My blog

Category: Opinion

  • Letter from Hong Kong: Jenny McGowan, Director of Keystone Tutors in Asia

    Letter from Hong Kong: Jenny McGowan, Director of Keystone Tutors in Asia

    Three years ago I moved to Hong Kong to work as an education consultant and during this time the city has changed in a subtle way on a day to day basis, and in a momentous way when you contemplate its future. In my role I have unique insight into the long-term plans of families as we discuss their children’s education and have noticed several trends with regards to the attractiveness of the UK, which has traditionally been the destination of choice for schools and universities. 

    The political change in Hong Kong has had a limited impact on schools for now, but parents do seem concerned about how this might change over time. International schools have greater autonomy than local schools in terms of the curriculum but the unpredictability is unsettling and has unnerved parents who had not previously planned to move away from Hong Kong.

    Hong Kong nationals born before the 1997 handover were always eligible for BNO passports which gave visa-free UK visiting but not the right to live and work there. In response to the recent law changes, the UK government upgraded the BNO status allowing Hong Kongers to apply for a visa that provides a route to UK citizenship.

    Crucially, this visa also provides the dependents of BNO passport holders the right to attend state schools for free and for whole families to relocate together. Before this, the only option for families without the right to live in the UK would be boarding school which provides students themselves with a study visa. But with costs of around £40,000 a year this was unattainable for most. It also meant being separated from their children, which, pre-Covid was manageable. But during Covid this has been very stressful for families. This was highlighted recently when flights from the UK were suddenly banned on July 1stleaving many students separated from their parents for the summer. 

    Using their BNO status to relocate the whole family to the UK has become a popular option. Only time will tell how many of these enquiries translate into actual moves; the UK government predicts 300,000 over five years. That said, the grass isn’t always greener and the cultural and language barriers may prove challenging for some when it comes to finding jobs and settling in a UK town. In Hong Kong you can get to most places within 30 minutes, taxis are dirt cheap and many families have a live-in maid for around £500 a month. When faced with the realities of an across London commute and the cost of childcare many discover that life in the UK isn’t quite what they expected.

    Before the BNO visa was an option, when I asked families about their reasons for considering educating their children in the UK, the answer often centred around universities and the tradition and prestige that is acknowledged worldwide and therefore translated into good employment opportunities. In 2020, there were over 7,000 applicants to UK universities from applicants in Hong Kong – a 50 per cent increase from 2010. With the increased competition, families started to consider boarding school in the UK at younger ages to try and maximise the chances of a successful university application.

    Great social and political pressure is being placed on Oxford and Cambridge to reduce the percentage of successful applicants that attend private schools which may change the perspective of parents trying to maximise their children’s Oxbridge chances. A parent who selected a school such as Winchester College for their son six or seven years ago may now be disappointed with the Oxbridge results which will have decreased considerably during this time. Arguably, this will not affect students applying from Hong Kong as they are classified as international students and therefore do not contribute to the private school stats. But in fact, there are several schools in Hong Kong which can boast better Oxbridge numbers than many UK schools and so savvy parents may re-think their UK plans.

    University rankings are often referenced by parents in my conversations with them, with future employment correlated with the university reputation and ranking. While this is historically true, it will be interesting to see how this changes over time with many big companies using blind recruitment processes to mask an applicant’s background and placing greater importance on the skills rather than name of institution.

    A lot has changed in Hong Kong, and for now the UK is still a very popular destination for both schools and universities. With the rapid social and political change in both places it will be interesting to see how this evolves in the next few years.

  • Fiona Millar on our hidden mental health crisis in the workplace

    Fiona Millar on our hidden mental health crisis in the workplace

    It’s really hard living with someone with mental health issues. I remember days when I would sit at my desk and think: “I just can’t do this.” But looking back now, it’s one of the things that made me resilient: I know that I can put one foot in front of the other no matter what. 

    One of the things I’ve always thought about Alistair’s mental health is that once he stopped drinking, he transferred his dependency, and his self-medication became work: he threw himself into that to stop himself addressing the deeper problems. He could perform at a very high level in the workplace – but then he’d come home and struggle and I would bear the brunt of that. 

