The Ambassador - July 2022 by Ready4work

INTERNSHIPS WORK EXPERIENCE A NEW WAY OF THINKING

BE AN AMBASSADOR

Issue Three: July 2022

www.schoolofthought.info

WHAT’S INSIDE Features Schools out

Internships by Autotech

Tim’s Day out

HR Strategy – Salary Squeeze

A Clear Vizion

UK Garage & Bodyshop Event

A Sustainable Future

GO4ward Project

Career Wales

Hayley Pells joins the team

School of Thought Conference

DISCOVER OUR CORPORATE PARTNER PROGRAMME

SCHOOL’S OUT Apparently 1996 was the last skills crisis across the UK . The industry is talking about us having a Skills Crisis now, but has it ever really gone away?

Having been doing some research for an article, we knew it was coming back in 2014, probably even before! 75% of British businesses believed a significant crisis would hit the UK in the following 3 years from 2014. No one knew about the global pandemic or Brexit then…so have we always had it or is it now an excuse for resting on our laurels? Getting people with the right skills, particularly young people has always been a challenge. England ranks in the bottom of countries where literacy and numeracy is an issue with 16-24 year olds. Brexit I think is “sort of” done. The Pandemic is still going and I believe won't go away, so even without these factors we were never going to continue an upward trend on economic growth, without fixing these issues. How many businesses particularly in our Industry/sectors do training etc because they have to, not because they want to… whether its to gain work or pass an audit, without actually realising that this is just a small part of what they need to do to bridge the gap? With the 2021/22 School Year coming to an end it’s pretty clear that schools and colleges have stepped up their career activities and their students are either leaving school, going to college or university or starting an apprenticeship. Many of them will be coming out of colleges of FE and will be now in the market for their first job.

We need to encourage businesses to raise their ambitions and invest more in workplace learning and ongoing skills development to help fill the vacuum that Martina Milburn describes. School of Thought (Automotive) are trying to do the right thing to help address the balance and shortfall. No sector is excluded, no people, groups, age range, gender, culture or ethnicity are excluded from what we are doing. If you really want to make a difference, join us as an Ambassador or a Partner or just help spread the word. Our campaign #stepup22 is all about doing the right thing and stepping up to give others their opportunity to step up and step into Automotive. If you know anyone or a company that would like to be part of the solution get them to contact either Julie or myself. Everyone is welcome. www.schoolofthought.info dave@aready4work.uk julie@ready4work.uk

Martina Milburn, chief executive of the Prince's Trust, said at the time "The current economic recovery is encouraging, but in order to sustain this growth, businesses needs to invest in the next generation to avoid a skills vacuum." www.schoolofthought.info

TIM’S DAY OUT In May, I attended Lakeside Community Primary School, to take part in an activity called "What's my Line" (Guess My Job). I joined some more volunteers and we were all asked to bring along a prop that linked to our jobs. We assembled at the front of the school hall, in front of about 180 schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 11 years old. We then introduced ourselves to the students and, with our guidance, the children then tried to guess each of the volunteers’ jobs by asking some yes/no questions. We gave the children a clue by showing our props linked to our jobs. We then revealed our jobs and explained how we use the props we brought along. The students then asked us questions all about our jobs/careers. I took a brand new spraygun kit with me, which intrigued the children and, once they discovered what it was for, they asked me several questions, such as "have you ever repaired a car that has been on its roof?", "how many colours are there?" and "what was the best part of your job?" It was a fun session and the children were very engaged with all the volunteers, which also included a Design Engineer and a Carpenter. Tim Marshall – BMW Bodyshop Development Team Manager & School of Thought Ambassador

Well done to Rachel Murray, Paint by Rach, Bodyshop Awards Paint technician of the year and School of Thought Ambassador talking to the world about career opportunities in the industry and meeting up with another School of Thought Ambassador Jason Lea, Strategic Account Manager at BASF

School of Thought Ambassadors go Global

Vizion Network conceived the Green Earth Initiative in 2021 to help it’s repairers with carbon compliance, green energy, energy procurement and devising ways to reduce carbon and it has now received buy-in from the first of it’s insurance partners. Aviva and Hastings Direct are the first to adopt the initiative within their own businesses as well as the digital technologies and new thinking that drives it. Green Earths aim is to change the way that customers are handled, the options they are given and the impact these choices have on the planet. “Ultimately we need to deliver the best we can for the environment above all” explained Chris McKie, Vizion Network’s Managing Director.“ it’s also an opportunity to change our thinking around some of the common and repeated but not necessarily needed or really valued requirements for our day-to-day business” “Amongst the first areas to be looked at is courtesy cars which we have become so used to supplying but without giving customers an alternative choice” he added. “By opening up this thinking and by involving our insurer, manufacturer and repairer colleagues with the customer, it has given us a huge platform to do things differently.

