefits our clients, but the process of tutoring and learning amongst the staff is a very enjoyable, fun and rewarding one too. I’ve had people who have never achieved any formal qualifications before, and seeing people get that recognition makes me feel so proud. Our dedication to learning has become part of our internal culture, but we’re dedicated to continuing to add to the external enterprise support landscape too.” This wider landscape stretches far into all areas of society. Suffolk Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Executive John Dugmore was approached by local enterprise agency MENTA around providing accredited enterprise qualifications in prisons for the
work they were doing with Shaw Trust. With John’s support and MENTA, Robert developed a standard approach and materials to make it as easy as possible for inmates to engage and succeed in gaining enterprising skills and qualifications. SFEDI Award’s Level 1 Award in Understanding Enterprise was the perfect solution to support a transition into enterprise after prison, and the success rate was outstanding. Robert says: “We ran our first pilot in partnership with MENTA, who delivered the training, and we assessed and managed quality and learner achievement. We achieved a 100% success rate, were awarded Direct Claims Status for this qualification, and have continued to achieve a 100% success rate, which has resulted in gaining ministerial mentions. “It is now likely that we will move onto Level 2 and look at other qualifications, like SFEDI Award’s new Passport to Enterprise and Employment, which has been recognised as good practice as part of the European Commission’s work around an EU-wide entrepreneurship skills framework. “There are always challenges and rewards, both personally and professionally, but the latter makes the former worth it. For a long time my health made things difficult, but it has progressively improved, my epilepsy is now in remission, and I’m moving forward. In my work I am inspired and motivated by seeing people’s courage, seeing them working to make something of themselves. “In my personal life, my son inspires me so much. He has special needs, and I see him battle preconceptions and barriers to achieve incredible things within his abilities – he makes me remember how important certain things are to people and gives me the gift of innocence, and this reminds me that what I do every day isn’t just ticking boxes and working to systems. Seeing the social impact and ethical delivery of whatever I support, being creative, and giving people dignity and finding the right way for them to engage and achieve – this is what keeps me motivated and pushing to see more change.”
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CHANGING LIVES WITH ENTERPRISE Sam Everard is the CEO of SAMEE, a Disability Confident Leader charity based in Dorset, which achieved its IOEE Academy status last year. SAMEE believes in a world where people of all abilities can proudly and independently provide an income for themselves and their families. Sam has always had an entrepreneurial streak and her first business was a wedding coordination company called Roses & Garters, but her mentoring work and being a mother of a disabled child ultimately changed Sam’s career direction, leading her to create her exceptional charity, SAMEE. This month we chatted to Sam to find out more about her journey. Sam, your work is incredibly inspiring and moving, but what inspires and motivates you? I have always had a natural desire to help people with disabilities overcome barriers and fulfil their potential. What we do at the SAMEE charity is the most rewarding work I have ever done in my life, and in just 18 months we have grown to a team of three Outreach Advisers and 15 volunteer Business Mentors. My team also inspire me every day with their passion and energy for helping our young people and our disabled entrepreneurs, and the people we work with inspire me too. For
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example, one young man had such low selfesteem that he could not even send emails out. After months of working with him, he sent me a message on Christmas Day wishing me a ‘Merry Christmas’. My whole team were made aware of that email, and it reminded us that what we do makes such a difference! Tell us about the delivery of the SFEDI Awards qualification you currently offer… We run a project for the schools called WISE - Workshops in Self-Employment. It runs over a few days and allows young people to start working towards the SFEDI Awards Level 1 Award in Passport to Enterprise and Employment. We also run the qualifications as part of our Disabled Entrepreneurs Business Start-Up Service (DEBSS). The qualification is offered on a voluntary basis, and people take up the offer because the work replicates the natural exploration of their business ideas. We deliver sections of the SFEDI Awards workbooks via our group sessions, and work on various sections directly with the person to tailor it to their needs and learning style. In many ways the qualification writes itself, because the guided learning aspect of the workbooks is easy to follow and simple to complete for candidates of all learning levels and abilities.
