School of Thought NEXTGEN 23

NE TGENX

AN EVER CHANGING WORK FORCE

The influence of GenZ, the first generation of true digital natives—is expanding

STEPPING STONES from

Tools Skills Hope Talent

Pledge a place

Helping employers to be prepared Giving students guidance

Giving young people hope is priceless

Giving them the tools to gain employability skills

Aimed at students leaving college

Young people in college have passion, drive and energy and are looking to the future. Qualifications are important but preparing young people, giving them the tools to gain employability skills, making them feel safe and giving them hope is priceless."

Body and Paint skills under threat

At a time when the generation and skills gap is widening, the perception is that Employers still want the "off the shelf" technician, who is ready made and able to hit the ground running. Reality is, so does everyone else and so the bidding war continues, with golden hellos, promises of promotion, huge salaries, added benefits such as life assurance, private health care and the list goes on. We talk about Amazon being a disruptor, in truth we are causing the disruption ourselves.

Why? Well we keep banging the drum about EV Technicians, its all about Technology and yes we do have a shortage right now, but by focusing just on these roles will not help the Body and Paint disciplines within Accident Repair. Talk to any College and they will tell you that MET disciplines are more popular and so are we creating the demise, the death of Body and Paint?

Well Body and Paint Technicians will always be needed, but we are in danger of losing qualification routes in for young people. If Colleges cannot fill the courses , if they are unable to place students the measure of success is weakened, they are likely to lose funding and close the doors for new talent.

Aftermarket do not embrace Work Experience - it's put in the "too hard tray". Citing health & safety as one of the reasons why it can't be done, poppycock (always wanted to use that word in an article), my background for the last 30 years has been health, safety and education of young people through apprenticeships/traineeships. Then the old, well we don't have time, they can't do anything apart from clean up or my best Technician won't be productive as they have to look after them - please stop putting barriers up. These views are antiquated and don't belong in the technological revolution which Automotive now is.

Stepping Stones is for school and colleges to prepare young people, it is only small in comparison to what T Skills will bring and as an Industry we rarely offer placements to students at School and College. T Skills will become one of the main choices for Students after GCSE's, along with apprenticeships and A levels and includes work experience hours.

40% of young people drop out of Automotive apprenticeships because it's not right for them or the employer, they may feel they are mistreated, the workplace culture is poor, they may feel unsafe and unsupported, their expectations were not met or they are simply not learning. This is our chance to change this revolving door of Technicians and Talent moving on.

If you want any more information about School of Thought (Automotive) or the Stepping Stones programme contact julie@ready4work.uk

Nothing to lose (except new talent) and everything to gain.

On the Road

What a busy February and March we had at School of Thought supporting Apprentice Week and Careers week all over the country and careers events organised in schools and colleges and two national events in Newcastle and Cardiff..

School of Thought have attended over 200 events in the last two years and it was a pleasure to have IRG, Steer Group and Solus join us at events this year promoting careers in the industry and looking for their future stars.

These events were attended by many companies from a variety of industries and are becoming more popular with employers. Now realising that getting out there and meeting students is the best way to influence and guide them when looking at their career options, so its important automotive are there doing the same.

Students, teachers and parents are unaware of the variety of job roles available in the industry and these events allow us to promote all these opportunities

AN EVER-CHANGING WORK FORCE

As of 2021, Millenials make up the majority of the workforce but Baby Boomers are now retiring in droves since COVID-19 began, but the ‘Gen Z’ population has been doubling yearly

It’s easy for hiring managers to look over young Generation Z talent. After all, many of these candidates might be the same age as your children. It’s hard to not think about your own son and daughter and think “Are they really ready for this?” Don’t let age bias stop you from extending an offer letter to great talent. While some might think these potential hires don’t have the drive or skills to succeed, this way of thinking couldn’t be further from the truth. “Gen-Z” talent is tech-savvy, passionate and motivated to make positive changes within their work spaces and the world around them.

