On 27^th February 2020, 106 Communications hosted another Early Careers Bootcamp.

Over 40 early careers employers came along, together with a few friends and partners.

Despite the wind, rain and sleet, we had a seriously good debate about some of the key issues facing early careers teams in 2020 and beyond.

Here’s a quick round-up.

 

The changing world of early careers

Featuring Jane Clark, Talent Collective

The world of early careers is changing.  Employers continue to contend with a changing mix of apprentice and graduate hires; although, as Jane reminded us, the hiring in both areas is pretty stagnant.  But there are some significant trends to bear in mind – the importance of engaging FE colleges in the apprenticeship mix; wellbeing of students; and the use of social media (or not) to engage students.

Some challenges for you:

• Handling the 45 days of work experience requirement of the T-level.
• Getting involved in the trailblazer groups for apprenticeships.
• Transition and engagement strategy around mental health.
• Workplace culture and how it is accommodating to early talent’s mental health needs.
• Ensuring your video content is kept real time and updated.
• Working harder to encourage real-time generation of employee-based content.

 

Will interdisciplinary learning revolutionise degree education?

Featuring: Marielle van Der Meer, London Interdisciplinary School

The new London Interdisciplinary School presents a new way of learning for students and a new set of skills for employers.  The ability to combine arts and science in a degree, and focus on the skills inherent in tackling complex problems, show a novel set of skills.  The new School plans to open new year; but it also opens up the question of whether employers should think in a similar vein.

Some challenges for you:

• Do subject-led university degrees really satisfy the skills mix you need?
• Should you programme be more focused on solving complex problems than building technical skills?
• How do you encourage more interdisciplinary learning in your own organisation?

 

Personalisation in Student Marketing

Featuring Jules Fader, Boeing and Jayne Clark, 106 Comms

Reviewing the many research reports in the marketplace shows a confused and often contradictory view of the motivations and behaviours of audiences; and as you focus more on specific skills sets and hard-to-fill audience groups, what information is really going to be useful?  Jayne and Jules showcased a new approach to personalised student marketing for female STEM students, which opened up new engagement opportunities and moved away from typical marketing generalisations.

Some challenges for you:

• How well do you know your audiences in those hard-to-fill areas?
• Have you developed meaningful personas to drive understanding?
• Are you open to questioning the way you position your programmes as well as your engagement?

If you would like to know more about the 106 approach to personalisation, do get in touch.

 

Panel debate: Graduates – Why bother?

Featuring: Kate Ross, IBM; Tom Banham, University of York; Jules Fader, Boeing; and Alice Foster, Development Beyond Learning.  Hosted by Jayne Cullen, 106 Comms.

Our panellists were asked the challenging question ‘Graduates – Why bother?’.  Why bother indeed when…

• Retention continues to be a challenge
• Our competitors poach them
• Apprentices are more loyal
• We need to spend our Levy?

Tom, Kate, Alice and Jules all passionately supported their decisions to continue investing in graduate talent because

• Of their diverse skills
• Graduates represent diverse talent from diverse backgrounds
• Businesses need a blend of talent coming in – both leaders and functional specialists

Some challenges for you:

• Is your graduate programme truly aligned to the needs of the business?
• Do you talk about ‘future leaders’ when really you’re looking for vitality hires?
• Are you measuring the success and value of your early talent programmes?

Want to know more about any of these key challenges?  Talk to Jayne@106comms.com

Interested in attending our next Early Careers event in May?  Email Shehra@106comms.com