Under the scheme’s courtesy car exchange, customers can opt to plant trees instead of having the use of a vehicle during the repair. Already the initiative is replacing more than 100 courtesy cars each week and Chris believes this could increase to 300 per week before the start of the summer. We’ve had some great feedback form repairers and customers already and this will only increase as more of our partners connect with the process said Chris. “More than 10 percent of customers are seeing more value in planting a tree and walking, cycling or lift sharing than taking a courtesy car and they are happy about it. Yes it would be stupid to say there will never be a problem or a change of heart from time to time but, at the moment, this is nothing but good news” An expert industry team is being assembled to help, monitor and develop the initiative as it expands into other areas with Aviva and Hastings Direct providing the first Green Earth Ambassadors.

Commenting on his involvement Simon Smith, Managing Director and Aviva Repair Lead Solus ARC said: “It is our collective responsibility to meet our customers needs of today and their children’s needs for tomorrow and to protect the future for generations to come. Aviva, Solus and I take this responsibility seriously. “The Green Earth Initiative is a great way to collaborate, to reduce carbon in the repair process and to help connect with our customers. It is great to be involved with Green Earth, and a welcome addition to our net zero journey. David Carter, Commercial Director & Strategy Director, Hastings Direct added: “We all have an important part to play in reducing carbon in the repair process, and it’s great to see customers voting with their feet and wanting to support that. This is the start of a new, exciting way of looking at how we support repairers to reduce their environmental impact which benefits us all.

“Ultimately we need to deliver the best we can for the environment above all” explained Chris McKie, Vizion Network’s Managing Director.“ it’s also an opportunity to change our thinking around some of the common and repeated but not necessarily needed or really valued requirements for our day-to-day business”

School of Thought and Career Wales have been working together through the year to promote Automotive Careers to students in Wales and will be supporting even more events in the new school year Career Wales help young people to plan their careers, prepare for work and apply for the right courses, apprenticeships and training.

My Future

Employers

Education and Teaching Pro fessionals

My Future includes easy to read careers information for young people who are working up to Level 1.

We can provide support for recruitment, redundancies, and can help you work with schools in your area.

Get information and resources to support careers and workrelated experiences (CWRE) in education settings.

Parents

Getting a Job

Apprenticeships

Information for parents, guardians, and carers, including resources, tips on helping your child to make career decisions, and details about the services we offer as your child progresses from education to employment.

Help with CVs, application forms, personal statements, interviews, finding jobs, approaching employers and more.

Apprenticeships are a great way to gain qualifications while you work and earn a wage. Find out more about apprenticeships, search vacancies and more

Autotech Academy Internship Autotech Academy helps newly qualified light vehicle and body repair technicians into their first job and offers: • A paid internship lasting between 3 & 12 months in a garage or maintenance repair employer • Pay you a monthly wage between £9 & £11 per hour • Equip you with a brand new toolkit, which you get to keep when you successfully complete the internship • Offer you additional training • Provide you with ongoing support and a mentor at your work placement to help you with your daily tasks • Interested? Speak to the team today For more information contact us: www.autotechacademy.co.uk 01234 240503

TAKE YOUR CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE YOU CAN TRUST

The award-winning Independent Garage Association is the largest and most prominent representative body in the Independent garage sector. The IGA helps independent garages to thrive in all aspects of their business by offering advice, information and services which ensure that the independent service and repair sector can remain efficient and competitive in an increasingly complex business landscape. We understand the challenges independent garages face and our mission is to help keep you ahead of the game and continue working effectively in an ever changing marketplace. We have worked tremendously hard in recent years to provide a truly outstanding package and, as a team, strive constantly to improve the membership proposition by working with you to provide new and improved ways to help.