Is Generation Z for Me?

By 2030, the number of Gen Z workers is expected to triple. You are going to need to appeal to Generation Z in order to ensure your organization’s livelihood. There are a handful of benefits that come from actively recruiting young talent. These include a diverse team, better company culture and an eagerness to prove themselves.

TikTok…TikTok…When and How Do I Court Generation Z Talent?

Generation Z is the generation of instant gratification. Growing up in the digital age, these young people have been raised on mobile technology and innovation. Gen Z candidates will expect you to make a hiring decision within a week of their first interview. If your time-to-hire is too long, you might be throwing great candidates back into the talent pool for somebody else to catch.

77% of Gen Z job seekers say that a company’s level of diversity hiring affects their decision to work there

Companies need to ensure they have ethical hiring standards, sustainability policies and eco-friendly practices.

4000+ Attendees

in Newcastle and Cardiff

School of Thought attended our first UK Careers Fairs in Newcastle upon Tyne and Cardiff we took some friends with us from Steer Automotive, StudySmarter and Innovative Repair Group (IRG).

Digital learning platform revolutionises early careers recruiting

For recruiting and employer branding of young talent, successful companies rely on StudySmarter, a Munich-based EdTech company that is becoming the central point of contact for the educational landscape. Not only do millions of learners achieve better grades through the app, but companies also have the opportunity to direct their job offers directly to students and pupils. Desired future talents are therefore reached before they enter the labour market, while they are studying, giving companies the option to communicate with future talent before they are considering their future career.

More than advertising

Companies that work with StudySmarter consistently see conversion rates far above Social Media benchmarks and better CPCs than industry standards. Thanks to these partnerships, pupils and students receive free access to countless educational content and tailor-made job offers. In return, companies benefit from the opportunity to tailor their career opportunities to the talents of tomorrow. In this way, StudySmarter bridges the gap between education and employment.

Sam Bailey – Senior Key Account Manager

Companies that work with StudySmarter consistently see conversion rates far above Social Media benchmarks and better CPCs than industry standards

The recipe for success: vision, technology, expansion

StudySmarter was named the best learning app worldwide in 2020 and helps learners achieve their individual educational goals.

94% of users achieve better grades with the app. The entire learning process is integrated into the platform as an all-in-one solution, regardless of socio-economic conditions/backgrounds.

StudySmarter is completely free for its users and currently has over 12 million users globally and almost 2 million users in the UK alone.

StudySmarter offers the opportunity for School of Thought to reach talent of the future via its highly targeted filtering options without wasting marketing budget, even before they complete their exams/degrees or consider their career options. As a result of the combination of recruiting, employer branding and active sourcing, there is huge potential for companies to tap into this undiscovered talent

More than 600 of the world's leading companies already promote their career offers into the platform across Europe. Numerous global players such BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen as well as hundreds of medium-sized companies and training vendors already rely on StudySmarter as part of their early careers recruiting strategy and School of Thought have now joined this prestigious list.

Why is it so popular

StudySmarter offers learners the opportunity to turn their documents into individualised and interactive courses and share them with others. In seconds, all teaching materials can be converted into digital flashcards, notes, quizzes, subject-specific documents and much more.

In addition, the company offers its own content created by a multi-professional team and aligned with curricula and final exams, and also co-operates with leading publishers in the industry. The learning experience is also optimised by artificial intelligence. In this way, users with similar interests, learning priorities or demographic characteristics can be identified, networked and suitable learning materials suggested.

With similar technology to Netflix, Amazon & Co, learners are automatically recommended relevant content and study sets based on the subjects they are learning and the most popular content used by other students studying those subjects. Despite distance learning, learners can prepare collaboratively and optimally for their upcoming exams. With its technology and functionality, StudySmarter has succeeded in being one step ahead in digital education.

