The World of Property Investment….

Growing Talent 12 (www.growing-talent.co.uk) is now firmly underway.  Reports so far are all good.

 

Yesterday I visited Sebastien who has a background in sales, abroad and at home.  With a passion for property but no experience he was a strong fit for Invest In Buy To Let who selected him to join them via the Growing Talent programme.

 

Two weeks in – the shine is not wearing off!  Cold calling, researching and evening events have meant Sebastien has been able to work with multiple people and learn quicker in situ.  He’s building his own client contacts and formulating strong relationships.

 

Luckily, Silin from Growing Talent 10 works for Shane, one of the directors in his other business Create A Business.  Based at the same venue, she can give Sebastien the encouragement doing the programme demands.

 

It always amazes me how some people write off those who are unemployed without knowing their stories, personalities etc.  Everyone on Growing Talent has to work full-time – often unsociable hours – for no money other than their benefits.  Grated, at the end there is a permanent job on offer where both employer and new employee have a confident match.  But the journey to that goal can be quite gruelling – especially the longer you’ve been out of work or the more negative, discouraging voices you have around you!

 

It takes a lot of tenacity and integrity to complete Growing Talent – definitely not for the faint hearted!

ENEI – Great News!

Heard last night that Growing Talent has been shortlisted for an ENEI (Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion) award in their Community Impact category.  Winners will be announced at the Law Society on 14 July 2015!

It’s strange to think when I wrote the entry back in March, 20 people had gone through Growing Talent and secured permanent jobs.  By the time the announcements come round, it will be 41!

It is a great encouragement to the employers who have been involved including Harrow Green, Iron Mountain, Pertemps, Aramark, Baxter Storey, Mitie, Portico, MHFA, Red Personnel, Sheridan Maine, Network Compucare, Honeywell, UpTownOil, JobCentre Plus’s management team and of course PwC to continue, grow and develop Growing Talent over the coming months and years.

Any awards won endorse the programme and encourage others to get involved.  Coupled with the online advertising on Daily Mail, Telegraph and Guardian websites through the month of June and the Evening Standard feature – which I’m now told will be published on 11 June – the word is definitely spreading!

The story in pictures………………

team

Comfort, Sophia, Holly & Jason – pilot

20140814_165445

Mikele, Jordan, Nirosana, Sholape, Anthony, Chris, Samick, James & Caroline – 2nd programme

Stairs 2 Latimer

Andy, Matt, Kavita, Mo, Madi, Ariane & David – 3rd programme

cropped group

Michael, Kit, Selwyn, Kaith, Daoud, Joshua, Sinead, Michell, Max, Jane, Courtney & Jess – 4th programme

Chris and the guys

Gavin, Chris (now a presenter!)Alenchenu, Jose, Bradley, Camilla, Shanika, Reese, Alex, Shennell, Jason & Reece – 5th programme

Getting Growing Talent out there…………………..

Shamefully, I’d always thought people working in media, advertising agencies etc were ‘lovvies’ who didn’t really work that hard.  How wrong was I!

I learnt so much in the second meeting with the media agency yesterday.  Publicizing something is a science!  The cost for paper adverts is astronomical.  Where do you start with social media – it’s like a black hole!

Thankfully Initiative know what they are doing.  Lots of ideas and options were buzzing around the room.  It’s so difficult to put Growing Talent into a box.  It needs to be highlighted to both employers and the unemployed.  Unfortunately, they rarely look in the same medium.  This is quite a task we’ve set Initiative.

The Christmas break will give time to think about different options.  Looking forward to the next meeting in January to see the three ideas – Bronze, Silver and Gold versions – from Initiative – what a great name for a media agency!

Ending the week on a high!

Well, after thinking I wasn’t going to get many employers interested in the next Growing Talent programme, one gave me 5 permanent jobs yesterday! Now I go forward with 14 jobs including two for Basingstoke and one for Manchester! Once the PR team get to work on Growing Talent and it’s’ out there’ – the jobs should roll in enabling more unemployed people to get back to work and start controlling their lives!

 

On this high, I’m off to a meeting with one of these employers – a global front of house service provider – to discuss mental health in the workplace.  This might be a bespoke programme or the global MHFA first aider course.

 

Mental Health and Employment – my two favourite things at work.  How lucky am I?