HR STRATEGY HR SYMPOSIUM School of Thought held a successful on line HR Symposium with some powerful messages from Julie Eley CMIOSH Stephen J. Whitton. Founder of [M]enable. Speaker, Event Host and Stephanie Crudgington BA MA MCIPD about recruitment and the need for change in the industry. The attendees have a real passion for the industry as do we. If you missed it there will be arranging more. We launched our Disabilty Aware video highlighting the opportunities for our industry to get involved. #recruitment #people #opportunities #change #stepup22

FORUM

THE SALARY SQUEEZE The idea of feeling valued as an employee is just as important for people as the salary they take home, with 22% of people who switched jobs in the last year doing so because their previous employer didn’t make them feel valued enough. People are also continuing to look for a sense of fulfilment in their work, aiming to do something that feels meaningful to them in the hours they dedicate to their careers, with 15% of people who have recently changed jobs saying that they did so because their company’s purpose didn’t align with what they wanted out of their role.

Almost two fifths (37%) of people feel compelled to look into changing jobs within the next year in order to find work that better covers their living expenses.

Working more Almost a third (30%) of UK workers who are currently on a part-time contract are looking to move into full-time work to earn more money, while the same amount have already taken on extra shifts at work. Nearly two fifths (17%) have recently taken on a second job in order to make ends meet. It’s no surprise, then, that over a quarter (28%) find themselves spending less time with their families because they need to dedicate more time to boosting their income.

Looking for a new job For those who feel their current salary doesn’t stretch to cover their living costs, unsurprisingly this is leading many to look elsewhere for work. Some have already taken this step, with over a fifth (22%) of people changing jobs in the last year. It’s not just changing jobs, but changing careers altogether which proves popular, as workers look for better work-life balance (27%), career progression (23%) or for a higher salary (22%).

Almost half (48%) would find a job in a different sector if it meant they’d get paid more. Essential workers are even more likely to feel this way, being twice as likely as nonessential workers to have left their job in recent months in pursuit of better pay in a different industry (10% versus 5%). A further 12% of essential workers have accepted a new job within their sector since the beginning of 2022, compared to 4% of non-essential workers. For employers, in particular those employing essential workers, clearly this could lead to a gaping hole in their workforce. This is on top of already commonly cited labour shortages in these key areas of the UK economy.

Impact on employers Business success

Conclusion

The impact of the rising cost of living on employers will have a domino-like effect on their staff. Considering their businesses, almost half (48%) of Senior Decision Makers are worried high inflation will lead to an increase in overheads such as rent, while a quarter (26%) expect their profit margins will decrease.

Living costs will continue to rise in the months ahead, which could drive more people to search for work in industries that can offer higher salaries. For employers, this means striking the balance between attraction and recruitment strategies while investing in existing staff, not only through yearly salary reviews but through training and equitable compensation packages that go beyond take-home pay.

On top of this, a quarter are concerned that higher costs will stall back to office plans. The welfare and financial security of staff Many businesses will be conscious of where a high cost of living leaves their staff. A fifth (21%) have concerns about the potential for rising redundancies, while 37% are wary of the hit their staff’s quality of life will take in today’s economy.

Employers are prioritising the welfare and quality of life of their staff, which shows how many leaders are already stepping up to the plate to create a transparent, supportive working culture. Businesses and workers alike will be keeping a keen eye on actions at policy level, to see what support from the government could look like in the face of high inflation.

Retention and competitive salary

In the meantime, open dialogue, equitable salaries, flexibility and understanding will be key. Not only will these areas help staff to navigate a tough financial period, but these focus areas will boost staff loyalty and ensure that the job offers on the table work for the people who will face the most disadvantage in the face of high living costs.

Previous Totaljobs research pointed to retention being the third biggest challenge for employers (28%) for the months ahead, and it’s clear rising costs are already exacerbating this. In this latest research, retention is the second biggest concern for employers when thinking about the impact of high inflation on their business (38%). This is linked to how confident they feel in being able to provide competitive salaries (28% worry they will not be able to), while the same amount (28%) think the rising cost of living will inhibit their ability to offer pay rises. Even though the majority of employers are rising to the challenge, 16% of businesses are not taking any measures to help staff with the rising cost of living. This could have a knock-on effect on staff morale and engagement in the long run. If financial factors are causing stress, employees are more likely to be disengaged with their work, and could see their mental health suffer.

Considering their businesses, almost half (48%) of Senior Decision Makers are worried high inflation will lead to an increase in overheads such as rent, while a quarter (26%) expect their profit margins will decrease. About the research This information in a section of a survey which was conducted by Censuswide, in two samples. A first sample of 4,027 respondents who work full time or part time in the UK (aged 16+). Within this group, there are 2,307 essential workers, 565 essential workers on part-time and temporary contracts, 1,696 public sector workers and 172 nurses, bus drivers and public carer. A second sample of 1,004 senior decision makers within UK companies (aged 18+). Fieldwork for these samples was carried out between 24th February – 1st March 2022. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

The Automotive Careers Expo

In association with

18-21 August 2022 at Farnborough International.

