Decisions

The end of Growing Talent for 2019

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Our Graduation on 16 December marks the closure of Growing Talent for 2019.  Thanks to the funders, it will be back in 2020 with 6 new programmes confirmed.

 

As we approach closure of this year, I reflect back on the trials and triumphs of 2019 for Growing Talent.

First the trials!

January 2019 we kicked off with the new format of Growing Talent – reducing down the time spent training in the vacant role with the employer from 10 weeks to four.  The Orientation and Holistic weeks remain the same. This has caused a few concerns.  For those people who have multiple barriers to employment, four weeks isn’t always long enough to grow in confidence to be sure the end role is the right role.

JobCentre Plus has been restructured with leads who knew Growing Talent well moved to different roles.  This has meant a vastly reduced support from East, West and North London districts.  Unfortunately, this meant we lost an excellent employer with great roles based around the M25.

With the full roll out of Universal Credit, JobCentre Plus has little contact with unemployed people who just need a confidence boost.  Each JobCentre is authorised to display what posters they want.  With so many of their own Government programmes, Growing Talent posters were never put up!  Therefore, those people submitted by JobCentre Plus often have more barriers to overcome in their quest for employment.

 

Now the Triumphs! – which for me eclipse the trials!

From January – December 2019 we had 34 unemployed people start Growing talent from all social, educational backgrounds.  Out of these, 27 completed Growing Talent and secured their permanent jobs.

 

We had our first father and son success story!  Referred by a friend who secured their role on Growing Talent in 2018, Navin applied and secured his role with Mitie based at Embankment Place.  Navin introduced his dad Nalin to me.  A fascinating career with diverse experience including a long tenure supporting the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to London!  After multiple senior management roles, Nalin decided to retire.  When he realised it was too early and he wanted to return to work, he encountered employers looking at his past experience rather than what he wanted to do now.  After an introduction, Nalin started a night role as hotel manager with Club Quarters.  He told me last week he’s now secured the day role he wanted at another Club Quarters Hotel and is very happy!

 

Bernie who was on the same Growing Talent with Navin, wanted to go to Canada and see a bear.  He told me a few weeks back he’d achieved his dream.  Bumping into the Graduates of Growing Talent and seeing them achieve their goals and grow so much is awe inspiring.

 

I know from the feedback all participants give me at each stage of their journey, Growing Talent has literally changed their lives.

 

The triumphs far outweigh the trials!

 

BBC London People – #GreaterLondoners ……..

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Really proud to be nominated to @bbclondonpeople Instagram project #greaterlondoners.

 

Although the journalist got a few things wrong, including it was an unpaid week trial I did for the accountant not paid it made me reflect on what I have achieved.  Through the Real Apprentice and its successor Growing Talent, I’ve got over 600 people into permanent full-time jobs – literally changing their lives – as they tell me.  All with barriers.  All without the confidence to secure a job the traditional route.  One of these, Shennell, nominated me for this #greaterlonder project. #proud #humble

 

I drew on my experience years later when devising the Real Apprentice which run from 2004 to 2013 and won multiple awards including the best of Europe to Growing Talent – 2014-Present.

 

It’s amazing the difference we can make to others without realising the impact we make.  I’m guilty of not reflecting on what I do enough.  I believe most of us don’t reflect on our actions and affirm just how great we are!

 

Take time to nurture yourself.

Check out the feature below:  

London Chamber of Commerce – what to expect?

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After four years of running my business delivering Growing Talent and Mental Health/Wellbeing programmes, I felt the time was right to increase my business awareness, network with like-minded organisations and ultimately grow Growing Talent to get even more people into work from diverse backgrounds.

 

Quite a big membership fee for a ‘one man band’ organisation but the events and knowledge LCC showcase they deliver on their website should make this cost-effective.

 

I guess you only get out what you put in!

 

My first networking event is on 6 June 2018 so not long to wait to see if the proof is in the pudding or not!

 

If there are any fellow members out there – I’d appreciate your top tips!

 

Update – 8.6.18 – for the first half hour I wondered what I was doing there!  There was no staff to direct, no kind of instruction manual – although I now understand there is an introduction session for new members which kicks in a couple of weeks joining!  So we were all in a large room with team/coffee etc and left to our own devices with colour coded badges – although not everyone had been given the key to the colour coding.  Equally, I was wrongly coded as a PR company! How many others were wrongly coded as well?  A couple of people I spoke with told me they were not renewing, others said they had grown strong client relationships.  I guess more than one event is needed to form a true opinion!

 

 

Life skills from the Navy Seals…..

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Admiral William H McRaven gave an insightful life lessen in a graduation speech in 2014.  Key points came from his basic seal training back in 1977 and is highly relevant today……..  You can track down the film on You Tube…

If you want to change the world – or just your part in it:

Start with making your bed.  what was the point of daily bed inspections?  To set the bar.  If you can’t do the little stuff – you’ll never do the big stuff. It sets a positive note for the day – you’ve completed your first task!  If nothing else, you’ll come home to a well made bed!

Learn how to paddle! A boat will only travel efficiently if everyone works together.  Know when to ask for help. The ‘munchkins’ where the best paddle team.  From different backgrounds, different statues, all had heart, worked together and won the challenge.

Get over being a cookie – for failed uniform inspection, seals had to go in the water then roll in the sand – called ‘cookie’.  They then stayed in this all day.  Many couldn’t take this constant failure and dropped out.  They missed the lesson of failure.  You have to keep going.

