Think Enterprise Issue 35

TE THINK ENTERPRISE QUARTER. 3 — 2021

READ INSIDE

NEW ACADEMY PLANS

TRANSMIT START-UPS CALL FOR MENTORS

HELP TO GROW PROGRAMME TOP 10 EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FOR 2021 IOEE ACADEMY FEATURE

BEING YOUR OWN BOSS

THINK ENTERPRISE Quarter 3 — 2021 Vol. 35

CONTACT US 53 Coniscliffe Road Darlington DL3 7EH 0845 467 4928 newsletter@ioee.uk ioee.uk

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SARAH TROUTEN, IOEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Welcome to our Autumn edition of Think Enterprise. We’ve got lots of exciting enterprising news and stories from our centres and partners to satisfy all your enterprise needs.

This month we caught up with one of our long-standing academies, Being Your Own Boss and Somerset Business Agency, who joined us through our ongoing strategic partnership with NEN. We also welcome Transmit Startups - all doing fantastic work that you can read about within this copy.

We spoke to Rupa Johnson, a business advisor at Leicestershire Business Gateway Growth Hub. She has recently successfully completed her SFEDI Level 5 Business and Enterprise Support accreditation.

We are delighted to be working with the Chartered Association of Business Schools.

We are proud to be supporting their recently launched programme Help to Grow, a fantastic programme providing support to small businesses looking to develop and grow. There are currently opportunities nationwide for mentors wishing to get involved and offer support to small businesses.

And finally, we feature an article on the top ten employability skills in demand by employers. I’m happy to see the launch of free content and materials for our approved centres and academies, developed with these key skills in mind.

So that’s all from us for now; grab a coffee and enjoy this edition of Think Enterprise! x

This month, we also feature three Erasmus projects SFEDI is currently working on, Titan - transformative leadership and innovation training, Senses - developing young people’s enterprising skills and the third project, which focuses on developing the skills to effectively work remotely.

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06 08 12 14 18 SFEDI Business Support Graduate Success

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SFEDI’s Top Ten Employability Skills for 2021

IOEE Feature: Being Your Own Boss

New Academy Plans: Transmit Startups

TITAN Transformative Training

20 22 24 26 28 Remote CTRL: Skills for Working Remotely

Senses: Reimagining Education

Five Essential Qualities For Self-Employment

The Furture of Enterprise and Technology

Say Hello To Somerset Business Agency

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SFEDI Business Support Graduate Success Rupa Johnson graduates from SFEDI as a Level 5 Business Support Professional SFEDI is proud to provide business support training and accreditation opportunities for business advisors across the UK. This month we caught up with Rupa Johnson who is a business information and research advisor at Leicestershire Business Gateway Growth Hub and has recently successfully achieved the SFEDI Awards Level 5 Certificate in Business and Enterprise Support Services.

So Rupa, tell us a bit about your experience prior to your current role?

“Well I have successfully Managed a highly confidential Public Sector contract, ensuring Delivery of a Timely Service as well as practising as a Person Centred Counsellor.“ Why was doing a SFEDI qualification important to you?

“It gave me the opportunity to reflect on my working practise. It also gave me time to reconnect and reflect how important it is for me to support every individual client through challenging times with the current social economic fall out of Covid crisis and to acknowledge the true impact of being the first point of contact in supporting distressed clients using my counselling skills as well as appreciating the clients point of view and the courage it takes to ask for help and pick up the phone to a stranger from an organisation some of the Business Community had not heard of before.”

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How has your qualification benefited you?

“I have gained so much both personally and professionally. I truly believe this will also lead to further opportunities that reflect my passion for helping people. Not only have I had time to develop a Personal Development Plan in line with my ethos that everyone deserves a second chance but also professionally where being and working for an ethical organisation who truly believe in investing in their employees.

My work and achievements have been recognised across the organisation internally as well as externally through my SFEDI Qualification. You never truly stop learning and an opportunity to continue accessing further studies would always be something I am interested in.”

What was the most rewarding aspect/ element of taking a SFEDI qualification?

“My work being of a high standard worthy of an external institute adopting some of my elements into Best Working Practice ..a very unexpected and humbling experience.

Through SFEDI its given me the opportunity to strive further with confidence.”

What is your greatest success so far in your career?

“Its not a success but in terms of carrying out fulfilling work helping others I would say that when I’m grey and old and

someone asks me what I was doing during a global crisis? Hand on my heart I can say I stepped up whilst working on the Front Line supporting the Business Community often as the first point of contact, picking up and answering the phone from distressed clients in need of support and guidance and being someone to listen on the other end of the phone.”