What are the biggest challenges you see with learners? I think the biggest challenge for our DEBSS clients is finding the time to actually complete the qualification. The majority of our budding disabled entrepreneurs are so highly motivated to get on with planning their business that they often find it difficult to make time and study. That is why we’ve developed our delivery of the qualification and made studying small sections at a time part of each mentoring session.
Network (DEN). This initiative is the next natural evolution of our support and will bring together the Dorset disabled community and offer entrepreneurs the chance to work with each other collaboratively. This ground-breaking opportunity will create a supportive network to help decrease social isolation in deprived and/or rural areas of the county. On the schools side, we are looking at developing our resources to help assist more young people with their career aspirations and entrepreneurial ideas.
We sometimes find that they shy away from working with us as they don’t feel they have the knowledge or expertise to actually fulfil the criteria. However, once we’ve broken it down for them and shown them how they can demonstrate the knowledge, they actually come back with other things they have done, and they are very proud to show us what they have achieved.
Are there any particular highlights or learner stories that stand out for you?
What are the greatest rewards of the programme?
We took him on for his work experience and he worked through various units of the SFEDI Awards qualification. He was delighted when we finally submitted his work and he gained a certificate, as he then had two things to be proud of - his achievements in a work placement and a certificate for his qualification.
The greatest reward for our learners is the pride that they feel once they have completed a nationally accredited qualification. For some, this is the first real qualification they have studied towards. For the SAMEE team, the reward is the satisfaction and pride when handing over a certificate to a client who may be profoundly disabled. How does your relationship with the IOEE work for you and for SAMEE? Being a Fellow of the IOEE is a source of great pride to me, as not only can I offer our disabled clients and young people unique and achievable SFEDI Awards qualifications, but I can also tap into the hive mind of thousands of members and share vital knowledge, experience and resources. What does the future hold for SAMEE? We are currently writing several application bids for financial support, which, if successful, would mean sustainability for our charity over at least the next 12 months. We are also seeking financial support to develop our DEBSS project with the introduction of the Disabled Entrepreneurs
We recently worked with a young male client challenged with multiple learning difficulties and health issues. He wanted to go out on work experience, but, due to the nature of his needs, he was unable to gain a placement.
Our DEBSS project was also recognised by ITV Meridian and the People’s Projects this year. A video was created which explains how the project operates and features three client stories. Dan is one of the case studies on the film, a young man challenged with early on-set dementia due to epilepsy as a child. He was long-term unemployed due to his medical condition and wanted to start his own personal trainer business, enabling him to do what he loved, but in a way that met his health needs. In our one-to-one support meetings we worked out an alternative way of memorising his routines through music tones and flash cards. Dan is now successfully trading with 14 clients and, as his self-esteem is high, has just asked his long-term girlfriend to be his wife. These stories serve to remind us that everything we do at SAMEE is so worthwhile.
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The Passport to Enterprise and Employment range of qualifications support individuals through the development aof the knowledge and skills realating to personal enterprise development and how this can support in playing a part in the community and the wider society.
3 KEY AREAS PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYABILITY KNOW HOW SELF EMPLOYMENT ESSENTIALS It also supports individuals to explore either how to search for sustainable employment through the development of the knowledge and skills to be a productive member of staff or to explore whether self-employment is a valid option as a career pathway and what would be involved in taking this forward. Whether supporting learners develop their personal and social needs, helping an individual find sustainable employment or supporting the next generation of budding entrepreneurs, the Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualifications offer a fully flexible solution to meet all your needs.
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Digital Badging: The Future of Professional Development October sees the launch of SFEDI Awards’ digital badging trial. From 1st October those who hold or achieve a qualification from our Business and Enterprise Support suite will be issued a digital badge. These are issued in addition to standard certificates and can be displayed by learners on websites and social media. What are digital badges? badge [baj]: a special or distinctive mark, token, or device worn as a sign of allegiance, membership, authority, achievement, etc. (Source: dictionary.com) From the Boy and Girl Scouts, to PADI diving instruction, to the more recently popular fitness-tracking apps, badges have been successfully used to set goals, motivate behaviours, represent achievements and communicate success in many contexts. A “digital badge” is an online record of achievements, tracking the recipient’s successes and demonstrating the work completed to get it. As a simple definition, a digital badge is an online validation of an achievement, skill or credential. The badge itself is a visual/ digital image which a learner can display to represent knowledge or skills acquired and anyone who clicks on it can link to verifiable information about who issued the badge and the learning evidence required to achieve it. Digital badges are data rich in ways that paper-based certificates and resumes or PDF transcripts can’t be.