 

Embrace the circus: for failing a physical challenge, a Seal had to do two extra hours.  Embrace it, it builds stamina.  The lesson is you will fail and sometime fail often but keep going, it builds stamina and resilience.

 

Go head first – sometimes you have to do things a different way and dive in.

 

Face down the bullies – Seals are trained to stand their ground when swimming in shark infested waters.  If a shark circles – punch it hard on the snout – it will swim away.

 

Be the best you can – especially in the darkest moment.

When you’re up to your neck in mud – start singing! – The power of hope.  It takes just one person and spreads quickly.  Think of Washington, Lincoln, King, Mahala

 

Don’t ever ring the bell!  In Seal training, there is a brass bell which people ring  to give up.  Never give-up.  Keep going you will succeed.

 

“Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today.”

“It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation, or your social status. Our struggles in this world are similar and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward—changing ourselves and the world around us—will apply equally to all.”

“Changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it.”

Some great lessons for us all………..

Mental Health First Aid – Lite

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Just been retained to deliver three workshops for 60 people in total for a global organisation with HQ in London.

 

With diverse backgrounds in the room, these should be an effective training sessions!

 

Lite is an introduction to the full Adult First Aid course.  It covers:

 

  1. Languages & Mental Health Issues
  2. What is Mental Health
  3. Mental Health Problems
  4. Supporting people in distress
  5. Managing our own well-being

 

Covering 3 hours, the course is designed to be a taster in understanding this complex subject.

Don’t ask…….don’t get – the power of partnerships

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With budget cuts and staff restructuring, it’s always difficult identifying, building and sustaining lasting business relationships.  Even more so in the public sector where new joiners generally receive a one year only renewable contract!

 

Running Growing Talent, I have a solid foundation of central managers from JobCentre Plus supporting the programme who know it very well.  The testing times come when local personnel get involved with little time to understand it.

 

A unique situation arose this week.  For the first time a Growing Talent Associate will be going into an international role.  A passport is critical.  How does someone who has been unemployed for a decade plus afford passport photos, let along the passport itself?

 

Negotiations commenced.  As a passport is essential to the end role, JobCentre Plus are able to cover all associated costs.

 

hallelujah!  Could you image the madness of someone not getting off benefits into a sustainable job due to the cost of a passport?

 

Surely our JobCentres should have the brief and funding to cover whatever an individual to secure a permanent, full-time job.  This could be a toolkit,  office clothes, shoes or passport even!

 

I know as a taxpayer funded organisation JobCentre Plus is accountable but am I the only taxpayer that would be happy to see more people go into work supported with whatever they need to do so?  It’s surely cheaper than a lifetime of benefits!

Ouch! Lesson Learnt!

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Whenever I tell people I have my own business, they always think it’s a breeze.  Of course, these are generally people who are employed and just see the ‘glamourous’ side of being in control!

 

Being in control is very attractive, don’t get me wrong.  As is the responsibility.  Chasing and winning business.  Devising and delivering an employment programme or mental health/well being workshop which is well received is hugely satisfying.

 

I have the best job and know from the feedback forms my work benefits people and really makes a difference.

 

Of course everything is about ‘balance’.  The downside to running your own business is no paid holidays or sick leave.  Corporation tax, VAT and personal taxation.  All with looming penalties if not paid on time.

 

But the biggest downside to me – the ‘ouch’ moment is trusting the wrong people/company.

 

I always thought working with a large company – national or global was a strong indicator of integrity and ‘on time payments’!  After all – brand reputation is key. Isn’t it?

 

However, I’ve learnt the size of a company is irrelevant to their intention to pay.  After two solid months of chasing a global company for payment of my invoice following a completed job in early January has been ignored.  Now I have no alternative other than accept they are not going to pay and write the money off as a bad debt.  Maybe the lesson is larger companies have the financial clout to fight court cases and delay payment as long as they want.

 

What has been most disappointing is the directors I dealt with in the months leading up to the work I carried out for them have not paid the invoice themselves and then put through on expenses – they’ve just said ‘there’s nothing we can do’.

 

So, what is the lesson? for me despite the research, signed contract, signed authorised costs if a company doesn’t want to pay, there are few options for a small business to take.  The only remedy I can see, is not work for the company concerned again, but also check myself against thinking every new business will be as dishonourable.

 

We have to take a chance, don’t we?

EU – Referendum – In or Out?

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There is a lot of rhetoric for both sides in the media.  With the pound already dropping against other currency it’s clear uncertainty, as with all things, breeds panic and a knee jerk reaction which is often wrong.

 

Instead of talking ourselves into or out of staying in the EU, lets take a moment to reflect on the facts we know – not the rhetoric – of both arguments.

 

Rather than be led by the loudest voice, why not research ourselves the in and out arguments?  Isn’t it better to weigh up all possible scenarios and calmly cast our vote?  The danger of not thinking the facts through could mean:

  1.    We vote for the wrong ‘side’
  2.    We don’t vote at all.

How can we moan about the result if we don’t use our vote?  For women, how can we look ourselves in the mirror knowing our predecessors fought and some died for our right to vote and then we don’t use it.

 

Don’t be led by the ‘pack’ one way or the other.  The voices of doom for both sides will be plentiful over the coming weeks.  Instead, stop, breath, reflect and make the choice that is right for you.

 

This is a once in a generation opportunity.  Let’s not waste it!