What was your greatest difficulty that you’ve faced career wise?

“Negative experience with, one recruitment company in particular that proceeded to sideline me ..however it turned out to be a positive in the end as I didn’t settle for short term temporary contracts through agencies and instead lead me to a fulfilling role in an organisation where I work currently and my work ethic and dedication to clients has been recognised at the highest level. As well as being part of an organisations who values and encourages us in celebrating each others success.”

the uptake of this opportunity . To my tutor who embraced my out of the box thinking and personal approach in completing this qualification.”

Ruth Lowbridge MBE, Executive Chair at SFEDI Group said, “Rupa has approached her qualification with such passion and vigour. It is a reflection of her commitment to continuous learning and her ability to reflect on what is going on around her and how what is happening has impacted on Rupa both personally and professionally. Overall a brilliant submission which shows how much thought and time Rupa has invested in her personal and professional development.”

Would you recommend SFEDI to others?

“Yes definitely. What have you got to lose?

You get out what you put in.”

So Rupa before we close, is there anything else you’d like to say?

“Thank you to LLEP for securing the funding and providing us the opportunity and management support/encouragement in

For more information on any of the SFEDI Business Support qualifications visit: https://sfedidirectory.co.uk/get-qualified/

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SFEDI’s Top 10 Employability Skills for 2021 The modern workplace is constantly evolving and adapting to our society’s needs, thus meaning that the in-demand skills of modern employers are regularly changing. With the unforeseen circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic propelling our offices online, digital skills are the new frontier to have a successful career. However, digital skills are not the only way you will earn your way into employment, we have compiled a list of the top 10 employability skills that are high in demand in 2021.

Communication

Time management

Being able to thrive in any type of workplace solely relies on an employee’s ability to communicate.

Clear communication can make all the difference on how day-to-day situations are handled, whether it be in an internal project or dealing with an external customer- communication is key.

Especially in today’s society where many people are remotely working from home, time management has never been more important. Employers need to trust that employees are able to manage their time effectively and complete your given tasks without being tempted to lie in bed or watch TV for a couple more hours.

Initiative Whether you are settled in your career or starting in a new job being able to show your own initiative within the business will demonstrate your passion to do well in your role and your commitment to the company. Showing initiative in business will show you’re able to make smart decisions and make you more eligible for promotions in the future.

Adaptability We have all had to adapt to changes in the workplace over the past year, being able to thrive in new environments with new people is essential to a successful career. Also called ‘change management’, this skill refers to your ability to use your drive to succeed in your work no matter what new situations you are thrown into.

Problem Solving Problem solving is a skill you will use no matter what job you’re in, whether it is a large or a small problem, being able to solve it effectively and efficiently is key to keeping a workplace up and running. Problem solving requires the employee to identify the key issues in a problem and figure out an effective way to carry out a solution.

Collaboration To be successful in any workplace, being able to collaborate and work well others is imperative.

Working as a team and playing to each other’s strengths can be hard to figure out at first but taking the time to find what works best between you and your colleagues can make all the difference.

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Emotional intelligence Whether it’s being in touch with your own emotions or being empathetic to your co-workers emotions, emotional intelligence is essential to maintaining a happy and healthy work environment. By encouraging employees to speak comfortably and professionally about their emotions, many misunderstandings and disagreements can be avoided.

Eagerness to Learn and Evolve Employers don’t want to hire someone who will just do the bare minimum to get by in their career, the person that stands out is the person that is eager to better themselves and their work. Showing passion to evolve and grow within you career is essential, particularly in certain industries where trends are ever-changing.

Creativity Creativity is the ability to look at a problem in a new way and find new solutions to problems the employer may not have realised they had. Though all ideas may not work out, thinking creatively shows your employer that you are putting their company’s progression at the forefront of everything that you do.

Project management Project management encompasses a number of different skills that can prove to your employer that you are responsible and reliable. Project management proves that you are able to lead others and play to everyone’s strengths to create the best outcome for the company. Managing a project proves to your employer that you are capable in a managerial role and can take on more responsibility.

BE YOUR O Today we’re featuring one of our long standing academies: This month we caught up with one of our long standing and much loved Academies Being your own Boss. Being your own Boss have been part of the IOEE and SFEDI centre network for many years and throughout this time have gone from strength to strength supporting many thousands local budding entrepreneurs.

We spoke to the company’s founder Chris Calladine, a man no stranger to the enterprise world. Since the young age of 19 Chris has made his career path through selfemployment. With now 40 years’ experience of creating and managing small and medium sized businesses, Chris has a huge amount of familiarity with the self-starter world. From working with government funded programs to delivering the business link contract in Derbyshire and finally starting his own company to use his extensive knowledge to help other hopeful self-starters. This desire to support enterprising business start-ups led to the creation of Being Your Own Boss in 2011.

