Some incredible opportunities confirmed – some from new employers taking part in Growing Talent for the first time!
Disrupting the traditional recruitment route.
The Growing Talent collaboration delivers a partnership of mentoring to someone who has lost their self confidence.
You’ve likely heard the phrase:
“It takes a village to raise a child”
9 years of running Growing Talent has shown me it takes a multi-stakeholder collaboration to nurture people into permanent jobs, when they can’t see the talent within them, where they not only grow their career and make a difference to their employer but are empowered to be the best they can be for their friends, family and community.
More roles are expected over the next week for this London based initiative.
Yesterday I was invited to present the benefits of Growing Talent to Inam’s teams at JobCentre Plus covering Wandsworth and Putney.
Sharing the unique aspects of this established programme with work coaches enthused to learn and share with their customers looking for a different way to get into work was empowering.
We all carry labels in life. Some we covet – employed, home owner, holiday maker, car owner – but others are thrust on us: unemployed, single parent, homeless, care system leaver, domestic abuse survivor.
These labels are heavy to bear, especially when we can have more than one label to carry at a time.
Overtime, we can feel more and more invisible as our confidence diminishes.
It can be like being in a deep dark pit with no ladder to start climbing out. Growing Talent is that ladder.
Together confidence and self-empowerment starts to grow, then flourishes throughout the journey until people have the self-belief and tools to take control of their lives back, make decisions and fly! Growing their job into a career is seamless opening up lifelong opportunities.
Growing the collaboration of Growing Talent with new stakeholders is exciting.
Monday night saw the relaunch of Growing Talent at the London HQ of our host and sponsor PwC.
With over 90 people present the pre-event networking was a hub of energetic networking. Interspersed with ‘OMG it’s been so long’ as ex-Growing Talent Associates over the years met-up for the first time since their journey began.
In addition to these awesome people, guests included members of JobCentrePlus, senior management of DWP, community organisations including SLAM, Southwark Care Leavers and Breyer Foundation as well as employers – veterans of Growing Talent and those new to the collaboration – looking to find out more.
The co-ordinator of Growing Talent kicked off proceedings explaining what Growing Talent was and when it started, why, in their view, it is as important today as when it started, the social value it has delivered and the benefits to all taking part.
We were incredibly lucky to have Ian Elliott, Chief People Officer at PwC join us to share why social mobility programmes like Growing Talent are so important to the Firm, why they support these initiatives and how important it is for businesses to engage with their local communities to gain innovative talent to grow effectively.
Following Ian, David senior manager from DWP, a long-time staunch supporter of Growing Talent, shared why they support Growing Talent when it is not a Government programme.
Following David, were the stars of the event – ex-Growing Talent Associates Charlie-Ray and Rehana – sharing their experience, where they were at the start of their journey and where they are now.
From a starting point of no confidence nor direction at the start of his journey on Growing Talent, Charlie flourished and won promotion to his current position as Senior Welcome Host with Portico leading a team of 30 direct reports!
He’s taken ownership for a lot of diverse projects nationally, including a secondment for a number of weeks to help mobilise a new regional office ensuring new staff feel they belong and have a strong sense of connection. This secondment was meant to be a one day trip!
Rehana was next to share her roller coaster journey on Growing Talent. Working with Portico for a few years as Welcome Host following completion before returning to full-time education to study to be a Counsellor – a long held passion.
But how to fund such an intensive course?
Rehana started her own craft business ‘Sealed with a Stitch’ selling crochet items within the UK and internationally – ideal for corporate gifts, unique birthday presents or to mark a special event.
Easter Bunny example of Rehana’s work during Covid!
Rehana juggles this business with her position as a Counsellor supporting vulnerable people with Headstrong.
Charlie and Rehana both shared the power of what saying ‘yes’ to someone can have.
Neither of them would have been recruited by their employers in a traditional recruitment process – but look at the awesome talent that would have been missed!
Allen, Head of Information Management Services at PwC as well as lead for Growing Talent at PwC, was last to speak and share his personal experience of supporting Growing Talent over the last nine years, from holding roundtable discussions on basic finance considerations to being a judge on our previous social enterprise challenges.
It was powerful to listen to Allen share his thoughts of meeting the Growing Talent Associates at the start of their journey and see the empowering transformation they underwent. He still sees many working in the PwC offices continuing to grow every day.
It was fantastic catching up with some of the ex-Growing Talent Associates and learning of where they are now…..
Chloe and Sophia joined Growing Talent virtually during Covid in August 2021.