22 | Think Enterprise
So, at one end of the spectrum, digital badges act like online gold star stickers used to reward and motivate, and at the other end of the spectrum, they house rich learner and institutional data used to identify skill sets, competencies or qualifications. Digital badging has developed slowly over the past decade but by technology adoption standards, we appear to be on the verge of a digital badging vertical trajectory in terms of employers and employees uptake. By launching our beta trial, SFEDI Awards is travelling alongside this vertical so that the rate of change outside does not surpass our rate of change and adoption inside. Nic Preston, SFEDI Director of Quality, said, “This is a new step forward for SFEDI Awards and continues on the exciting new services within quality assurance and validation we have been and will continue to provide in collaboration with our centre network and the wider enterprising community. “The launch of our digital badge trial helps our learners to be proud of and promote their achievements in many different electronic forms and also provide assurance to the wider community of the level of learning and achievement they have gone through to be able to undertake and complete a SFEDI Awards qualification. “This is the first step in our move into the exciting world of digital badging and we will be introducing more covering a wider range of our qualifications in the near future.”
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Part 2 Travelling to the US - Researching the Offender to Entrepreneur Journey Greetings from the United States. The story so far… I am at the half way point of my travels across the USA exploring Entrepreneurship and how it can support formerly incarcerated men and women to have productive and brighter futures. I have travelled from New York to San Francisco and Omaha in Nebraska and already met some amazing and inspiring peoaple and organisations. In New York I had the pleasure of meeting up with Coss Marte. He is the Founder and CEO of Conbody. Whilst in prison he developed a personal workout that he was able to do in his 9ft x 6ft cell. Over a 6 month period he lost 70lbs and realised that he could use this insight to set up a business upon release. He has gone on to set up Conbody which employs high quality trainers utilising their skills and his business model. All of his staff were formerly incarcerated and since release none have re-offended and are a valuable asset to his business. Coss is a humble yet driven individual and has plans to expand his business and has recently launched an on-line subscription service to reach a wider audience. It was an honour and a pleasure to meet him to learn of his amazing progress. After my short stay in New York, I headed off to San Francisco. I had the pleasure to meet up with Rebecca Charles, the new CEO of L’Chaim Foods, it produces artisan Kosher food for corporate clients such as Google, as well as private events such as weddings. It was started by Alex Shandrovsky as a company with a social mission. The company supports returning citizens by developing their culinary skills and providing employment opportunities. Rebecca was generous enough to enable me to spend a few hours with her (over a nice beer and lunch) to learn of the challenges faced and the exciting plans to open the L’chaim Academy to enable support for even more returning citizens. Next stop was a day at the Soleadad Correctional Facility for Men. I was fortunate enough to have the day alongside 20+ volunteers supporting Entrepreneurs in Training (EIT’s) half way through their CEO of your New Life program run by the amazing Defy Ventures Northern California. We spent the day listening to business ideas, EIT’s personal pitches and how they intend to have a new life on release. It was really humbling and inspiring. This was all set within a back drop of being greeted by a “high five tunnel”, whoops and cheers and having to introduce myself after busting some “dad dancing” moves to get to the stage. The most powerful part of the day was the Step to the Line activity, where volunteers and EIT’s faced each other and demonstrated that sometimes there is just a fine line between two people, and it made all involved realise our vulnerability and showed our humanity. A humbling experience. The day finished with some statements of gratitude and hope for each other known as “Love Bombs”. A long day but an amazing and uplifting experience.