Being Your Own Boss was set up with every aspiring business owner in mind- whether you’ve always wanted to start your own business or if you just want to explore a lifestyle change. Now running for 10 years, the program has been recognised by many different awarding bodies and is a SFEDI accredited business start-up programme which led to it becoming a nationally recognised business qualification. In the past, the course was run in classrooms across the county, with Chris driving from place to place to deliver the content in person. However, in light of recent times the program is now fully adapted

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to be online to ensure a safe delivery of the content and to suit every learners needs. The interactive online program is set over 2 days and covers all key considerations of starting a business. Subject titles include; ‘Managing Money and Making a Profit’, ‘Find Customers and Making Sales’, and ‘Producing My Business Plan’. Throughout the length of the program learners will have help from industry professionals to identify whether their idea is a viable business opportunity and then aid them through the entire start up process. Though the course is only 2 days, it is packed full of all the key important content a new business starter needs. It is perfect for those who want to get the full start-up experience in a short period of time. Even as the course comes to an end, the participants are given information on any support they might want after and any other further qualifications they might want to take with other companies.

The dedication Chris and his company has to its learners is proven by how well his customers do after the course. Since its start the program has had over 3000 participants and an approximate 75% success rate of those who went to go on to start their own business after. In the future Chris hopes to maintain the funding from Derbyshire County Council so he and his company are able to continue helping aspiring entrepreneurs and self-starters. We here at IOEE are so thankful to be working with a company so committed to the development of enterprise and look forward to seeing more of Chris’s students go on to becoming the selfstarters they aspire to be.

OWN BOSS

To learn more about Being Your Own Boss and the course they deliver go to: http://www.beingyourownboss.net

If you’d like to join the IOEE community with companies like these and become an accredited Academy, contact us today at http://centres.ioee.uk/work-with-us/ become-an-academy/

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Joining us as our latest IOEE Academy this month is Transmit Startups!

Transmit Startups communications manager Laura White kindly took the time to speak to us about her role within the company and what becoming an IOEE Academy will do to boost their enterprise learning.

As a communications manager Laura helps spread the word about how Transmit Startups supports entrepreneurs and their business aspirations.

In addition to this, Laura also contributes to the creation and advertising of their amazing ‘Learn Smarta’ courses which aids entrepreneurs in discovering everything they need to know how to become the boss of their own successful business.

Their amazing program Learn Smarta has been developed by the same team that’s behind Transmit Startups, the UK’s leading provider of Start Up Loans for business. They’ve backed more than ten thousand of entrepreneurs since 2013, so they know the strength of the start-up spirit that charges through the UK. Over the past year TrasmitStartups witnessed a huge surge in interest in entrepreneurship, Laura even stated that applications for Start Up Loans increased threefold.

As a result of this Transmit Startups spotted a gap in the market for business start-up training that prepares start-ups for success - delivering accessible, qualification-standard education that’s grounded in real life entrepreneurial experiences.

Launching in April of this year their first ‘fundamentals’ programme is designed to be easily accessible and give learners all the business basics in just six weeks. Within the program learners will gain real-world business smarts from entrepreneurial experts, through interactive live learning sessions, 1-2-1 tutorials, group classes, and lifelong access to recordings and worksheets. The company has even received funding from the European Social Fund so they can provide fully funded places to people living in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland and hopefully in the future, to roll the course out nationally.

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As the program was developed during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, everything was designed with the ease of accessibility in mind.

Laura commented how thrilled the company has been with the level of engagement from all participating learners. Although at the minute both group and one-to-one online sessions are offered, the company would consider whether customers would prefer to meet in face-to-face groups once it can be done safely.

Customer needs are at the height of everything at Transmit Startups, with current learners coming from a vast array of backgrounds looking to see whether self-employment may be their calling.

Laura stated that: “Some feel stuck in a rut with their current job, others have been furloughed, recently made redundant or have a hobby they’d like to help pay the bills. Some have dabbled with side hustles for a while and want to give the business a boost. They bring to us a glimmer of an idea and we help them to bring it to life. Plans for further courses mean we will be able to support the development of more experienced entrepreneurs – making their journey easier and bringing them greater success.”

One amazing case study that has come from the course is Helen who started a knitting business in Gateshead…

“My business Knitted Up North grew from a hobby. I

started selling to friends and family, and they loved my fun and colourful designs. Their feedback made me realise this could become an alternative source of income.

