Think Enterprise Issue 38

THINK

SARAH TROUTEN IOEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Welcome to our Autumn edition of Think Enterprise, following the sad news of Her royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II we reflect on her life and extraordinary dedication to the people of the UK and commonwealth countries over the past 70 years. We would like to send our warmest wishes to his majesty, King Charles III on his accession to the throne and wish him a long and happy

Thisreign.quarterly

issue brings news of one of our newest Academies, NEW Training, read all about their plans and ambitions on page

8. We also feature a long standing IOEE Centre of Excellence, Royal Agricultural University who recently held their Grand Ideas competition, this was the first event in over two years and so it was fantastic to attend and meet both the inspirational students and also colleagues at RAU creating so many entrepreneurial opportunities.

Read all about IOEE member Keira, who took advantage of the spare time during lockdown to start her own business, the Happy Paws Candle Co. if you have pets you might want to check out her Etsy store too!

For business owners stress and being able to manage it is vitally important, this month we consider getting the balance right and simple things we can integrate to our daily

life to help us become more resilient and keep our stress levels low. If your stress levels are high the next article might offer some valuable insights. We spoke with Carl Beardon an IOEE mentor who has been supporting a small business, Intrinsic Therapies - read all about their relationship and how Carl is supporting the business plans and growth.

Ensuring young people have the right skillsets to meet employers needs is critical if the next generation are to thrive and contribute to economic growth. This is an area of focus for us as an organisation and this issue we feature two articles, the first which considers the top employability skills in 2022 and the second which unpacks how education should look to address the skills

Ourgap.

team have been working very hard over the summer and we are pleased to be able to share even more free learning content and materials exclusively for IOEE and SFEDI centre network. To access the content or discuss how it can be incorporated to your deliver plans please contact Jonathan at Jonathan.harper@sfedi.org.uk We also have an upcoming assessment guidance webinar being held on the 27th September between 10 and 12 - this workshop is free for staff from the IOEE and SFEDI network. Register here

And finally we welcome Valentina Lorenzon as a guest contributor to discuss skills assessments and learning how to learn. It is an interesting and thought provoking article and I’d like to extend my thanks to Valentina for sharing her thoughts and knowledge.

We really hope you enjoy this publication as much as we enjoyed putting it together. x

Our condolences go to the Royal family at this very sad time. Ma’am rest in Peace you will be missed and thank you for being a champion of enterprise for over 70 years.

A Warm Welcome to NEW

ThisTrainingmonthwe caught up with one of our new IOEE Academies

We are proud to welcome a new academy, NEW Training, to the IOEE family. We had a chat with Natalie from NEW Training to find out more about the work they do, and the importance of the IOEE membership.

NEW Training focuses on wellbeing and health as well as enterprising skills and business development. Finding a balance between business, enterprise and wellbeing practices, NEW training delivers some of our wellbeing units within the Passport to Enterprise and Employment. When I spoke to Natalie, we had a chat about the Passport qualification, NEW training’s history and how NEW training plans to run in the Nataliefuture.toldme

that NEW training delivers some of our wellbeing units, such as Stress and Stress Management, Healthy eating and awareness of mental health to name a couple. Whilst these units may not appear to have a direct link to enterprise and employment, there are some clear benefits to having knowledge in these areas. Not only do these units teach us about day to day life, but they also give the learner transferable knowledge, so they can be safer and healthier at work, home or out and Particularlyabout.

after a pandemic, these units are really important for learners to consider, in order to improve the quality of their work life, social lives and personal lives. Being healthy, aware and feeling well

is a really useful quality that is sometimes overlooked.

These units fit really well with the focus of NEW training, and also the focus of the learners who approach Natalies company.

Natalie said that she had put through a cohort before the pandemic and found the qualification to be really useful. Natalie agreed the Passport qualification is like an educational stepping stone, so her learners were able to get an introduction into a few areas of study, before committing to a longer course of study. It lets the learner try out some new skills, find some new areas to study and gives them an insight into the well being and enterprise world.

We love our Passport qualification and we often tell centres that it is a useful qualification for those who may be looking to find a new interest. We love to hear that the qualification has given learners a glance into a new area of study, and it has been used as a foundation for further study. This is exactly what it was meant to do, and so it is great to hear it is still being used as Iplanned.wanted

to know more about how our enterprise, employability and self employment qualifications could be useful to those looking to learn about health and wellbeing. So I asked Natalie how the two industries are connected and how our course allows NEW Training learners to

understand wellbeing in a business context, as well as in day to day life.

Natalie said there is a real connection between wellbeing and enterprise. In the enterprising world, we are often looking for ways to reduce stress, be more aware of our physical and mental health and we often look for ways to be more effective and efficient. The Passport units that Natalie delivers allow the learners to become more aware, in a general sense, of their health and wellbeing. This knowledge can be applied to their work life, setting up a business, being at home or interacting with people when they are living their everyday lives. The link between wellbeing and enterprise was a clear one for Natalie to make, and a good one to base the cohort of learners on.

We are really excited to have NEW Training on board and we are looking forward to finding out more about the learners experiences at NEW Training and their experiences on the Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualification.

If you are interested in becoming an academy, delivering our qualifications or getting one of your own programmes recognised by the IOEE, head on over to our site to find out more at https://ioee.org.uk/ ioee-recognised

Working Remotely

What Skills Do We Need?