The British Motor Show is proud to announce that the Automotive Careers Expo will return to the show in 2022. The expo will be hosted in The IMI Technology Zone and will be taking place across the 4 days of the show, delivering seminars and sessions from manufacturers and industry suppliers showcasing the fantastic opportunities that the industry has to offer. The event will specifically focus on showcasing the vast variety of opportunities the British automotive industry has to offer and aims to attract new talent into the industry from schools, colleges and universities, as well as promoting the industry as a forward-thinking and positive place to work for those looking to re-skill. School of Thought, manufacturers, retailers and suppliers will all be on hand, with interactive stands and staff available to chat to visitors about the wide variety of opportunities available, from apprenticeships right through to re-skilling in areas such as design, tech and marketing. We’ll be publishing more details about the day’s programme in the near future, in the meantime you can get your tickets to the show HERE or please contact us if you would like to exhibit in the Automotive Careers Expo. www.thebritishmotorshow.live

The British Motorshow attracts visitors from all over the UK. If you want to put your business on the map, and support School of Thought contact the organiser or email Dave Reece at dave@ready4work.uk

Get Your Tickets Here

School of Thought teamed up with Automechanika in Birmingham for the Garage and Bodyshop Event.

We had a great two days in Birmingham meeting some of our amazing School of Thought Ambassadors and even signed up a new member of the team the amazing Hayley Pells

School of Thought Ambassadors 18th-21st August Farnborough International Exhibition Centre

If you haven’t had time to visit a local school or college here’s a great opportunity to meet students, parents and educators and have a great day out at The British Motorshow. Come and join the team!

CARS – STUNT DRIVING – TV STARS – TECH ZONE – EDUCATION EXPO – SUPERCARS

David Elliott Technical Quality and Improvement Manager at Belron International and School of Thought Ambassador

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT AMBASSADOR ABROAD. I was privileged to attend the Best of Belron event in Barcelona where I was able to meet our Technicians, Coaches and Judges from all over the world. As well as watching their professionalism, I was also able to present all of the Belron businesses working with the IMI, a plaque recognising their status as an Approved IMI Centre. Along with 17 other countries, I am pleased to see this plaque has made it home to Carglass France where Olivier, one of our IMI Assessors, proudly shows the plaque in front of the Bosch DAS3000 ADAS recalibration equipment.

Well done to Carglass France and all of the other Belron businesses working with the IMI.

Work experience is an important way to engage with students in schools and colleges and gives them a taste of the workplace and our industry. School of Thought have started a Work Experience Project with Sandwell College. Hopefully this will enable young people to meet employers and be a first step in their careers.

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OVER 100 CAREERS EVENTS SUPPORTED BY SCHOOL OF THOUGHT AMBASSADORS

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Automotive Careers Ready4work.CIC supporting TEENTECH at MIRA MTI

It was great to become a TEENTECH Ambassador for a day and help young talent from local school with their amazing tech challenges. The winning team of 14 year olds had developed a charging system in the road for electric cars. What TEENTECH do TEENTECH run lively initiatives with a supporting Award scheme to inspire the innovators of the future. They support teenagers in gaining skills, experiences and connections to guide them into contemporary careers and give everyone the chance to reach their full potential. They work collaboratively with companies, universities, business organisations and education business partnerships to build sustainable and imaginative programmes focussing on regions of greater social need in the UK and Europe. They are an award winning charity, founded in 2008 by Maggie Philbin and Chris Dodson to help students see the wide range of career possibilities within science, technology and engineering. The programmes are structured to guide students through key academic choices with a coherent journey through age appropriate interventions and continued opportunities even beyond our initiatives to gain experience, knowledge and skills. TEENTECH have won several awards including Best Engineering Event in Science and Engineering Week and has been recognised for the quality of our work to improve diversity by WISE, who presented CEO Maggie Philbin with an award for Best Outreach and Engagement. The alumni shine nationally and internationally, acting as powerful TeenTech ambassadors, helping thousands more young people recognise and develop their potential.

What do you get for being a Corporate Partner with School of Thought (Automotive)?