I dabbled with the business for three years, but knew I needed to approach it in a more organised way if I was to really make it work. Then, I read about the Learn Smarta course on a blog I follow, and it really inspired me.

I just thought, ‘What have I got to lose?’ and decided to give it a go. I loved the flexibility of how it’s delivered. The mixture of live and on-demand sessions mean you can catch up at weekends or at night, and can fit it around anything.

The mixture of videos and challenges kept things engaging and the addition of interviews with entrepreneurs and experts gave real insight into what it’s really like to be self-employed. My dream is to work part-time and run the business with the other part of my week and I finally have a plan to make it happen.”

So where does IOEE fit into this amazing community?

Well, when we asked Laura why it was important for Transmit Startups to join the IOEE community she stated; “We’re really passionate about raising the standard of support and training provided to entrepreneurs. This drive to do things

differently is at the very heart of our organisation because it stems from the personal experience of our own founders who learned the hard way when setting up multiple businesses over the years. They thought that the support offered to businesses lacked empathy, enthusiasm, and real creativity.

We’re here to change that.

This emphasis on quality and accessibility aligns perfectly with the objectives of the IOEE. Accreditation as an academy demonstrates to learners that we walk the walk, as well as talking the talk. Our ambition is always to help more people to run successful businesses. We’ll continue to learn what people want and we’ll expand to provide that.”

We here at IOEE are proud to be working with Transmit Startups- a company that is so clearly devoted to quality enterprise education. We are so excited to see what’s coming for the future of the company and the many small business owners they support.

If you’d like to find out more about how your company can achieve its enterprising aspirations and join our network of academies go to: http://centres.ioee.uk To find out more about the Transmit Startups company go to: https://transmitstartups.co.uk To learn more about the amazing Learn Smarta programs go to: https://smarta.com/learn

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TITAN: Transformative Training to Empower Sustainably Responsible Leadership and Innovation

In Rio de Janeiro, 2012, the UN agreed upon a set of universal goals with the objective of meeting the ‘urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing our world.’¹ In total, 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) were developed to act as a framework for sustainability policies and actions, which include ending world hunger, ending poverty and preventing climate change. The goals are all interlinked and there are many different ways in which businesses can approach engaging with them. In so doing, businesses will become more sustainable in their practices and processes.

Aside from the obvious benefits of this outside of the business, there is also increasing number of studies which suggest that these practices will be beneficial to smaller businesses, with brands that are deemed sustainable often linked to success in profits. For example, one report suggested that 81 per cent of customers are more likely to buy from a sustainable brand, and over half of the UK workforce is likely to factor in sustainability when choosing a company to work for. This also aids staff retention.² 18 | Think Enterprise

A study from PWC found that 71 per cent of businesses say they are planning how they will engage with the SDG’s.³ However, just 13 per cent of businesses have identified the tools to measure their impact against the SDG’s. There are major disparities between countries with respect to general awareness amongst individuals of the SDG’s, with a report finding that two in ten citizens in France and Germany say they were not aware of the SDG’s but this doubles to four in ten in the UK and US who say they were not aware.⁴ Whilst the report mentions that awareness of SDG’s is increasing, a number of reports have highlighted that businesses often struggle to identify where they can start in addressing the climate emergency and identifying opportunities for introducing sustainability into the business processes. There is no easy fix across different industries which can often make the SDG’s seem overwhelming and perhaps even unattainable. However, there are many smaller things that businesses can introduce that make a big difference.

Currently there are some government initiatives to support the development of sustainable business practices and processes.

These initiatives are likely to change in the near to mid-term, so it is a good idea to get in front of the curve, do your bit for the planet and plan towards long-term success for your business.

Small business owners are in a unique position as the decisions they make throughout their business can have a profound influence on the planet, as well as the stakeholders within their business. There are also companies out there that provide advice and consultancy, such as TBL Services, which support businesses in managing the journey from idea to action.

Whilst there is some support to assist businesses in implementing the SDGs, there is a need for: (i) additional support which facilitates innovation and creativity in spotting opportunities to do things differently and (ii) demand-led learning resources which can be used to assist in developing strategies and putting ideas into action.

To assist in addressing this gap in resources for small businesses, SFEDI is currently leading in an Erasmus Plus project with five other partners from across Europe named TITAN (Transformative Training to Empower Sustainably Responsible Leadership and Innovation). It aims to support individuals and SMEs in acquiring relevant sustainability leadership and innovation skills which can be implemented in different working contexts.

Underpinning the project are the themes of responsible leadership, sustainability and sustainable development, social innovation and demand-led learning and skills development.

The project will develop a set of competence matrices on different aspects of sustainable development in business with a set of learning materials on sustainably responsible leadership and innovation, assessment tools and video guides.