Over the last six to nine months, there have been a range of articles within academic journals, business publications and newspapers focused on predicting and unpacking the issues which will shape the extent and nature of remote working in the near to mid-term.

Key themes have included:

• The shifting nature of employee expectations and the implications for businesses – There have been a number of articles which have highlighted that flexibility in working patterns will be become the key factor when younger people are making a decision about future job opportunities . As a result, businesses which do not offer flexibility in working patterns face challenges in recruiting appropriate skills and talent

• The changing people practices of businesses – Across a number of different member states, there is evidence that businesses are changing people development and management practices to attract and keep staff. For example, within the UK, a number of businesses are involved in a four-day working week trial . Initial evidence from the trial has highlighted that whilst the first couple of weeks were somewhat challenging, as businesses struggled to adapt to a new way of working, many of the 70 businesses involved are now finding that the shorter working week is enhancing the wellbeing and productivity of their staff

• The rights of the employer and employee in monitoring remote working – As we shift from a period of being instructed to ‘work at home’ to the option of ‘working from home’, businesses are working through how to support and supervise staff who want to continue to work from home. In part, this has supported a growth in businesses offering remote monitoring software but it has also raised a set of ethical questions – e.g. there is evidence of employers using monitoring software to track work activity of staff working from home but without notifying staff that the software

is being used . It has been suggested that there may be value in a discussion around the use of software between a business and its staff as this may identify alternative solutions to reviewing performance when working from

•homeThe implications for employment legislation and regulation – A number of member states are proposing to introduce changes to employment legislation and regulation to provide employees with more flexibility in the way in which they work. For example, in the UK, there is a proposal to change legislation so that employees can make a request for flexible working or move to a hybrid working approach, from the first day of employment as opposed to after 26 weeks continuous service, as long as it can be justified by the employee . Businesses will be able to decline such requests but they will need to justify why the request has been declined. It is hoped that this will lead to greater levels of engagement between businesses and their

•staffThe impact of the cost of living crisis on remote working – The cost of living crisis being experienced across different EU member states has led to predictions that people will shift from working at home back to working from the office again . This is being compounded by evidence that certain employers are reducing pay or hours for staff who wish to remain working from home.

Over the last two years, SFEDI has been leading an Erasmus Plus project, REMOTE-CTRL (https://remotectrl. eu/), which has developed a set of bespoke learning ₄

There are a number of opportunities and challenges in these issues for both small business managers and leaders, and their staff, particularly in terms of the learning and skills required to make sense of what the challenges and opportunities mean for your business and how to manage the journey from idea to action.

and training resources to support small business ownermanagers, and their staff, in working through the challenges and opportunities associated with remote and hybrid working patterns.

The project has developed:

• A set of learning resources for managers and leaders of small businesses to effectively support staff in working remotely. These materials and resources address eight different aspects of effective remote working (e.g. understanding the impact of personalities in remote working, supporting staff wellbeing and resilience, effective communication and collaboration when working remotely) and they include: a series of TEDx type talks; a set of masterclasses which provide a focused overview of current thinking and practices and learning exercises to prompt self-reflection; and a resource toolkit

• A set of learning resources to assist individuals, looking for employment, in preparing, searching and securing employment and current employees in maintaining employment in a remote working environment. The resources consist of: a learner handbook which provides practical tips and techniques as well as learning exercises which provide an opportunity to reflect on your own understanding and skills development; a collection of selfreflection exercises; and a series of TEDx type talks

• An in-service professional development training programme for vocational education and training professionals working with small businesses to support learning and skills development of people working remotely and in a hybrid workforce

• An e-learning platform which provides access to a collection of demand-led learning resources for both managers and leaders of small businesses and their staff.

In addition, the project is currently finalising a policy paper which will examine the experiences of small businesses in managing remote working across the eight partner member states and the implications for policy and business and enterprise support development.

The REMOTE-CTRL project consists of eight partner organisations from the UK, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Romania.

If you are interested in learning more about the REMOTECTRL project and the outputs to date, please visit https:// remotectrl.eu/. If you are a small business owner-manager and you would like to share your experiences of supporting remote working and/or a vocational education and training professional who knows of examples of good practice in businesses managing remote working, please do get in touch. Also, if you would like to explore ways of adding value to the project, please contact Leigh (leigh. sear@sfedi.co.uk).

COCANDLEPAWSHAPPY

Today we’re featuring one of our members who started their business during lockdown

In our last publication, we spoke about businesses that started up in Lockdown. One of our members came forward and said they would be happy to talk to us about their business born in lockdown. Kiera runs a home fragrance business called Happy Paws Candle Co. Happy Paws Candle Co is a candle business that makes nice smelling candles for you, and uses safe ingredients for your pets.

Happy Paws Candle Co was born in 2020, in the pandemic. Kiera was noticing that her cat had some issues related to breathing. The problems continued for a while until Kiera noticed that the candles and home fragrance products she was using may contain ingredients that could be harmful to her pets. The other products were using Paraffin wax which may cause breathing difficulties or trigger asthma attacks for our pets. Happy Paws candles use Rapeseed oil, instead of Paraffin Wax.

