We are developing our Business in Schools initiative. We'd like your ideas to help develop it.
Posted by: Francis Kagunda | 15.05.2010 06:48pm
Great to hear your comments. I would like to hear more from you re the talent you have come accross in your part of the world. I am an economist, banker and have an MBA. I hope I can be of some use to you and your charges.
Alban
Fraand382@aol.com
Posted by: Francis Kagunda | 15.05.2010 06:42pm
Ferdinand...nice to hear from you. Great comment. Never apologize for what you really are. Your English is perfect and effective. I would like to hear from you and the kind of talent you have personally come in contact with. Maybe we can work out something to give these young people a better start in life.
Your friend, Alban.
Fraand382@aol.com
Posted by: Edge | 23.03.2009 03:25pm
Work experience is arguably one of the greatest unsung chances for building a bridge between school and work. For many young people, time spent in placement can seem no better than a chore. At worse they can feel undervalued, and the whole experience may seem like a waste of time.
Some qualifications, such as apprenticeships place a far greater focus on the value of placements outside the classroom.
How could businesses and schools collaborate to improve work experience for learners>?
Posted by: Eleanor Sturdy | 09.12.2008 06:32pm
The best partnerships between business and schools have staff at each end who deeply understand the goals of the two organisations, plus the limitations of both (ie quite senior level). Teachers may not always speak the same language as business people and so this bridging function is vital in translating and managing expectations. Well organised acitivities from volunteer reading groups through to mentoring teachers and Heads all require good co-ordination and facilitation, which these bridging staff need to be good at. Also, they play a role in creating trust between the two, as schools may lack confidence and businesses may be unrealistic, leading to overly high expectations that don't get realised. In the first instance, I think schools need to ask themselves exactly why they want the business involvement, and what they don't want from it. This clarity will help when getting into discussions. Businesses need to start small with some pilot activities and be realistic about the impact - this will be a cost to them but brings intangible benefits and social responsibility that employees value. The best mentoring schemes, for example, provide enormous developmental opportunity for the business people involved as they have to learn versatile communication skills in order to keep going. Businesses need to permit their staff to do certain activities, regularly, so that they don't experience a conflict of interest when trying to get to a school-based activity. I could say more, this is a very complex field.
Posted by: FERDIE MNENSA | 09.12.2008 04:27pm
I feel time has now come for businesses to engage THE YOUNG in solving their problems which they encounter, periodically.
There are the blessed children out there who are very rich - intellectually. You may not believe but it is true that some of these youngsters are at a tender age of ten years.
Given the right stimuli and ofcourse within the schooling environment,
these children can be given tasks to perform. It wouldn't take a child of this calibre to come up with practical business solutions because I know for a fact that their minds are not poluted, yet.
Yes, the entire business - world will benefit from this new appraoch to the crisis defusion. By the way, there are lots of Bill Gates in the making out there!! (Particularly among the young ones).
Sorry about my English. I am an African and do not really know how to communicate effectively but I hope the facts I have contributed would make the difference.
Thank you.
Ferdinand
Posted by: Anonymous | 09.12.2008 04:25pm
It's got to come from the government. Who else can incentivise businesses to get involved? Businesses will not go out of their way to help anyone but themselves. That's the nature of business! There absolutely has to be a directive from central government - a tax break, or something.