The key outcomes of the project will include: • Equipping current and future employees with the understanding and skills to contribute to sustainably responsible and innovative activity within the workplace.

• Enabling leaders and managers to access a set of resources that can be used to identify strengths and areas for development within their business and put plans into practice to make a difference to their stakeholders.

• Equipping a greater number of VET professionals with accessible and demandled learning materials to support their management and leadership development activities with businesses, particularly smaller businesses.

If you are interested in learning more about the project and the outputs to date, please visit https://www.titan-leadership.eu where you will find our materials. If you are an individual or small business owner looking to develop these skills and would like to know more about the specifics of the project, or you would like to get involved in the project, please contact Leigh Sear at SFEDI (leigh.sear@sfedi.co.uk). ¹Background of the Sustainable Development Goals (undp.org) ²2015 Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR Study — Cone Communications | Cone | Cone PR | Cone Inc | PR Agency | Boston | NYC ³Make it your business: Engaging with the Sustainable Development Goals (pwc.com) ⁴International_Survey_Data_DevCom_June 2017.pdf (oecd.org)

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Working Remotely What Skills Do We Need?

As staff have started to return to offices across Europe over the last few months, a debate has emerged within the media and the professional literature as to the benefits, impact and value of working from the office vis-à-vis working remotely.

On the one hand, there are those who argue that the return to the office cannot happen quick enough. The Chief Executive of Goldman Sachs in early 2021 commented that remote working was an ‘aberration’ and that younger members of staff needed face to face, in person contact to foster collaboration and learning and skills development.¹ More recently, a Chief Executive of an investment firm in London suggested that working from home has been ‘abused’ by staff and remote working dampens levels of productivity.² On the other hand, a range of businesses have identified that the opportunity for greater flexibility in how staff work, including working remotely, has enhanced levels of productivity. For example, a study by the University of Southampton of work during Covid-19 lockdowns in the UK suggested that 90 per cent thought their productivity had stayed the same or improved by working from home.³ A World Economic Forum report highlighted that flexible working can led to higher levels of engagement, better rates of staff retention, improved levels of performance and higher levels of resilience amongst staff. ₄ In order to harness such benefits and effectively support staff in working remotely over the near to mid-term, a number of articles have highlighted that there is a need for businesses to think creatively and to be innovative in their approaches to supporting remote working. As the CEO of Hubilo reflected: … Companies moving to a hybrid model need a new approach to turn virtual and offline meetings into more valuable engagement touchpoints. Gamification, Q&As and feedback loops are all important tools that will help

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employers open up two-way conversations. This means they can take a temperature check on employees and, crucially, help detect early signs of burnout in this soon to turn into the new norm of working (CEO of Hubilo, in Webber, 2021).

Whilst there are a range of articles and online guides providing ‘how to’ advice on the different technologies to use, the strategies to get the most out of these technologies and how to prepare staff for remote working, there is less tailored provision, particularly demand-led support, which can be used by managers and leaders of small businesses to develop their own skills in managing hybrid workforces as well as staff to enhance their skills and productivity in working remotely.

In terms of approaches to addressing this gap, SFEDI is currently leading an Erasmus Plus project (REMOTE-CTRL) which will develop a set of bespoke training resources that will address the needs of employers, employees and vocational education and training (VET) professionals in a remote working environment. In so doing, the project will: • Equip employees with the understanding and skills to work remotely and enhance the effectiveness of their productivity • Enable leaders and managers to access a set of resources to support effective remote working amongst their staff • Prepare VET professionals for remote teaching and facilitation, so that they can integrate digital learning resources into their work with employers and VET learners.

Over the next 18 months, the project will be developing: • A set of learning materials and resources for managers and leaders within small businesses to effectively support staff in working remotely • A set of resources for current employees to manage working remotely and individuals looking for employment to remotely manage different stages in the employment journey

• A new in-service professional development training programme for vocational education and training professionals working with small businesses to support management of people working remotely and a hybrid workforce • An e-learning platform which will provide access to demand-led learning resources for both managers and leaders of small businesses and their staff

• A policy paper which will examine the experiences of small businesses in managing remote working across the eight partner member states and the implications for policy development.

The REMOTE-CTRL project consists of eight partner organisations from the UK, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Romania.