What is the business aim for Happy Paws Candle Co? To make candles safe for our pets as well as ourselves. Kiera noticed that the mass produced store bought candles were making her cat, Tinkerbell, unwell. By making her own candle, Kiera was able to have a nice smelling home and a cat that was well, all at the same time.

One of the first steps for Kiera, other than trialling the product in her own home, was developing an online presence for Happy Paws Candle Co. She took to TikTok and Instagram as her main social media platforms. We asked why she only used two platforms, and not Twitter or LinkedIn, and she told us that people tend to use visual apps. It made sense for Happy Paws Candle Co to use visual content to attract an audience, and having two platforms instead of four was actually more efficient and effective. Instead of putting the same content across different platforms, you may get a couple of extra views, but the amount of time you would have to spend on the other platforms would outweigh the potential benefits of using another platform.

We spoke to Kiera about the experience of starting a business, running it during lockdown and the affects the pandemic had on buyer

Startingtrends.

a business is a big step. It isn’t one that happens overnight and isn’t something that you should jump into with little research and without thinking about it. Kiera spent some time researching social media platforms, other home fragrances and how to make home fragrance products safe for peoples pets. Research, online presence and then

sales is the order Kiera applied to her business and it worked, very well. With regular sales and a popular social media network, Kiera made sure the foundations of her business were solid before selling any products. This is something that you can see, when you scroll through the products available or the social media content.

We asked Kiera if there was an increase in interest during the pandemic, or if the business had a quiet start. Kiera said that there is a clear need for the business, and as we all become that little bit more eco friendly, focusing on our pets’ health is the way forward. So not only do many people buy home fragrance products, Kiera also tapped into the Eco-Friendly market which had become quite trendy over the last couple of years. She also said that while we were all at home, working from home or on furlough, finding eco-friendly products that improve your home life was a way to pass the time. Kiera said we were all shopping online, we were all waiting for new products to come in and Kiera took this as an opportunity to start up her unique business. There were many signs for Kiera to start her business, and it sounds like lockdown was the perfect time for her to do it.

We asked Kiera how the business did over lockdown. She said that the business took a couple of months from the idea being formed to the Etsy store being set up and the social media accounts being developed. She said she had to focus on her online presence.

Kiera took to TikTok and Instagram and built a following there. These followers would, in time, become her customers and she has been continuing with this business ever since. She regularly sells her products, and intends to continue with the business as a passion project, rather than upscaling and making the business busier and veering away from her core values as a business owner. So growth isn’t really

something that Kiera measures when it comes to success. She instead focuses on how she feels, the experience of her customers and how her social media looks.

It is great to hear of a business that has started up during Lockdown and is continuing to serve their customers. It is also really interesting to hear a company want to stick to their personal values, rather than expand their business to make more money. It was great to chat with Kiera and to hear all about her business and her use of social media. You can find Happy Paws Candle Co on ETSY, Facebook and TikTok.

MENTORING CASE STUDY

Intrinsic Therapies and Carl Beardon

We are really pleased to hear from another of our mentoring relationships this quarter. We had a check in with Carl Beardon, a mentor who works for Barclays Bank, and Natasha Crompton, a small business owner and mentee, who set up IntrinsicTherapies. Carl and Natasha were paired up by Paul Harper, IOEE’s mentoring matchmaker, before lockdown and the pair have had meetings ever since. It is brilliant to hear how well the mentoring scheme has worked for the pair.

Prior to lockdown, Natasha and Carl had their first call to set up the foundations of the relationship. A few months later, the lockdown came into effect. Luckily, Carl and Natasha had frequent contact and were regularly interacting with other businesses, retailers and even some of Natasha’s friends and family members, both before and during the lockdown. Carl said that when the two had their first set of meetings, the relationship worked well. One of the first obstacles Carl and Natasha had to face were the external voices that were trying to get involved with the business. Whilst Natasha and Carl were exploring the markets and looking at competitors and potential venues etc, they were battling with opinions and people who wanted to change the business idea.

External voices are something that come up often when we talk with start up business owners. With family, friends, colleagues, investors, neighbours etc all wanting to share their opinion about your business idea, sometimes your idea can be lost or altered.

Carl set Natasha some exercises and reflective tasks to make sure Natasha knew where Natasha wanted to be, what Natasha wanted the business to look like and how Natasha would get there. Reminding her that it is her business and ultimately

she needed to make the decisions. When the pair rejoined after lockdown, the plan of action seemed much more focused and they hit the ground running.

When they had their first interaction after their lockdown break, the ideas were more focused, realistic and they both seemed refreshed and more determined to get the next idea off the ground. Since then Natasha has opened her own retreat, developed a focused idea on what she is selling and supplying, and has been supported through the process, by Carl.

When I asked Carl whether there was a ‘best time’ to get a mentor, he said that during the lifespan of a business, you will have many opportunities to get a mentor. These usually align with those large decisions or pivotal points. Whether you are starting a new business, taking on a team of staff, looking at new social media strategies, opening an office or you decide to launch a new product, there isn’t one moment where you need a mentor. Your business will face several moments where a mentor can come in handy. Understanding your

.

business, and knowing when you need support is crucial when it comes to benefiting your business.