    It was astonishing. We worked together at Downing Street during the Blair administration and I’d see him be amusing, engaging and charismatic with people – but then at home, he’d be good with the kids, but with me he’d crash. I’ve now started doing meetings with other people who live with those suffering mental health problems and it’s very common: people live with fear of what their friends will say, or else they feel responsible as if the problem originates with them.

    In fact, 99.9 per cent of the time it’s nothing to do with you at all. People who are mentally ill can be quite manipulative, and gaslighting is very common. Initially, I just thought Alistair was quite a difficult personality and it wasn’t until he was formally diagnosed that I was really able to say he had mental health issues. 

    Of course, during lockdown people’s working situations have been very unusual – and some people haven’t had any work because they’re self-employed in creative industries. But in general I’d say that people tend to use work as a way to take themselves out of a situation, because if your partner has mental health problems, you have to find things for yourself, otherwise you can get consumed by the other person’s illness. Work is quite a solace – although for the person actually suffering from mental health, often they can’t cope with going to work.

    Alistair was very lucky to be able to work 28 years, even though he was seriously ill, and Tony Blair was always very accommodating. Not all employers are, and there are some toxic workplaces out there. For employers who want to make the workplace a friendly environment, they need to ask themselves not only how they actually do it – but more, how do they do it on a consistent basis?

    That has to begin in an organisation’s leadership – to treat other people as you wish to be treated yourself. You’ve got to do more than talk the talk. If an employee comes to you with a family problem or a mental health concern you have to do all you can to accommodate it.

    It’s too early to say whether there’s any mental health washing in companies, as mental health has only really been a hot topic during the pandemic. What’s concerned me during Covid-19 is the way in which managers closed their office as a cost-cutting device. That was fine in the beginning – people thought it was fantastic to be working from home. But I’ve noticed of late that a lot of younger people aren’t living in particularly convenient circumstances and the novelty has worn off. Working all day in your bedroom isn’t great. It’s not healthy to have a remote relationship with your employer who, after all, is meant to be responsible for your well-being: that means there’s currently a lot of hidden mental health problems in the workplace. 

    I’m all in favour of flexible work – especially for families – but we need to get people back to some sort of physical relationship with the people they work with, otherwise we’ll see casualties from this. People started off not wanting to come to the office and now they kind of want to come back. Managing that is going to be very important, and we’re probably at the crunch point now.

    But by creating this online support group, we’ve hit on a very simple model. There’s no real cost involved, and we’ve got people coming from across the country to our group. At the moment, we’ve limited our numbers to ten or 12, and we’d like to expand it into local communities. This could be tacked onto existing organisations, and I’m hopeful we can do that. 

    To discuss mental health issues with Fiona Millar, tweet her on the Twitter handle @schooltruth

  • Opinion: Got a bright idea? Now’s the time for generation entrepreneur

    Opinion: Got a bright idea? Now’s the time for generation entrepreneur

    By Finito World

    The American novelist John Updike once wrote: ‘When you’re young you prepare yourself for a world which is gone by the time you get there.’ The life we dreamed of growing up, turns out to be not so much unobtainable as irrelevant: the world is always moving too fast, and it’s our job not to let it outmanoeuvre us. 

    Now and then, the world changes so markedly that a generation will enter the workplace amid a greater than usual sense of uncertainty. 2020 saw two major changes – in addition to the usual welter of mini-crises, some real and others media-driven. The pandemic shrank the economy by a quarter, causing untold anxiety to all, and confining us indoors. Meanwhile, the shocking murder of George Floyd on 25th May in Minneapolis sent many out onto the streets to protest racial inequality.  

    At times of societal upheaval, it is right that we look for attitudes and examples to console and instruct. It was Martin Luther King – in a line often quoted by former President Barack Obama – who referred to ‘the fierce urgency of now’.  

    In 2021, this is the only respectable form of ferocity. Young people now have an opportunity to learn things they would otherwise not have learned. They can also take the kind of risks which would previously have been unthinkable, and do so in an environment that will be sympathetic to failure, and especially admiring of success. 