If you are interested in learning more about the REMOTECTRL project and the outputs to date, please visit: https://remotectrl.eu/ If you are a small business owner-manager and you would like to share your experiences of supporting remote working and/or a vocational education and training professional who knows of examples of good practice in businesses managing remote working please do get in touch. Also, if you would like to explore ways of adding value to the project, please contact Leigh (leigh.sear@sfedi.co.uk)

¹https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56192048 ²https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58662455 ³https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/resource/ working-home-under-covid-19-lockdown ₄https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/davos2020-future-work-jobs-skills-what-to-know/ Think Enterprise | 21

REIMAGINING EDUCATI DEVELOPING YOUNG PEOPLE’S S K I LL S FO R A N U N C E RTA I N A N D UNKNOWN WORLD

Over the past few decades there have been significant and steady shifts in the labour market transforming not only the types of work we do but also the way we do it. During the last year, the pandemic has accelerated the pace of change in a way that would have previously been unimaginable. If there is one thing that is certain, it is that future generations will experience a world of work that is unknown, volatile, complex and ambiguous. Yet the education system has not adapted to the pace of change, on the contrary much of the education system in the UK remains largely as it was in the late 19th and early 20th century. Sir Ken Robinson in one of his TED talks¹, likens our current system to a manufacturing process, linear and conforming, producing a standardised education. He recommends that future education should be much more like an agricultural process, creating the right conditions for humans to flourish, tailored and personalised to their needs.

Other proposals for a different approach to education follow a similar vein. In his recent article on Educational Challenges in the 21st Century Ranbir Singh Malik² described a future education system having as its purpose ‘to prepare citizens with a cosmopolitan outlook, cross cultural understanding, capable of working in multicultural settings on group projects and with a capacity to think creatively and critically.’

The Ashoka Changemaker schools³ are doing exactly this with 300 schools across the world teaching empathy, changemaking

SENSES S o c i a l E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p a n d S o c i a l I n n o v a t i o n f o r E v e r y S t u d e n t

influence and innovation. Two other features of a reimagined education are social innovation and social entrepreneurship. The UNICEF’s Upshift programme focuses on empowering a generation of changemakers through social innovation and entrepreneurship to address issues such as climate change, rapid urbanisation, scarcity of resources, technological transformation and increasing rates of inequality. Developing social innovation skills can help young people to navigate change and take action.

Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, former president of the European Commission, said that ‘we must look to social innovation to stimulate a more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable social market economy.’ Social innovation capacity building is action orientated and encourages young people to be proactive.

Instead of being indifferent to a problem in their society or community they are actively attempting to solve it.

ION These are the skills that will be nurtured through the SENSES project. Funded through Erasmus Plus, the project is being led by SFEDI and it involves seven other partners from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, and UK.

• Create and deliver innovative products and teaching and learning methods, targeting school communities in five countries (UK, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Italy) with various needs and national educational contexts.

The overall aim of the SENSES project is to develop a new educational approach, providing teachers within primary education with an understanding of social entrepreneurship and social innovation (SEI) and with tools which can be used to enhance skills in teaching SEI. In addition, the project will assist learners aged between 7-12 in developing a set of structured competences required to be enterprising and entrepreneurial in a social context.

These competences will include adaptability, solving complex and ‘wicked’ problems, creativity and innovation and collaboration.

• Develop a virtual learning environment which supports access to materials, tools and discussion of the project outputs.

The key objectives of the SENSES project include: • Provide teachers with a set of guidelines and methodologies for developing students core social entrepreneurship and innovation perceptions and skills.

Key outcomes will include: • Equipping teachers with an understanding of social entrepreneurship and innovation and the skills for transferring and applying this knowledge within their classroom.

• Equipping students at primary education ages (7-12) and those from marginalised backgrounds with the competencies of social entrepreneurship and social innovation.

If you are interested in learning more about the project and the outputs to date, please visit: https://projectsenses.eu/

If you are an educational institution that has examples of good practice of social entrepreneurship and innovation taking place within schools, please do get in touch.

If you would like to explore ways of getting involved in the SENSES project, please contact Leigh Sear at SFEDI. leigh.sear@sfedi.co.uk ¹https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ ke n _ r o b i n s o n _ b r i n g _ o n _ t h e _ learning_revolution?language=en ² h t t p s : // w w w. r e s e a r c h g a t e . n e t /p u b l i c a t i o n /3 3 316 8571 _ EDUCATIONAL_CHALLENGES_ I N _ 21 S T_ C E N T U R Y_ A N D _ SUSTAINABLE_DEVELOPMENT ³https://www.ashoka.org/en-gb/ programme/ashoka-changemakerschools

Five Essential Qualities You Need To Be Self-Em

Nowadays more and more people are finding the idea of becoming self-employed increasingly more desirable. Self-e approximately 5.03 million self-employed workers throughout the UK. Although the pandemic resulted in these level again. Furthermore, with the introduction of the Governments self-employment support scheme more and more bus

In a study run by SimpleTax, they found that one in five young people aged 16 to 21 expect to become self-employed. said it was to have an interesting job, 58.6% to achieve job security, 44.5% to spend time with family and 30.8% to ach valid and sound amazing, being self-employed isn’t so easy, to be able to become successful when self-employed you

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If you want to be self-employed, you must be organised. You will have the sole responsibility of short term and long-term planning. Short term organisation includes coordinating your day, structuring your work week, and making sure all tasks are completed. To make sure you are hitting your necessary goals, long term organisation must include; developing a business plan, setting progress targets and deciding where you want to be in a year’s time.