“So in short, no there isn’t really a best time to get a mentor”, it really depends on when you feel like you need that sounding board to bounce ideas off.

about her business. Not only in terms of wanting the business to succeed, but also in the Ethos, the message and the aims behind the business. This isn’t just a money making scheme for Natasha, it is something she believes in and wants to educate others on

Natasha’s business was born from the gift of vision, healing and a knowledge based in holistic living. Natasha knew what she wanted to sell and provide, the problem was deciding when to sell products and services and how she would sell them. She had a few meetings with her Mentor, Carl, about what her business would look like. Would it be a shop? Would she run the business from home? How would Natasha’s customers find out about

Intrinsic Therapies? Both Carl and Natasha said the relationship was about asking these sorts of questions, the ones that may appear obvious but are really important to consider. They both also agreed that a mentor is a really important sounding board to bounce your ideas off, face no judgement, get useful feedback and be accountable.

After a few meetings Natasha decided that she would set up the business at home, where she would provide holistic services and experiences for adults and children.

It is great to hear that the mentoring programme is working so well for both Carl and Natasha. Not only has it been beneficial for Natasha to receive the support and feedback, but Carl has also found the process rewarding and beneficial from a personal point of view. We wish them both the best of luck with their futures. We look forward to keeping in touch and finding out about where IntrinsicTherapies goes next.

HOW TO AVOID STRESS

Stress is a natural phenomenon. We all experience it, some more than others, in many different ways. For some, stress can be running around from one task to another, for others stress can look like constant fatigue. Whatever stress looks like to you, it can be extremely daunting if you don’t know how to control or limit your exposure to stress. We have come up with five tips to help you avoid stress, and bounce back from those unavoidable stressful situations.

Tip #1

Practise relaxation techniques – We don’t expect you to cross your legs and say omm until you fall asleep. Relaxation, in any form, is a really important part of our day to day life. It is important that in your day you find the time to relax, creating an environment free from stress. This may be easy when you are at home, or in a nice hotel on the Greek islands, but what about relaxing whilst you work? There are lots of techniques you can practice that will help you to stay calm whilst also potentially helping your efficiency at work, for example, deep breathing and muscle relaxation. Taking deep breaths isn’t just a playground fix all, like the blue paper towels and magic spray. Deep breaths scientifically reduce your stress levels. And before you go off taking deep breaths and seeing how much you can breathe in and out, do you know how to breathe? There are many publications, articles, books and even social media posts that specialise in teaching you how to breathe, and they aren’t as silly as they sound. Learning how to breathe effectively can help you relieve stress and improve your work efficiency. Relieving stress on your body will also allow you to feel more comfortable in your work environment, which will help if you are an anxious person.

Tip #2

Meditation – On the topic of meditation and mindfulness, you could always try meditating. Again, meditation isn’t sitting cross legged on the floor with incense burning. Of course, if that is how you meditate, then go for it. But if the thought of that makes you

Reflecting on the day and becoming more aware of your actions. With meditation, you can create a tranquil atmosphere, become aware of what has happened in your day and take yourself off auto pilot. While meditating, you can focus your mind on what matters as opposed to the many things that may be causing you stress, it will also allow you to clear your mind which may boost your

questions.someyourselfaskingexercisebecouldmeditatinganxious,morejustasimpleof

efficiency, effectiveness and creativity while at work and at home.

Tip #3

Reducing triggers for stress - It is Perhapsnaturalyoulike to check your emails to work, justdaytois

the bus may not be the end of the world, imagine the worst case scenario. You sleep in, so you’re already an hour late, you then miss the next bus which makes you another half hour late and you forget your packed lunch which means your lunch break is significantly shorter than it would be. Do you see how those little inconveniences add up to create a stressful day?

It is also important to think about the bigger stressors in your life. Are you bad with time management, so you consistently miss deadlines? Do you struggle to find motivation and so become inefficient at work? Learning how to manage your time and gaining control of these stressful triggers will make life easier. Asking for help on stressful tasks, reserving time for yourself and making the most of that time in a way that works for you. Pace yourself at work, whilst it is good to get through as much work as possible, you also need to be realistic. Setting priorities prior to your workday will help you create a controlled environment and help ease some of that stress.

Tip #4

of stress. Or maybe you just end up experiencing a bit of stress to wake you up, such as sleeping in and rushing to get ready, missing the bus or forgetting your packed lunch.

These little triggers can all add up throughout the day, and so while missing

Set realistic goals for yourself – Be realistic with your goals. Don’t set yourself unobtainable, unrealistic goals. If you don’t reach that goal the first time, you will only feel demoralised. If you don’t get it the second time, you will still feel worse. The more you “fail” the worse you’ll feel, but of course, you haven’t actually failed. You just set a goal that you couldn’t ever achieve. Not everything you do will have a 100% success rate. So, instead of setting impossible goals, set yourself little realistic, achievable but still challenging goals. You will feel motivated and driven from the challenge, but you will also get the reward

of completing the goal and won’t end up feeling defeated.