Several promotions later for each of them, they are still working for PwC and ‘so happy’ – their words.
Sophia is now Team Leader and PwC Support Specialist coaching and developing many team members into other areas of PwC’s business. Sophia shared she can now make ‘grown-up’ decisions on investments and pensions.
Chloe is now an Executive Assistant organising and supporting her managers delivering projects.
In addition to clearly loving their careers, both shared how making their children proud of them was a powerful realisation.
L-R – Stephan, Miyuki from ISS, Kieron, Bernie of Swiss Post Solutions, Anna – JobCentre Plus lead who has taken countless early morning calls to sort out any issues participants were experiencing over the years, Charlie-Ray of Portico, Navin and Jamie of Swiss Post Solutions with Chloe & Sophia – PwC.
The ripple effect of the positive impact on those around the Growing Talent Associates is clear. One example, Navin shared the huge recognition his dad, Nalin, received from his employer recently (met on Growing Talent in 2019). Nalin has won so many testimonials from guests and colleagues over the years, the hotel recognised this commitment by awarding him a visit to New York taking his wife and Navin along for some shopping and sightseeing! How great is that?
Of course, I had to get in the photos too!!!!
The post event networking went on longer than anticipated with wonderful bitesize canapes and drinks. Thanks to the team at Baxter Storey especially the particularly tasty beetroot bites!
Employers were buzzing about what roles they could ring-fence to take part in the next programme and community groups were thinking of the awesome clients they could refer.
It was certainly a night to remember!
The Growing Talent story continues…….
Let’s recap the benefits so you can decide to get involved:
Potential applicants
No cvs nor job descriptions = no assumptions.
Mentored to grow into a permanent role which you can turn into a career
Empowering orientation and holistic week which includes a qualification in positive mental health before going on the employers site
Retain your benefits, have all fares paid and get paid by the employer during the mutual ‘test drive period’
Be confident the role, employer and team is right for you
Start to believe in the talent you have within you
Cost free robust pre-onboarding process aiding retention
Differentiator with competitors in commercial bids
Fish from an innovative, diverse talent pool to grow some awesome new talent
Confidence the match is right before making a permanent hire
If you are an employer with vacancies to fill in London, why not recruit a different way? Contact me for more information or see https://www.growing-talent.co.uk/employers/
What are you waiting for? Experience the power of saying yes!
A big thank you to all organisations including Pertemps, MasterFix Properties, Swiss Post Solutions, ISS@PwC and Aviva, ISS UK & Ireland, Office Concierge, Honeywell, Portico, Baxter Story, senior management from PwC, ex-Growing Talent Associates, members of DWP and JobCentre Plus, community groups including SLAM, Breyer Foundation and Southwark Care Leavers who gave up their personal time to attend.
A very special thank you to Adrienne Simpson who juggled her ‘day job’ as Allen’s Executive Assistant with organising the whole event start to finish – Ads – you are a superstar!
Our Growing Talent event on Monday 16 January 2023 in London has some awesome confirmed speakers.
Some senior management from our global corporate sponsors – including a Partner from the Exec Board! A senior, regional manager from Department of Work and Pensions, an energetic double act from one of our staunch employers who have been with us from the start nine years ago and two people who have been on the Growing Talent journey themselves.
Rehana has built her own successful online craft business providing unique crocheted gifts as well as becoming a qualified Counsellor and Charlie-Ray oozes positivity to all around him – team, guests, management as Senior Welcome Host in a global corporate.
Both know the life-long power Growing Talent delivers. It really does make participants see their talent within, step into the light and shine knowing they have control of their lives and the opportunities ahead of them are truly limitless!
Exciting meeting with @DavidSteeds & @Maddiemum @JCPinSthLondon yesterday planning @Growing_Talent 2023. Four programmes will run throughout the year enabling forward planning for all involved. Targeting London based employers and unemployed people looking for a different journey into work.
In these challenging times, now more than ever this unique collaboration is needed to deliver positive results to all.
Thanks to all involved over 9yrs Growing Talent has run changing lives by delivering real social mobility
What will the next year hold for Growing Talent?????
Who knows! One thing is for sure, we’re ready to roll that bowling ball!
I have delivered multiple mental health and wellbeing licences courses for clients keen to empower their teams in this critical area.
The introduction of ISO45003 – psychological safety in the workplace – in September 2021, coupled with the legacy of Covid left on many has seen an increase of interest in this area.