Next on the agenda was attending the Reinventing Re-entry Conference held at Google Community Space. It bought together a significant number of organisation involved in Criminal Justice from Not for Profits, Lawyers, Advocacy Groups and CEO’s of many organisations that had used entrepreneurship as a way to change their former lives. Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop gave a rousing speech on his journey where he now runs a business that uses technology for families to send in postcards to their loved ones in custody, keeping up the family link which is so important. Staying on this theme, I also met with Hayley - the Business Development Co-ordinator from The Last Mile. We talked about the coding workshop and development centre they have based INSIDE San Quentin jail (and others). The men are able to learn valuable skills that can be used to gain employment in the technology sector or consider becoming freelance. The great thing is that graduates can access paid work in the development centre to further their skills and showcase their work. I was told that ALL graduates that have been released are now in further training or have secured employment with NO recidivism - That’s AMAZING. So my final stop was to meet with Delancey Street Foundation. They have been in existence since the 1970’s and enrol participants on a two year supported living program. They are situated on land donated by the Port Authority and the participants played a significant role in building their own accommodation from the ground up to what we see today. They gain vocational, administrative and retail skills whilst being supported to overcome their re-entry barriers. These include tailoring, car maintenance, art, removals, gardening services as well as culinary skills in a cafe and restaurant. They are proud of their work and I had the opportunity to see some of the products. It would have been rude not to sample their culinary skills, so I had a delicious Blackened Swordfish followed by Summer Fruits Meringue. Yum! After a varied and interesting week I headed off to be welcomed by Defy Ventures Nebraksa, based in Omaha. They currently operate in 4 correctional facilities and are expanding to a fifth facility later this year. They also have a re-entry program that works with graduates of their CEO of Your New Life program to find employment or become fully fledged CEO’s of their incorporated companies. Through the dedication and generosity of their time the team enabled me to engage with many elements of the program. I attended a pitch practice event at York Correctional Facility for Women and was able to meet with their class that were making final preparations for their pitching competition and graduation the following day. There was an opportunity for me to talk to the EIT’s and learn of their plans for the future and how Defy had enabled them to transform and change their hustle.
They clearly had a passion for their futures being able to give some business coaching was very rewarding. The next day was the big one. It was the culmination of 7 months of hard work and dedication. The EIT’s were to pitch their business ideas to panels of volunteers trying to secure up to $500 of start-up capital upon release. They had 3 minutes to pitch and be grilled by the volunteers. At the end of the first round of pitches 8 were selected to go through to the semi-finals. A further 3 pitches to different panels resulted in a final 5 being selected. At this point a well-earned lunch was provided and it gave a chance for a little light relief. After lunch, family and friends were welcomed with the traditional high five welcome. After some emotional welcomes we settled down and the final 5 made one last pitch to everyone. All were welcome to vote for their favourite. The event was also the graduation day, so the EIT’s put on their caps and gowns and proudly walked around the chapel waving to their loved one and stepped on stage to receive their certificates, including 2 from national and local colleges. It was an emotional time. After all that, it was time to reveal who had won. The winning pitch was to set up a therapeutic dance studio which was greeted with jubilation and generosity from the others. In all, $1500 was pledged by Defy to support the ideas upon release. It truly was a great day for all. The week concluded with a visit to Omaha Correction Facility where I had the pleasure of volunteering with 15 others to support EIT’s who were nearing the completion of their program. They were put through their paces in delivering personal statements, taking part in mock interviews and having their business ideas evaluated. It all of course was done with honesty, humility and the unique Defy culture. The level of appreciation of the EIT’s was clear to see. During my time in Omaha, I also had the pleasure of meeting with EIT’s that are studying the program in the community, either as learners on work release from Community Corrections or signed up after release. The ability have that support is invaluable. Defy also lead by example. Their newly appointed Re-entry specialist is a Defy Graduate and was part of the first cohort at Omaha Correctional Facility. Jason has been employed to support released graduates to find their path to employment or start up their business. Re-entry can be daunting with housing, finance, family and probation all impacting on the person. For Jason to go back to the place he graduated at and for the peer mentors to see him standing alongside his Defy team members was as powerful message to say Defy works. So as I look to move onto Washington DC what are the key messages? You can be entrepreneurial both as an employee and the CEO. The line between volunteers and EIT’s is closer than I thought. You have to know yourself, forgive yourself and believe in yourself to transform as a person into someone that can be loved and valued.