Tip #5

Create a balanced diet – You would be amazed at how much a good diet, regular exercise and a restricted intake of alcohol could do for your stress levels. There has been research done into the benefits of exercise to relieve stress but eating well and limiting your alcohol consumption can also improve your stress levels. Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it makes you feel relaxed, everything feels slow, and you can lose motivation. This, of course, isn’t the adjective you would link with a top worker. The trap with alcohol is that slow, unmotivated, and relaxed may all sound like the cures to your stress, but they’re not. If you fall into a hole of lack of motivation, numbness, slowness, and complete relaxation of the body, you will find it harder to get back to a motivated state. Plus, you may find that you start to fall behind at work, miss family events etc, which in turn makes you more stressed and can actually make everything worse. So limiting the amount of alcohol you consume is a great way to minimise stress. Alcohol and overeating are often a response to stress. Being able to control and maintain a healthy diet will help relieve stress as it will help you feel better, more energised and fuelled to tackle stressful situations. A balanced diet paired with regular exercise, will not only make you feel better but will also help you improve your time management skills, develop a routine and increase

Youproductivity.willcome

across stressful situations. You will find yourself worrying about something, stressing about how to get to work or being conscious of your workload. Equipping yourself with the right skills and techniques to avoid stress is going to be crucial in protecting your mental and physical wellbeing, and maintaining your effectiveness and efficiency in the workplace.

S F E D I ® D I R EC T

FREE LEARNING MATERIALS

We are very pleased to announce the launch of new materials and content which is being made available at no charge to all SFEDI centres and IOEE Academies. The learning materials have been mapped against SFEDI Awards Level 2 Award in the Promotion of Products and Services Through Socal Media which currently has funding confirmed for this academic year.

The qualification is suitable for all learners looking to gain skills and knowledge in social media, whether they are going on to start a business or seeking employment.

You can find this workbook along with many other free resources within the SFEDI Awards hub or if you’d like to discuss your delivery in more detail please contact Jonathan.harper@sfedi.org.uk www.sfediawards.co.uk/centre-hub FUNDED QUALIFICATION

We recently had the pleasure of attending the RAU Grand Idea award event, During which a student was awarded £10,000 for a business idea. It was great to attend an in person event at an IOEE Centre of Excellence.

Enterprising RAU student Imogen Burgoyne has won this year’s Royal Agricultural University (RAU) Grand Idea competition and secured a massive £10,000 investment, as well as mentoring, for her fledgling businesses from a panel of prestigious judges.

Twenty-two-year-old Imogen, from Haywards Heath in Sussex, is studying for a BSc International Business Management at the RAU and is setting up not one, but two, businesses – a course which prepares young people for adulthood and a private, secure, dog walking facility in Sussex.

Receiving the award, she said: “A large part of my decision to come to the RAU was based on the exceptional support it offers for enterprise and entrepreneurship. I’m incredibly grateful to have studied here and to be offered such valuable opportunities as being able to enter the Grand Idea competition.

“I have two exciting businesses. The first is a three-day residential education course, teaching school leavers basic fundamental life skills such as cookery, finance, and household and car maintenance, which are currently not really taught much in schools.

“The second is a private dog pen facility, equipped with agility equipment, training aids, benches, and undercover areas, set in three acres of beautiful grass and woodland where dog owners can take their dog off the lead without worrying. The location also offers a veterinary practice, hydrotherapy centre, and even a coffee shop!

“I am delighted to have been selected as the winner of this year’s RAU Grand Idea competition and am really looking forward to utilizing both the mentoring and the generous £10,000 investment to get both my start-up businesses properly off the ground. Here’s to the future!”

The runner up, who received a prize of £500 investment in her business, was RAU Postgraduate Business Management student Camilla Cummins from Bath. Her company

RAU student’s “Grand Idea” nets her £10,000 investment in her start up businesses

– The Cummins Co – produces high quality, sustainable British beef from a herd of Dexter Camilla,cattle.

23, who is running the business with her father, said: “As a result of the prize money we will be able to invest in producing more products to sell to consumers and start building a loyal customer base.

“It was a real pleasure to take part in this year’s Grand Idea competition and I was up against some fantastic entries. The support I received during the application process was invaluable and I am grateful to the Enterprise team for its commitment to helping students make their ideas a reality.”

Now in its 15th year, the RAU’s Grand Idea competition is part of the University’s awardwinning Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme which provides a supportive environment for students to develop and launch their ideas.

The competition invites RAU students to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts in a Dragon’s Den-style event. Due to Covid restrictions, last year’s event was held virtually, via Zoom, but this year the judges and contestants were delighted to be able to meet in person at the University’s Cirencester

said: “It was delightful to have the Grand Idea competition back in full flow again this year, post-Covid, and with an all-female entrepreneur line up. We will strive for more diversity next year!

“The extent to which social purpose and sustainability is driving the passion of our entrepreneurs was also evident and the judges were particularly impressed with the standard of submissions, especially considering that two of the five finalists were in their first undergraduate year, so we look forward to seeing them again.

“The endeavours of the RAU in supporting enterprise is a key motivator in attracting students but also in showing just how much intelligent thinking can give back to society. Congratulations to all who took part, they were all commended by the judges.”

The IOEE is proud to say that the Royal Agricultural University is one of our Centres of Excellence. Embedding enterprise into their studies, the RAU likes to give students the opportunity to think about rural businesses, start up businesses and local business opportunities. We travelled down to attend the RAU Grand Idea awards evening, and had the pleasure of catching up with the staff at the RAU, as well as hearing about the students’ wonderful ideas.

