A great meeting with Anna & Bal from South London Job Centre Plus this morning to discuss the promotion and support for the next Growing Talent programme in September.
A date for the diary of anyone London-based looking for work!
Fed-up of being ‘ghosted’ when applying for jobs?
Time to disrupt things?
Why not join us? We’ve got proven success over 10+ years of getting people into work – and not a cv in sight!
If you are over 18 – no upper age limit, want to work in London and are seeking a job you can grow into a career – check out the carousel attached.
If you aren’t looking for a job yourself, but know someone who is, pass it on!
9 points you’ll learn if you read the carousel to the end – up for the challenge?:
1. You don’t have to leave your home/favourite coffee shop 😀 2. Instead of a cv…. 😀 3. PPP – all about you 😀 4. What’s cool about slow dating? 😀 5. 1-2-1 meetings 😀 6. Workplace and life skills 😀 7. Talent Hub 😀 8. When to apply 😀 9. Reassurance – Jane knows what she’s doing & she’s bloody good at it! 😀
Absolutely no ghosting in sight!
Are you ready to join us in a little recruitment disruption?
Everyone can relate to the self-doubt and negative self- chatter unemployed people have when seeking a job. How can you showcase the skills and ability you know you have to employers when the loud voice in your head is screaming ‘you don’t belong here’?
This was the foundation of why I wrote Growing Talent and why it’s been successful for over ten years.
Growing Talent is designed to pull employers and applicants out of their respective comfort zones. Disrupt their expectations of the ‘norm’. No cvs, no formal interviews = no assumptions and the revelation of the most amazing talent languishing on the ranks of the unemployed. Talent that with a little empowerment could add so much value to business, their communities and themselves.
First thing is to make the employers feel a little uncomfortable – only fair, right? The panel picture above shows Adam in the spotlight from our sponsor’s sharing his journey to his current role and why the sponsors have supported Growing Talent for so long.
Then Mark from Baxter Storey shared his journey from a safari guide in South Africa to the work of HR in the UK – definitely not straightforward!
James was next from SPS UK & I, now a manager with a team to manage, James began his journey in a similar place to the applicants on a programme I ran then called the Real Apprentice. As an 18 year old, it was tough nailing timekeeping – but he did it…. eventually!!! Over the years James has recruited many of his team from Growing Talent who have gone on to establish great careers.
Megan shared her journey from education to the world of admin with CIS Security.
Lastly Gina shared how she joined CIS Security not really knowing anything about that world but with a hunger to learn she gained knowledge of all areas of the business and now runs a team nationally. Gina has recruited and encouraged a number of people from Growing Talent.
We then had a Q&A session with the employers before they left which we had a discussion on how tough it is to get a job when others make assumptions about our labels and worse still, we believe those assumptions.
Then came the part of the day that most applicants dread – the London Challenge. Working with strangers to devise an idea to benefit Londoners and then present it to the employers with less than an hour to prepare is pretty daunting. Of course it is. I don’t know many managers who would be willing to step up to the challenge.
Of course, the applicants nailed it! After delivering their presentations they have the proof they can do more than they think they can.
First to present was Aurelien and Sujibomi with their idea to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Sharon and Tanice followed with their idea to give young people some direction and positive role models with their Youth Clubs plan.
Daphine & Zaniyah shared their vision to tackle some of the Housing issues for tenants in Southwark. Why not get the contractors to teach the tenants how to look after their properties? Zaniyah spoke about the safety for tenants living amongst addicts. Why couldn’t a property be assigned for addicts to use safely? Unfortunately, I was holding their notes behind the judges so couldn’t take a snapshot of them in action!
Siddik and Owolabi’s idea was to enhance food banks. Owolabi volunteered in a food bank and realised some things were missing. Lots of restaurants and cafes locally threw a lot of food away. Why not open the food banks to take in this food? Why not devise simple recipe ideas for people to use donated ingredients? Owolabi didn’t hesitate to step up and deliver alone when Siddik became a little overwhelmed.
Finally, Peter and Grace shared their thoughts on Crime – particular knife and phone theft. Sharing some stats and ideas to combat both.
Throughout the presentations sitting at the back willing his team on from Southwark Care Leavers was Matthew – the guru of empathy and encouragement at SCL.
Next came ‘networking’ – doesn’t everyone hate that word? Sounds so difficult to do but change the word to ‘chatting’ and it becomes very doable!
Everyone ‘networked’ together for half an hour, laughing, smiling – where were the nerves now?????
Before we ended with a group shot of the employers, applicants, chief cheerleader from JobCentre Plus Anna and the guru himself Matthew.
So, who will choose to return for the first stage employer selection on 16 June? We wait with bated breath!
Growing Talent‘s ‘getting to know you’ event for applicants and employers ahead of the selection stages.
Mark BaxterStorey, James SPS UK & I, Gina & Megan CIS Security Limited met the awesome applicants including Tanice, Sharon, Siddik, Sujibomi, Aeurlien, Zaniyah, Peter, Grace, Owolabi & Daphine.
The heart of the session was the London Challenge. Imagine having to work with a complete stranger to identify a problem within London’s communities and devise a solution to present to the employers – WITH JUST 45 MINUTES PREPARATION. Could you do that?
Our amazing applicants didn’t flinch. Rising to the challenge we had 5 thought provoking themed presentations including:
💡 The cost of living – giving people the knowledge to navigate this era.
💡 Youth Club – revitalising a heart of the community hub to give young people a place they truly belong
💡 Problem housing – giving tenants the knowledge and tools to look after the homes better and improve their health – repairs, mould removal, decoration etc
💡 Foodbank – developing these crucial lifelines connecting the community and hospitality businesses with more food, recipe and nutrition options
💡 Crime – smashing the rise in mobile thefts and knife crime with more outreach, role model, a different life path
More about these fantastic ideas tomorrow!