If you are a large business you may want to be a Corporate Partner because it's "the right thing to do", to connect with education and create your own internal ambassador programme, hold and attend events to attract new talent - We can do all this for you, plus promote you in social media, at our events and more. If you are a smaller company you may want to use your partner fee to access competent person H&S advice, support with performance and capability, wellbeing programmes, soft skills training, business improvement, support with tenders, business continuity plans, business risk assessments or policies & procedures...whatever you want it's your choice, plus you can "top up" if you require anything else you feel you need. Don't forget some of our ambassadors are specialists and can provide additional support to you - normally at "mates rates" for being part of the School of Thought/Ready4work community.

If you want to join us, we would love to hear from you. Why not join Mirka (UK) Ltd, Carlac Ltd, Solera, Audatex, IGA and Vizion Network, in shaping our future and making a real difference. to the whole Industry, for everyone.

Without new talent Automotive stops - without Automotive the world stops Contact julie@ready4work.uk or dave@ready4work.uk for more information #stepup22 #nextgen #fantasticfutures22 #talent #automotive #skillsgap #generationgap #partners

Whilst there is no legal obligation for a person to disclose a disability unless under exceptional circumstances, for example if seeking promotion or change of environment. The Equality Act 2010 protects them from having to disclose their disability. This creates an impasse as 80% of disability is classed as invisible (Neurodivergent) which makes it impossible for employers to make necessary adjustments to support those individuals in the workplace. At School of Thought our expert and latest addition to the team Sue Allan is beginning to develop our own programme GO4ward to address these issues. We are doing this in consultation with experts, outside agencies, employers and individuals with disabilities and long term health conditions This passport will be designed to fit young individuals in transition from education to work and also individuals of any age looking for employment or who are already in work but feeling unsupported. We are taking a social , holistic approach, focusing on the person first and the disability second. We want to open doors to sharing good practice thereby developing and joining existing support systems across businesses, promoting a positive culture and sound relationships in the work place.

GO4ward - the way forward.

THANK YOU AUTOBODY PROFESSIONALS CLUB. A huge thank you to David Cresswell and the team at The Autobody Professionals Club for nominated School of Thought as a charity sponsor to the biggest and most popular of bodyshop events The British Bodyshop Awards. Julie and I scrubbed up well and had a great time meeting old and new friends and most of our School of Thought Ambassadors and Corporate Partners. We’re looking forward to the next ABP event Night of Knights. See you there everyone.

OVER 100 CAREERS EVENTS SUPPORTED BY SCHOOL OF THOUGHT AMBASSADORS

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WELCOME our newest School of Thought Ambassador Hayley Pells MSc CAE FIMI It was a pleasure to meet our newest School of Thought Ambassador and support her amazing Ford Legacy Saturday Pit Crew at Bridgend College STEAM Academy. Wales latest multi million pound state of the art facility.

Each learner completed a ten week course of both practical and academic learning delivered both in person and remotely.

Haley says this particular group faced so many challenges and rose in spectacular fashion to each one, not sweating at any barrier and overcoming every set back with creative thinking and sound logical thinking. With young people like this we have a bright future in automotive, we just need to give them the environment they need to thrive.

It was an honour to present these young students with their certificates of achievement and with Haleys help look at how the Saturday Pit Crew Programme could be rolled out even further Hayley is a great addition to our ever growing team.

Working with your local STEM Hub is so rewarding. Everything from talks, CV’s and Interviews

Dave Reece – School of Thought

Why we do what we do!

With the help of almost 600 amazing volunteers such as yourself, we supported around 12,500 students through 92 School Events which we think is absolutely phenomenal. As we’ve told you when you’ve come to events, this was students’ first “normal” school year since the pandemic and so many of them were feeling anxious about their futures but mainly just speaking to people who were outside of their normal circle of influence. Your input has been essential to boost their confidence and communication skills and prepare them for the World of Work in numerous ways! of e variety “I liked th u nd uniq e different a at were careers th re all . They we d e t n e s e d r rep us lots an ld to , d in really k ugh.” made us la

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SCHOOL OF THOUGHT TEAM UP WITH THE BRITISH MOTORSHOW FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING.

The 2022 School of Thought Ambassador Community Conference.

Ambassadors ASSEMBLE Thursday 20th October 2022 ODEON LUX Nuneaton 10.30 – 14.00 After an amazing year put the 20th October in your diary and join us at the School of Thought Ambassador Community Conference and celebrate with us.

commUNITY Awards Our Ambassadors and partners are really making adifference so lets recognise them at our commUNITY Awards. No forms to fill in just send the nomination(s) to Julie@ready4work.uk with a short (100 words) reason.

Issue Three: July 2022

In association with