This was a great event, and really pushed the students to focus on their entrepreneurship skills and helped them develop their enterprising characters. Congratulations to all of the finalists for making it so far with their amazing ideas, and well done to Imogen Burgoyne for winning £10,000 to invest in her business idea.

the judging panel, Christine Cross,

Thiscampus.year’s judging panel consisted of Retail Consultant and RAU Honorary Fellow Christine Cross; Former Dragon’s Den contestant, food entrepreneur, and RAU Honorary Fellow Levi Roots; Dr Lorraine Thomas, RAU Pro Vice Chancellor (Education and Students); Sam Pullin, founder of clothing retail brand Beaufort & Blake; and John Pickering, Managing Director for Miele in Great Britain, Ireland, and South ChairAfrica.of

We hope to return to the RAU for their Grand Idea award evening next year! Burgoyne for winning £10,000 to invest in her

REIMAGINING EDUCATION

The last few years have demonstrated that we are facing an increasingly uncertain and volatile future with an accelerated pace of environmental, economic, technological and social change that few have predicted. The global pandemic demonstrated that when required, economies and societies are capable of shortterm transformation but there also is a growing recognition that global economic and social institutions, including our education systems, need to be redesigned to enable us to thrive within these new environments in the long-term.

Take the UK education system for example, which remains in many ways unchanged since the industrial revolution. According to The Management Academy, there remains a continued focus on valuing knowledge, facts, and subject matter expertise and the testing of it through traditional forms of assessment (e.g. examinations, written assignment). In addition, they suggest that the internet has made knowledge ubiquitous and no longer a preciously prised commodity.

Instead they suggest what needs to developed is the skills to know what to do with that knowledge which is much more valued by

SENSES

OECD report, The Future We Want, states ‘The future is uncertain and we cannot predict it, but we need to be open and ready for it.’ But how? A significant education challenge that is posed within the report is how do you educate and prepare young people for a future to solve problems that have yet to be anticipated, with technologies that have yet to be defined and job roles that currently do not exist?

What are the skills of the future? In order to navigate through these uncertain times, the OECD report suggests there are some key skills that need to be nurtured amongst children and they include curiosity, imagination, resilience, self-regulation, learning how to cope with failure and rejection and how to move forward in the face of adversity. A similar set of skills is proposed by Skills You Need who suggest that there are nine skills that are needed to create an adaptive and resilient workforce for the future. These include digital literacy, problem solving, global citizenship, entrepreneurship, curiosity and love of learning, communication skills, adaptation and cognitive flexibility and the ability to access, assess and analyse data. In addition, Skills Development Scotland identify in their strategic report, Scotland 2035, A Human Future, a set of core meta skills that are will be required by the future workforce as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, creativity and leadership.

Many of these skills have also

DEVELOPING YOUNG PEOPLE’S FOR AN UNCERTAIN AND UNKNOWN WORLD

EDUCATION

been referred to as enterprising skills which can be taken and applied across a range of different sectors as a way of adding value to businesses and organisations, whether this involves a young person starting their own business or working for someone else. However, there is evidence within the academic and professional literature that there are a number of challenges to embedding enterprising skills in the curriculum particularly beyond disciplines beyond the domain of business and management. These challenges relate not only to the language of enterprise and entrepreneurship but also perceptions of staff and students as to its perceived value and the extent and nature of relationships with external stakeholders which support curriculum development and

Overdelivery.the

last two years, SFEDI has been leading an Erasmus Plus project, SENSES (https:// projectsenses.eu/) which has developed a set of learning resources to address the educational challenges involved in how to prepare young people for jobs yet to be created, using technologies yet to be invented.

The SENSES project tackles these challenges by focusing on empowering teachers and students and equipping them with

skills for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SEI) as well as the tools which can be used to enhance these skills. The project also supports learners between the ages of 7-12 to develop a set of structured competencies required to be enterprising and entrepreneurial in a social context which include adaptability, solving complex problems, creativity and innovation and collaboration. Students will be supported to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and design innovative solutions to address a range of social changes such as environmental consciousness, gender equality and integration of minorities.

Over the last two years, the project has developed:

A capacity building programme for teachers which comprises a set of learning materials and resources to support the development of understanding and skills that teachers need for social innovation and entrepreneurship curriculum delivery. Topics addressed within the capacity building programme include: understanding and supporting social enterprise and entrepreneurship, ideation and opportunity spotting, social change, social responsibility and collaboration within the classroom

An engagement package for students comprising of a set of innovative learning materials and resources including digital games

and videos, case studies, focused presentations and reflective learning exercises. Topics addressed within the engagement package include: collaboration, creativity, learning from peers and social entrepreneurship

A virtual learning environment which supports access to materials, tools and discussion of the project

Theoutputs.SENSES

project consists of eight partner organisations from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK.

If you are interested in learning more about the SENSES project and the outputs to date, please visit https://projectsenses.eu/. If you are working within the education or social enterprise sector and would like to find out more about the SENSES resources or share your experiences of working with young people to develop their enterprising and entrepreneurial skills, please do get in touch. Also, if you would like to explore ways of adding value to the project, please contact Leigh (leigh.sear@sfedi.co.uk).

Skill assessment: on the importance of learning how to learn

Valentina Lorenzon, Strategy consultant and business advisor

Over the decades, a recurring debate in the business world has been the one related to the specialist vs generalist dilemma - with the first often winning over the second - to establish whether a successful professional should focus on a specialism or aim at developing a wider range of competences. This certainly does not apply to entrepreneurs, whose key peculiarities, especially in the early days of

However, even though delegation is a key aspect in the successful growth of a business, it is important to remember that it’s extremely difficult to delegate well unless we know what we are delegating and what should be realistically expected from the person who takes on that particular responsibility.

