Today’s guests on All Things Business – The Podcast are Sally Alexander, Chief Executive at Milton Keynes College, and Nick Mann, Chair of Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership. Nick is also an organiser of the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards. They are both here to discuss the links between business and education.
One of Ben’s oft-repeated mantras is ‘business needs education, education needs business’. These two guests are emblematic of this.
Further Education
MK College focuses on further education. It offers qualifications like A-Levels, T-Levels, BTECs, and some undergraduate degree courses. Ben says that further education is often overlooked in talks about business-education partnerships. He believes these partnerships are important because they teach specific skills that are relevant to this age group.
MK College are taking full advantage of the burgeoning technology sector in the city. Especially with their new STEM facilities which have a focus on digital, engineering and sustainability projects. Partnerships with Silverstone Circuit and Oracle Red Bull Racing have shaped curriculums and teaching methods. They also help reach out to younger age groups.
These kinds of partnership form a model for how other education organisations and businesses can work together effectively, especially when facilitating work experience. Nick says that new communities in the area might not have strong connections.
This includes communities where English is a second language. This can make it hard for their children to find work experience. Colleges should do more to reach out to local schools.
Skills Gap
Ben remembers when an associate complained about the skills gap. However, that person did not work with local schools to help younger students develop those skills. Ben advocates school sponsorship programs and similar arrangements, where every business should work more directly with schools and education organisations. This also allows schools, especially those engaged in further education, to stay abreast of the cutting-edge sector skills that the workers of the future will need.
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