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When you’re self-employed determination is essential, you’re your own boss now and no one is going to be scheduling your appointments or going after clients for you.

You need to be able to motivate yourself and have the discipline to sort out what needs to be done. Being determined also means that you have to have the perseverance to stick with your business, most self-starters have to work unpredictably for a year or even more before they can start reaping the benefits of self-employment. So, to persevere and have the determination to stick with your business is essential for its success.

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Starting the journey to b in itself, especially if you’ Though it is essential to there are somethings th own business, you’re nev your product so being ab not pay off is necessary.

Quality Risk T Quality Two: Organisation

Quality One: Determined

mployed

employment rates hit their peak at the start of 2020 with ls falling to rates seen in 2015, they are slowly on the rise sinesses found the support they needed.

. After asking what they made this decision based on 75.1% hieve a high income. However, although all these reasons are u need to maintain certain personal qualities.

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become self-employed is a huge risk ’re leaving your current employment. stay organised and plan for the future hat you can’t plan for. When running your ver guaranteed sales or demand for ble to take that risk even when it might

Having vision is what pushes your business forward, being able to see the future for your business is what will drive it to success.

If you want to become self-employed you must have a vision for your future, use this vision to write down your goals, aspirations and action plan. Without a vision for your business, it is likely that it will never advance any further. Vision allows you to look forward and adapt your business to the ever-changing nature of society.

y Three: Taker Quality Four: Vision

Quality Five: Passion

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Finally, what some may argue is the most important qualities to have when you want to become self-employed, Passion. If you don’t have passion for what you do, if you don’t love your work or if you don’t see a future in it then you will give up. Passion is a necessity which fuels everything you do in your business, passion for your work allows you to still have determination do the boring stuff and keep going when you feel like giving up.

Being able to recognise these qualities in yourself is the first step to reaching your selfemployment goals. If you’re looking to start your journey to self-employment, or have already started, then you can find support and online learning in the IOEE community. Find out more at https://ioee.uk/become-a-member/

The Future of Enterprise and Technology What should we be doing to adapt to the new age?

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he ever-advancing nature of technology has been a constant catalyst of innovative educational developments. Yet, with the abrupt repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, the new age of education was ushered in sooner than ever. In the beginning, schools had a mere month to figure out how to deliver their entire curriculums online. As time went on everyone became accustom to online working, but the problem was no longer how to deliver their content, but now how to deliver it in an impactful and engaging way. Students cannot be expected to just sit at home and watch pre-recorded lecture after pre-recorded lecture and split into break out rooms to discuss slides. Some things cannot be reproduced in an online environment. Why not take this time as an exciting opportunity to develop new ways of learning and use technology to create an engaging environment for students all around the globe? This year has shone a light on the importance of adapting the education system to the new age of technologyembracing the advancements instead of just merely providing the bare minimum for online access.

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Technology provides us with the opportunity to access all types of content at our fingertips from anywhere in the world. Though education practices may- in some partreturn to ‘normal’ at the culmination of the pandemic, technology’s place in the sector will be forever changed. As society’s relationship with technology has also changed, education must be adapted to fit the new needs of the workplace. Content creation, design and digital skills have never been so fundamental for the modern workplace as they are today. With social media becoming the new ‘virtual high street’ a company’s online presence is essential for their survival. Thus, encompassing these kinds of skills into the contemporary education sector will provide students with the abilities to reach for more opportunities when it comes to their future career endeavours.

With the conclusion of the coronavirus hopefully on the horizon many universities have adapted their curriculum to incorporate ‘blended’ learning as a permanent feature in their program- a decision which has caused a huge amount of backlash from students.