Comb-shaped knowledge

In other words, entrepreneurs should ideally possess at least basic notions and understanding of a wide range of key skills that are necessary to run a business in today’s complex and uncertain environment. Considering the type of competences that an entrepreneur requires, it seems appropriate to put forward the concept of comb-shaped knowledge where the horizontal stroke represents an overarching foundation composed of a variety of experiences and perspectives (breadth of knowledge) that glue together the vertical strokes indicating multiple areas of specific knowledge (depth of knowledge). This combination of breadth and depth of knowledge generates a higher level of skills transferability and a deeper understanding of complex situations and issues.

setting up a business, include having at least a basic understanding of a variety of different skillsets. Due to a limited availability of financial, human and time resources, we need to take care of all aspects of running our business from marketing to finance and sales, as well as make a considerable number of daily decisions on a variety of different aspects. When the business starts growing, it becomes increasingly important for entrepreneurs to identify suitable collaborators and start delegating certain tasks so that we can focus on more strategic work and leverage the specific skill sets of others.

It is safe to say that acquiring this type of knowledge is more easily said than done. It requires a considerable amount of time and energy as well as the right mindset and it is often not easily achievable by someone who operates under the constraints that we have as entrepreneurs. However, it could prove key in developing a competitive advantage and the dynamicity required to work in our postmodern business environment, where only very few individuals and organisations follow a linear development path.

Be deliberate in assessing your skills!

A simple but very efficient starting point to

assess your skills and identify any requirements for further development is to create a competency grid to capture key insights on the skills that you currently have, the areas where some improvement is needed and the emerging competences that may be increasingly important for your growth as a leader. To be done effectively, this process should take into account a variety of different aspects that may vary depending on your background, your organisation and the sector you operate in. However, there are a few key points on which it is worth for everyone to reflect on:

How do we gather the relevant insights for our competency grid?

Self-reflection is definitely a great starting point to evaluate your skills in a timely and purposeful way, based on your current requirements and/or those related to a specific stage of your business. It’s useful to think about the lessons learnt from a project or an activity and identify things that went particularly well and others that might

need to improve as well as how these factors are related to a specific skill set.

It may also be helpful to benchmark yourself against other entrepreneurs who might have a similar business to yours, operate in the same sector as you do, follow a particularly interesting development path or simply have an inspirational profile. Even though we all have a unique growth path, it can be both motivating and insightful to look at someone who successfully achieved what we aspire to.

Considering that it is usually difficult to make an inclusive and completely objective selfevaluation, it is also important to gather feedback from those around you who might have a different perception and useful and impartial insights on your skills.

How often should I assess my skills?

Now more than ever, skill assessment should be an ongoing process that enables us to review our

competences often and accurately so that we can adapt to the changing requirements of our business and respond to new needs in our sector and the wider business environment.

Which skills should I assess?

As entrepreneurs, we need to consider a range of skills that should ideally be as comprehensive as possible so that we have the tool kit necessary to face the daily challenges that may emerge across different parts of our businesses. A useful method could be to breakdown different skill sets based on:

. the context:

. personal development (for example, improving your negotiation skills);

. requirements related to the specific stage in your company’s lifecycle (for example, acquiring competencies to support an internationalisation process: linguistic or intercultural skills, marketspecific information and so on);

. sector-specific knowledge (for example, gaining a new certification needed to operate in your .field);wider socio-economic environment (for example, acquiring knowledge on NFTs or cryptocurrency).theirnature:.technical

know-how: knowledge about a product, piece of machinery, sector and so on;

. soft skills: relationship building skills, conflict management, team management. their relevance, urgency and importance:

. short vs long term requirements;

. traditional vs emerging skills sets.

In particular, this last point refers to the importance of exploring skill sets that may not be directly or immediately useful but are seen as key for the future of an organisation (like for example the use of AI). Based on personal experience, I’d recommend identifying at least one skill set that pushes you outside your comfort zone because we never know what could be a source of inspiration or useful knowledge to encourage creativity and innovation, and help us develop a competitive advantage.

What are the key advantages of using a competence grid?

A competency grid is an easy way to create

an overview of your skills and related levels of competency against the current needs of your role and your business. In particular, it helps:

. develop awareness about your strength and .limitations;identifygaps and areas for improvement;

. prioritise specific activities depending on their importance and the resources available.

Setting development objectives: plan for strategic adaptability

Once you have created your competency grid, it is important to act on it and work on the priorities that you have identified. In my opinion, it is essential to find the right balance between the need to structure your skills development plan and the importance of keeping a certain level of flexibility and adaptability to the rapidly-changing surrounding environment. Your development does not happen in isolation so it needs to be constantly reviewed in light of changing priorities, variations in the resources available (time, money, support available) and alignment between personal and organisational needs.

Having a structured approach is an effective way to build an action plan and hold yourself accountable for its implementation. However, do not let the plan stop you from shifting your focus, should the circumstances require it. In addition, it’d be particularly useful to identify short- and long-term skills development goals, taking into account the different nature of the competences that you may need to acquire and the time you have

ThereChallengesavailable.isnodoubt

that this may seem a very daunting task, requiring a considerable time investment that, as entrepreneurs, we simply don’t have. Or at least we feel we don’t have because we get bogged down on too many day-to-day tasks that prevent us from focusing on strategic learning and skills development.