The StudySmarter app consistently appears in the top 10 of education/learning apps within the app stores and at times has even appeared ahead of WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok & Co. 95% of users said their learning was more efficient and structured using StudySmarter

For more information and to find out how StudySmarter can help you please contact:

sam.bailey@studysmarter.co.uk or call on 07385 203907.

https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/for-companies/

StudySmarter offers learners the opportunity to turn their documents into individualised and interactive courses and share them with others

Congratulations to our very own School of Thought Ambassador Matt Fynn.

He not only completed the Wild Horse 200 Ultra Marathon in extreme conditions but finished in 4th place in a very competitive field of ultra marathon runners.

He was ably supported by another of our ambassadors Richard Reece who crewed for the whole event

Matt was competing to support Bowel Cancer UK and you could support his efforts by donating on his justgiving page. https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/matthew-fynn1

Every picture tells a story

School of Thought and Autotech supporting schools and colleges – Internships a different way.

We have been working with School of Thought for a number of years. They are always willing to engage with the High Schools in Cardiff, both mainstream and special schools and delivers excellent talks and workshops.

School engagement has included involvement in large regional career fairs, career carousels, workshops taking place in schools and career talks. These activities have involved working with a range of year groups and abilities and Dave always adapts his sessions to suit. Dave and his ambassadors continued this support through school closures during Covid lockdowns and supplied excellent career films for teachers to show pupils while pupils were working at home. These films included personal stories from young people working in the trade and an excellent ‘walk and talk’ of a working garage.

School of Thought are happy to work in schools in different locations which ensures pupils from different schools get the opportunity to learn about the automotive trade.

I look forward to working with School of Thought and their ambassadors in the future – thanks for your support!

Adrian Cole

Cynghorydd Cyswllt Busnes | Business Engagement Adviser Gyrfa Cymru | Careers Wales

Calling all automotive businesses in Wales

If you are looking for the next generation, then why not contact School of Thought and come along to the school careers fairs and engagement events organised by Career Wales. Just email me dave@ready4work.uk

You need new talent– so just #Stepup

One of our School of Thought highlights in 2022 was supporting a Career Wales event at Woodlands Special School in Cardiff as part of our GO4Ward to work programme.

The Innovative Repair Group and Susan Allan our in house Senco and special needs expert joined us for the day.

Students took part in activities including air brushing, a vehicle identification quiz and design your own car after a talk about the careers the industry has to offer.

They were all then given the opportunity to have their picture taken with the star of the show our School of Thought Ford Mustang convertible.

Following on from the event Phil organised a site visit for several students.

A huge thanks to Adrian for Career Wales and the staff at Woodlands School for setting everything up and Phil and Sue for being amazing with the students

Showcasing the industry in schools and colleges all over the UK is what we do. Connecting students to local businesses is about creating a pipeline of talent for the future.

A School of Thought Partner

School of Thought supported our Corporate Partner Vizion at Vizion Kinetic in the Telford International Exhibition Centre, which brought together over 1,000 attendees based both nationally and internationally from bodyshops, insurers, vehicle manufacturers and industry professionals, making this the perfect event to jump-start new connections and rekindle old ones.

Kinetic showcased The Vizion Network and the industry, providing the opportunity to connect, learn and be part of the future, showcasing the industry of today and what we can expect tomorrow and continue to be part of something very special, combined with 80 plus exhibitions, live demonstrations, lots of tech, vehicles and a packed conference with great presentations and insights

Our School of Thought stand was busy for the whole two days meeting old and new friends to showcase our Legacy programme to the Vizion Network of repairers and the wider collision industry.

The shortage of people coming into the industry is at a critical point and we have to have a long term plan because there is no quick fix, working with Chris and the Vizion team we will make a difference to the future of this important and highly skilled sector in the coming years.

The School of Thought India Foundation is all set up and ready to go with the mechanical, body and paint curriculum, courses, college and equipment all in place.

The 25 students have all enrolled and raring to go.

All we need now is to raise £5k for the tutors to deliver the courses.