The overriding feeling from the applicants was how different Growing Talent is to anything they’ve experienced before.
What none of them realised is just how amazing they are. Their commitment, drive to work together and willingness to step out side their comfort zone are all qualities employers want.
Growing Talent enables the individual to be seen, not be judged by their label.
A big thank you to everyone behind the scenes 👏 👏 👏
Growing Talent is lucky to have strong collaboration ties with employers, #JobCentrePlus, community groups and the hidden talent of the unemployed people in London.
All share the common ground of enabling unemployed people to secure a job a different way, which they can grow into a career and close their own social mobility gap – permanently.
Over the 10 years it has run, multiple people have proven this and climbed their career ladders. Compared to where they started, the difference is as strong as that between night and day.
Confirmed employers for this round – our 39th programme – include:
There is still time to join these insightful employers if you have a role in London to fill.
But, the clock is ticking! ⏰
Deadline is 9am on 6 February. DM me for more information
A huge thank you to our insightful employers, #DavidSteeds team at #JobCentrePlus, Rob Matthews (Anna) their partners in the community, Matthew Izekor of #SouthwarkCareLeavers and our unemployed applicants who collaborate together to do things differently 👏 👏 👏
CIS-Security, ISS, NG Bailey, Portico, SPS UK & Ireland, choose innovation to discover new talent for their businesses.
After a couple of inspiring weeks during which we held a getting to know each other event, London Challenge – ideas to make London better, employer spotlights – insight into recruiting businesses and managers, networking over bags of nibbles, and finally1-2-1 meetings – the results are in!
We welcome Antoinette, Filsan, Mark & Yohana to start the next stage in their Growing Talent journey – the Orientation and Holistic week! Starting Monday, we will explore workplace and life skills, effective communication, making better connections, the power of EI, understand and manage unconscious bias, even an art class!, before finishing with a qualification in the global pro active i-act (for positive mental health and wellbeing) training. Mental Health Training course aligned with ISO45003.
Check back to see how this awesome quartet gets on.
Meanwhile, over in our innovative new Talent Hub, some awesome talent who didn’t make it past the selection stage – before any judgement, some employer offers were made and declined – will collaborate and explore their journey into work, empowering themselves and learning tools to build their resilience with weekly virtual workshops starting 4.11.24 for eight weeks.
So, in 2025 – will you choose traditional or innovative to secure your new talent?
Thanks to our applicant referring organisations who also jumped into innovation to help their awesomely talented, but currently unemployed people including:
Many in the wrong job will know that Sunday night feeling of dread.
Boomtown Rats had a No 1 hit about this very subject back in ’79.
At Growing Talent – we LOVED this Monday! Our 38th Employer Speed Dating event – aka 1st mutual stage selection.
Uniquely, this followed an in-depth ‘getting to know you’ event held for the first time last week – so there was already a connection between candidates and employers. Takes the heat out of nerves a little.
Conversation flowed. As did the laughter and smiles. Who thought recruitment could be this much fun?
In small groups, Antoinette, Dejanae, Elizabeth, Filsan, Hosil, Luliia, Leena, Mark, Jibrail, Niketa, Rahime, Riaz, Sarah & Yohana met the employers again from SPSCIS Security Limited#NGBailey, ISS A/S & Portico to get to know each other a little more.
Feedback on the new format from employers and candidates was 100% positive – so it’s a keeper!
Next steps are currently being decided by the employers – so the suspense for our awesome candidates continues a little longer.
What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been mobilising the latest Growing Talent which sees the launch of a new format where applicants and employers get to know each other BEFORE the selection stage.
Let’s take a look at the numbers:
71 applicants referred by JobCentre Plus and Southwark Care Leavers requested the virtual Zoom information session.
36 talented, currently unemployed people joined the virtual presentation to learn the new format, additional resources available to them and the benefits they will get from participating.
17 registered to attend the next stage on 8 October!
Employers, get ready to meet some awesomely talented people on Tuesday!
Cocktails, for me, should be visually exciting and have discernible flavours.
Songs and films are incorrect – although potentially great titles!
Cocktails is potentially correct in the right coffee brewer’s hands! Read on.
They are just some of the awesome coffees on display at Extract Coffee London just off Bermondsey Street.
I’d been invited by @Growing_Talent’s sponsors to pitch the programme and additional resources on ADHD, @I-Act and general team empowerment training to their supply chain held yesterday at this London gem!
Arriving early, as usual, Veena gave me 1:1 insight into Extract’s beginnings, their credentials, their partners – at home and across the globe, their connections with organisations focussing on enabling those who need it to close their own social mobility gap through skills training ready for the world of employment. Which led nicely on to the science of coffee.
You may have heard of WSET – home to the Wine & Spirit Trust – whose qualifications are sought after by the hospitality industry as well as individual wine enthusiasts. Did you know there is a science to coffee too? I absolutely didn’t. I was shown the various different beans, how they are produced by farmers and used in Extract’s coffee in different ways.
Did you know the mainstream coffee shops use only one type of coffee bean?
Some coffees are great for gut health and have a lot of fibre in – who knew!
Seeing the areas used to train people in the diverse world of coffee production, learning the different careers available and the industry awards on offer showed the passionate, social inclusion core of Extract Coffee – and the public can even buy their unique coffees and teas on line! Amazing.
The pitch to the supply chain went really well with lots of questions and engagement.
After the team – including award winning Chloe – showed how coffee can be used in the composition of cocktails and mocktails. Of course, I had to try the martini! I love a fancy glass.
Check Extract Coffee out online and make a difference whilst enjoying your unique cup of morning coffee