This exposes us to the risk of getting into a repetitive series of routine tasks that lead us into the false assumption that the only option to save precious time is to stop learning. However, as the Buffett formula highlights, it is important to get smarter and go to bed knowing a little more than

the day before. Many successful business leaders like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates set aside time to read, learn and reflect every day. And in the words of one of my early-career mentors, ‘…if Buffett and Gates can find the time, you can too!’.

Is the hard work really worth it?

As a big advocate of life-long learning, my answer is a resounding yes. And let me give you a few of the many reasons why it is. Continuing to assess our skills and identifying areas for further development help us:

. acquire the skills to connect the dots and combine old and new knowledge to be innovative;

. build the confidence necessary to face any challenge and seize any opportunity;

. be able to lead successfully in a non-linear organisational context;

. develop a competitive advantage to stand out among the competition;

. stay current in our post-pandemic, post-modern VUCA environment;

. be a role model and represent the excellence within your field.

Learn how to learn

There is no doubt that to keep working on your skills you need to put in the effort but there are ways to make the process efficient and, even more importantly, enjoyable. These are a few factors to consider:Learning

styles. One aspect that is often overlooked is that we all have different preferences when it comes to how we learn. Finding the right way of acquiring knowledge can have a positive impact on your time management.

Range of learning tools. We live in an age when there is a wide range of opportunities to learn new skills, not just the traditional, formal programmes. This makes it easy to learn little and often, instead of having to commit considerable amounts of time, effort and financial resources.

Focus on priorities. Ultimately, it is about your specific needs and those of your business so tailor your skills acquisition plan so that you focus on what is truly important and can add value to your work.Develop the right mindset. Regardless of how much we keep learning, we should not be expected to have all the answers and all the

solutions needed to face the ever-changing working environment. So, the most important skill to acquire is learning how to learn and developing a mindset that enables us to make timely, informed decisions with the often limited information and competences we have. In addition to specific skills sets, the key benefit of embracing continuous skills assessment and learning is that it widens our mind and provides us with new perspectives and points of view and helps us process high volumes of information quickly and effectively so that we can navigate times of uncertainty and instability.

Key takeaways

In conclusion, if I had to identify the key points that I would like you to take away from this article, I’d recommend that you:

. Make skill assessment and development an intentional action point.

. Plan strategically but stay highly adaptable.

. Don’t acquire skills for the sake of it, learn how to learn.

. Leave your comfort zone and widen your growth zone!

Top Employability Skills for 2022

Finding a job can be challenging. Different employers are looking for different skills, skills you may or may not have. It is important that when you are looking for work, or if you are looking to hire, you understand what skills are important to the role in question. In this article we will be going over some of the top employability skills for this year.

One of the skills employers are looking for is leadership. If you possess the leadership skill, you are able to take control, responsibility and lead your team in projects. But it isn’t all about being in charge, to be a good leader you have to be able to boost the confidence of those around you and keep people motivated. Maintaining an uplifting and efficient environment is also an important component of being a good leader. To be a leader you must have patience and be an active listener in order to deliver and respond to feedback. If you are leading a team it is important that, as well as delegating responsibilities, you also listen to what your team needs from you.

The next skill is especially important, in terms of finding a job. Your communication skills really can be the tipping point, they can be the decider when it comes to your interview so make sure you develop these skills. Communication is the key to successful and smooth function in your workplace. Being able to relay information effectively between yourself and the people you work with is crucial, as is your ability to interact with customers who are the focus of your business. It is important that when you are looking for employment you develop your communication skills as interviews rely very heavily on the way you present yourself, the way you speak and what you say. This can be your selling point when it comes to finding employment.

Within the workplace, anything can happen. Your ability to adapt is crucial, and adaptability is a skill that your potential future employers will be looking for. Your ability to ‘go with the flow’ so to speak, is really important. So the ability to overcome and solve problems outside of your comfort zone, which is challenging but can be an important tool in the workplace. The better you are at adapting the more suited you are to fit a leadership role. But adaptability isn’t just for leaders, being able to change what task you are working on to fit the priorities of the business is a great skill to have. Adaptability is a skill that applies across the board, in any job role. Embracing change and motivating others around you is going to see a rise in productivity so it’s clear to see why this skill is desired by employers.

Another one of the top employability skills at the moment is creativity. In short, creativity is a way of thinking that challenges people to find innovative solutions and create opportunities out of challenges. Thinking outside the box sets you apart from other applicants and will make you a valued member of your team. Developing your creativity skills will boost your problem solving skills which will prove beneficial in generating success for yourself and future employers.

Self management or management in general is a well sought after skill by employers. Being organised means you are more committed and focused on tasks and you also understand the importance of control and balance. Your ability to manage documents or even other members of staff is important for a leadership role which as mentioned before is desired by employers. Developing and practising self-management skills can help you improve your workplace performance and positively impact your career development. On top of self management it may also be important to consider time management as a skill to hone in on. Making the most of your time in the workplace can be beneficial to your experience.

There are of course more skills employers are looking for and skills that you can develop. It may be necessary for you to research your employers and industry to figure what skills you will need to develop.