But how many organisations continue to keep engaging non-accredited, reactive, non-global uniformed programmes because:
It’s the product they’ve always used – (without exploring if it worked maybe?)
The product has ‘First Aider’ in the title (without evaluating if the resulting knowledge makes someone capable of being a ‘First Aider’)
I-act training is, by comparison, head and shoulders above the competition in this field, in my opinion. It delivers so much more, including:
Global delivery virtually – delivering uniform knowledge with local support resources
Accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Carried CPD points
Training in over 50 tools for proactive self care that can be used reactively on someone experiencing emotional pain
Robust manual for onward learning
Access to resources, news, films as well as international news in this field for the entire 3 years accreditation
Bespoke course for managers – which includes legal responsibilities
Bespoke course for non-managers
The feature picture above shows a recent group of newly accredited Practitioners from a leading UK University. An additional consideration for their commissioning organisation was the fact this accredited course would give them the ‘edge’ in their career search as a key differentiator. A great session sharing & learning together critical, accredited life skills for the workplace and beyond!
Learning proactive mind muscle building techniques ensures we are better able to look after ourselves as well as those around us.
What’s not to like?
Why would employers choose anything less for their most valuable asset?
If you are interested to learn what difference this training could make to your employees, why not contact me direct to find out more….?
An amazing, energised webinar this morning arranged and hosted by Linzi and Carolyn of Military Coworking Network to introduce Military Reboot.
This awesome organisation set-up for and run by partners of serving armed forces personnel to empower them to have independent professional lives alongside their military life.
Military Reboot aligns well with this mission. Collaborating together on a week long journey of workshops including finance, wellbeing, nutrition, communication, assertiveness, and the accredited, global @ Iact_training course. Coupled with robust manuals for onward learning, Military Reboot’s goal is to empower, reveal and release that hidden, sometimes invisible talent all partners have..
Lots of interaction from the audience, especially Lucy and Vikki.
Our inaugural programme commences 16 January 2023.
Deadline for applications is 2.1.2023. If you are a partner of someone serving in our Armed Forces – why not take up this free opportunity?
Fantastic meeting today re-connecting with employers who recruited prolifically in the early years of Growing Talent with many of the then hidden talent they brought into their businesses, still flourishing there years later!
New recruitment gurus – Ed looking after Baxter Storey’s talent and Laura, leading Portico and Searcy’s recruitment, we explored the ethos of Growing Talent and it’s alignment with the integrity, nurturing and social mobility core of Ed and Laura’s respective companies.
Looking forward to the relaunch event on 16 January 2023. If you are an employer, based in London, contact us to find out more.
I’ve been working on a new project for a number of weeks focussing on collaborative empowering of the spouses, partners and adult children of currently serving UK Armed Forces personnel.
The Armed Forces in the UK, rightly, have the spotlight of support and training on them. They have taken the decision to protect the UK’s security.
The power behind them, did not. Without strong families supporting their loved ones, who are also our Armed Forces personnel, they can’t completely focus on their role.
But what about that often invisible power? Who puts the spotlight of empowerment on them?
On meeting Carolyn and Linzi from Military CoWorking Network, I discovered a kindred passion for the same thing. The organisation is run by spouses and partners of all Armed Forces for their peers. With classrooms on military bases to virtual workshops, all kinds of inspiring training is delivered.
The Military Reboot page on this website gives more detail on this exciting niche area.
Military CoWorking Network are hosting a webinar towards the end of November for their membership where I will share the content of Military Reboot and the planned start date in January.
Sneak Peak!……..
This morning was a rollercoaster of emotions – mainly frustration! – that arrives from trying to compile an information video to introduce Military Reboot when technical av software is not my forte!
Luckily, I practice what I teach!
For years I have been practising non-negotiable proactive self-care in short timed windows throughout my day to calm my mind which in turn has built the mind muscle essential when emotions run high to challenge the negative thoughts that automatically arise.
Finally, after cutting too much video, reinstating it, then cutting too much audio, I felt a sense of satisfaction when I finally uploaded the film to Vimeo for Military CoWorking Network to share!
After a full-on orientation with Lee and Lily on Growing Talent 31 they ended this stage of their journey by completing the global, accredited, workplace designed Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing course.
The orientation chapter of Growing Talent’s 31st programme is now completed and a new chapter begins – their mutual test drive with their respective employers to see if the permanent role ring fenced for them is a great fit for both parties.
Check back to see how both get on with #Honeywell and #ISS.
Jane James's Consultancy Limited 