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‘Enterprisingly Me’ is a monthly feature where you can follow my entrepreneurial adventures. Names have been changed to protect the innocent but everything you read really happened. I hope my story inspires you to take your first steps, or if you already have, then it lets you know you’re not on your own. Starting and running a successful business isn’t about being perfect. It’s about loving what you’re doing, learning from your mistakes and keeping the faith!
I’ve started to reflect on how far I’ve come since starting the business as its often hard to appreciate exactly what has been achieved. Why is it so hard for some people to bask in success instead of looking for things to beat themselves up about? I’ve met so many people like me who find it hard to come to terms with being successful and to appreciate just what they’ve achieved. I suppose its down to everyone’s measure of success – what does it mean? When I first started the business success meant: •
Earning enough to send my son to University and to provide a decent life for myself and my daughter
•
Giving myself the confidence that I could actually start and run a business on my own
•
Gaining respect from family and friends as a ‘woman of substance’
If I was basking I would admit to myself that I’ve not done too bad in achieving what I set out to achieve, well maybe 2 out of the 3 as I think my family and friends sometimes think I’ve got a screw loose – but as Meatloaf said 2 out of 3 ain’t bad! So why do I sometimes feel lacking and unable to enjoy what is happening in the moment? I’m constantly worrying about whether this is going to last and whether I’m making the right decisions for all of us. When I say ‘us’ I now mean my staff as well
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as my family. I’m making a mental note to be kinder to myself and to enjoy these precious moments of life as a business owner being in control of my own destiny and making my own decisions. I’ve always made decisions very quickly based on instinct however I’m realising that I probably need to be more considered and base my decisions on both logic and feeling like the management theories tell me to do. The recruitment decisions I now have to make are crucial to the ongoing success of the business and so I’m mentally preparing myself to approach this next stage in growing my business with military precision. I’ve looked through all of the job applications with my team and we have shortlisted twelve people, looking to offer four of them positions in the business. We have decided to bring them all in together to give them a feel of how we run the business before we interview them on a one to one basis. Doing it in this way will help them to see if they really want to work with us before we decide if we feel they are the right fit for our little team. It’s one thing to be bringing the right skills to the business but its equally important for them to be the right ‘fit’ in terms of personality and values. They’ll obviously need a certain amount of stamina to deal with our legendary Christmas parties and the eating and drinking that comes hand in hand with working with us party girls!
As I mentioned earlier its too easy for me to choose people I like rather than thinking objectively about what skills they are bringing to the business. I’m also conscious that I am doubling the number of people in our team and that it would be potentially dangerous to get it wrong. I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked with some horrible people as well as some lovely ones. I remember when I first started work in the civil service (yes I know I’m showing my age again!) I worked with someone who was lovely to my face but I soon realised she was actually vicious behind my back. It took me a long time to realise this and I remember feeling very hurt at the thought of her betrayal. I’ve since learned its not always wise to be so trusting however my natural instinct is to take people at face value but to try not to be too disappointed if/ when they let you down. I still believe that what goes around comes around and I try to ‘do as I would be done by’.
I’ve begun to realise that getting and keeping the right people is the most important part of growing our business. Our business is a people business and without the right people then we just don’t have a business. I wish I could clone myself, at least I would know that I had the right person – is that weird? I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that I can interest my children in joining me in the business but as one has just left for University and the other is still a teenager then I have a good few years to wait. Maybe I should have thought about this earlier and mass produced my own business team – now that is weird! Fingers crossed we’ve made the right decisions are looking forward to welcoming some positive additions to our team.... I’ll keep you posted, Me x
Well here goes – the day of the interviews arrives and we have a right mixed bunch of people! Instinct kicks in and I find myself picking out the ones that are easiest on the eye and who look like they might be easy to get on with. What happened to my logical thinking and my military precision? Luckily I have involved Marie and Arlette who are much better at considering skills and knowledge as well as how the potential new members of staff look! It’s a bit of a lottery really and I find myself being pulled this way and that depending on what each applicant is saying to me. I find it so difficult to make a decision and I’m so scared to get it wrong. In the end we settle on the people who we think will bring the most to the business but who knows if we’ve made the right decision – I’m sure we’ll find out once they begin working for us!
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THINK ENTERPRISE September Edition Vol. 23
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