The University of Manchester announced they would be making the permanent move to ‘blended learning’, with only interactive content being taught in person. As a result of this announcement more than 3,000 students signed a petition to abolish the ‘blended learning’ and return to full time face-to-face teaching. In response to this, the University stated that the online learning aspect would only be used in subjects that it works for. However, it is understandable that students should want their initial guaranteed ‘in-person’ learning restored as many find the online aspect very isolating. Lectures and seminars are key for socialising during university, and it is where many people find their friends for life. So, when adapting to the new wave of educational technology it is important to acknowledge student needs and use technology to enhance their experience rather than extinguish their motivation for education altogether.

their full enterprise potential. Our students study with us from across the globe, so we are dedicated to providing them will full accessibility to online learning. As much as we wished we could meet all of you in person, our online enterprise seminars will have to do for now! To make sure all our students have the ability to further their enterprising education we have adapted our programme to support the needs of the new digital age of learning. Our fully online registration system means that students from around the globe can sign up easily and start participating in courses. Furthermore, to make your life even easier all our learning materials are available digitally and a free to access. This means that you are able to complete your course on your own schedule and use our amazing resources to develop your entrepreneurial knowledge.

We believe that education should be accessible to everyone, so we are constantly updating our programs and looking for new ways to improve.

Here at SFEDI we pride ourselves on catering to our student’s needs and adapt our enterprise education to make sure all students can use our courses to reach

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Say hello to our latest IOEE Academy…

Somerset Business Agency! company to support hopeful self-employed people and give them the training they needed to achieve their goals. With the online world ever expanding, more and more people are setting up their own businesses or “side-hustles” and hoping to make the move to self-employment.

So, the Somerset Business Agency couldn’t be more useful in today’s society. Throughout her career Patricia has always been involved in startup businesses, so if anyone knows how to do it, Patricia does.

It’s always a great day when we are able to shed some spotlight on our latest academies and talk to then one-on-one. With our newest arrival joining us through the National Enterprise Network, we couldn’t wait to speak with them to see what their company was doing to help their learners join the world of enterprise.

We spoke to Patricia Marks, an original founder of the Somerset Business Agency, to learn more about their organisation and what the future holds for them as a new IOEE Academy.

Running for last 10 years the Somerset Business Agency are no stranger to the enterprise world.

The company was set up in response to the huge numbers of people who were using selfemployment as a route back to working life.

Beginning the journey to self-employment can be scary, so Patricia and her team set up the

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Though starting your own business can sound extremely scary, anyone can do it if you’re passionate enough. The Somerset Business Agency has had learners for a vast variety of backgrounds, whether it’s always been your goal or whether you’re looking for a lifestyle change, their workshops can help you find your way to success. Somerset Business Agency is structured to suit every learner’s needs, with a new online platform on the horizon the Agency is well equipped for all manners of learning. Like many of us Patricia hopes that their face-to-face sessions come back soon, as there’s nothing truly like learning in-person; being able to talk to industry experts, network with other business owners and hear how other people who are selfemployed handle their business. However, until then, all learning is being delivered through their amazing online workshops. One aspect of the course that previous learners have found especially useful is the handbook to all members. The Somerset Business Agency has developed their own handbook to use alongside their programs, the contents include all the useful tools and tips new self-starters need to get their business up and running. For example; “How to do a SWOT Analysis”, “How to do a Pestel Analysis”, and “The Boston Matrix”.

Patricia herself has stated that the handbook is one of their most valued tools, this is because business is all about continued learning and constantly refreshing your mind on the business basics. To make sure you are doing the best for your business you need to always be reminding

yourself of the key principles and how you can used them to fit into the evolving nature of business in society. Patricia expressed how it is not just new starters but all companies that need to be adaptable to the dynamic market sector.

Their own company, Somerset Business Agency, were doing this by adapting to the online world with their new platform and providing new services to their customers which include the IOEE Academy status.

So why was it important for the Somerset Business Agency to join the IOEE community with their new Academy status? Well, as shown with their commitment to quality enterprise education, the learners were at the heart of their decision. Patricia, stated how as more and more people began starting their own business, they’re wanting recognition for the work that they do, and the Somerset Business Academy wants to make sure that they receive that recognition. So, by joining the IOEE community, it provides their learners with that stamp of accreditation to show that they are an enterprising person. Following the announcement of their new IOEE Academy

status, Patricia told us that they instantly sold out their next five workshops and have since added on two more to give more learners the opportunity to gain access to the course.

With plans to become the premier business start-up academy in the New Year, Patricia and the team at Somerset Business Agency are certainly on their way to achieving their goals.

We here at IOEE are so excited to be a part of that journey and look forward to continue to see all the amazing enterprising support they provide for aspiring business owners.

To learn more about Somerset Business Agency go to their website: https://www.somersetbusinessagency.org If you’d like to join the IOEE community with companies like these and become an accredited Academy, contact us today at: http://centres.ioee.uk/work-with-us/becomean-academy/

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