School of Thought have created the curriculum and course content with the help of Paul Sewell from Chesterfield College and had virtual meetings with the department of education in the Tiptur region and the tutors.

We have had meetings during visits to Dubai in 2021 and 2022 with Mr Guru Nonavenakere who is originally from the Tiptur region and is in a senior role with the Dubai Ministry of Transport and together we have created the programme.

A Just Giving crowdfunding page has been created to reach out to the industry to give just a little to help launch this unique programme which when it is successful could be introduced into the India Schools curriculum helping thousands of young students into careers in the automotive sector. (see below)

All we can do is keep trying and making this project work in India, means it could work anywhere so if anyone would like to help just a little, please scan the QR code or use the link to donate.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ schoolofthoughtindiafoundation

Creating a truly inclusive industry means understanding applicants from many sectors including disabled applicants.

School of Thought have developed a personal profile document for people with disabilities to use to inform potential employers of their abilities.

This also includes a simple to understand brochure for employers enabling them to understand the abilities of the applicant and adjustments that might need to be implemented.

Created by our in-house expert Susan Allan we believe it will make it easier for employers and applicants.

This information will be available very soon on our new website.

XDisability Guide

Created by Susan Allen - Higher Cert Ed Autism & SENCo

We are honoured to once again be a Charity Partner of the ABP British Bodyshop Awards – come and meet us in Manchester on May 3rd .

Come and meet

Automechanika

Birmingham is the leading trade exhibition for the UK automotive aftermarket and supply chain, the 2023 event will be the first UK based event since 2019. With 500 leading suppliers from 23 countries and 12,000 visitors from the UK & Ireland it is set to be the biggest UK automotive networking reunion - ever.

Visitors can expect to get their hands on new products, fully test tools and technology in our 12 interactive features areas, 4 Workshop Training Hubs where visitors can choose from 192 hours of skills training for collision repair, digitalisation, EV & Hybrid, ADAS and more. There will also be a 3 day keynote conference where leaders can come together to debate and tackle the big industry challenges head on. It is free to attend, register for your ticket today!

Bigger – Better and Back in Birmingham

YOUR INVITATION

The Road Transport Expo 2023 is welcoming students from schools, colleges and universities to this exciting careers day.

Friday 30th June 2023 has been designated Careers Day where students considering their career options, can attend free of charge and meet the major companies in the road transport sector.

NAEC Stoneleigh 30th June 2023.

Road transport is a fast paced, multi-million pound, high tech sector with a wide variety of career options with many companies offering work experience, apprenticeships and jobs.

Come and meet School of Thought

There’s a career for everyone.

School of Thought returns to the British Motor Show in 2023!

The British Motor Show is set to make an even bigger splash in 2023 following the huge success of the 2022 show, which saw nearly 60,000 visitors flock to Farnborough International Exhibition Centre.

In 2023, we’ll be back from August 17-20 and will build on 2022’s success offering visitors another weekend of amazing entertainment, keeping the whole family entertained with driving experiences, supercars, live arena shows, leaving smiles on the faces of you and the kids days after the event!

We’ll be delivering an amazing display of ultra rare supercars, amazing classic cars, the latest new cars and EV’s, plus modified cars, motorsport and kids rides too. Plus, stunt shows, celebrities and influencers on stage, under 17 driving lessons, slot car racing and the Sporting Bears. All creating memorable moments you’ll never forget.

School of Thought will be part of this great family event for the third year running talking to Parents, Guardians, Carers and young people and anyone interested in careers in the industry.

Funds from R4W support the School of Thought programme

A different approach to outsourcing

As Not-for-Profit we make outsourcing an economical way to improve your business

R4W has expertise in many areas ranging from standards compliance, health and safety, wellbeing, improving culture and much more and all delivered by experts in the sector

We have many years of experience improving businesses in delivering cost effective solutions

Working with specialist partners to make a difference

Innovation with industry experts