    The mood is clear. Well-known businesses – from British Airways to Prêt-à-Manger – are making swingeing cuts to stuff. Training programmes at the traditional blue chip firms now seem in doubt, and where they are not in doubt it is sometimes difficult to imagine how they will be as fulfilling and as international as they once were. Why not use this as a moment to start out on your own? 

    This shift is already to some extent ratified by the Treasury. The Future Fund will see the government issue convertible loans between £125,000 and £5 million to innovative companies. It’s true that the conditions won’t make every young person a shoo-in for eligibility – especially the requirement to have raised £250,000 from third-party investors in the last five years – but this, together with the moves the government has made on the social mobility agenda, signals a change. This is a legislative environment that will increasingly benefit the entrepreneurial spirit. 

    This optimistic can-do approach should also animate our education sector. The virus halted our schooling, yes, but it has sped up our thinking about virtual learning. It has also made students, at home and abroad, question the value of university courses in ways which may ultimately help their careers – in addition to accelerating the national conversation around the curriculum, tutoring and apprenticeships.  

    And what about Black Lives Matter? There is no question that this has already made commercial and education institutions re-examine the story of minorities in this country. Corporations can no longer afford to be flat-footed on the question.  

    Soon after Floyd’s murder, the head of the City of London School Alan Bird wrote to parents to express himself shocked: ‘Events of the last two weeks have demanded that institutions…consider what they really mean.’ 

    Universities reacted similarly. Over at the University of Buckingham, Sir Anthony Seldon, the organisation’s outgoing Vice-Chancellor, issued a comparable bulletin: ‘We want to nurture an environment where every person has an opportunity to speak out about issues impacting them.’ 

    In neither instance was this mere talk. Bird explained that the school was consulting with its pupil-led Afro-Caribbean Society. He added that he had established a Diversity Group within the staff bodies, and was promoting BAME authors in library displays. Seldon meanwhile announced the appointment of two new Equity and Inclusion Officers.  

    These examples show that the murder of Floyd has created in those in power a laudable desire to help. This is to the good, but does it sit uneasily alongside what employers are now saying they want?  

    This, as is made clear from the findings of our inaugural employability survey on page 77, is resourcefulness, adaptability, flexibility and self-reliance. From those we surveyed there was little talk of diversity or the need for a more socially diverse workforce.  

    The next years will likely see a difficult dance between voices calling for equality and reform, and the weary complaints of cash-strapped business leaders who have less wiggle-room to assist than at any point since the Great Depression. It is this which has given an air of unreality to the Johnson government’s well-meaning talk of ‘guaranteed apprenticeships’. Some businesses will feel that their priorities are geared not towards reform but survival. 

    We can talk forever about the delicate line between the offer of assistance to minorities and the creation of unjust quota systems. Or we can become mired all over again in the traditional right-left debate about the importance of character versus the importance of citizenship, when clearly both are essential.  

    Instead, the real divide in education and business – and it’s a line found at the level of the employee and job-seeker too – is between the dynamic and the flat-footed.  

    This raises two questions of equal importance. Firstly, how do we create young people able to prosper within this new Covid-19 environment? Secondly, how do we make sure these young people are a fair reflection of the diversity of upbringings people experience in this country? In truth, these questions should never have been separated out.  

    Interestingly, the ideas which seem particularly attractive don’t fit easily into traditional political boxes.  

    From one-to-one tutoring, to the apprenticeships question, the issue of broadening our curriculum to include better representation for financial education, the arts and gardening (see our campaign on page 36), and the sudden importance of digital poverty, it isn’t clear where these ideas belong on the political spectrum.  

    That’s normally the sign of a good idea. It’s time to promote nuanced thinking since it is only this which promotes the resilience needed in young people to be of value to businesses. This call for nuance mustn’t be a reason for delay; it must sit alongside urgency.  

    But starting a business is a route open to anyone with a good idea, and the drive to implement it. Perhaps the most important lesson of all is that you don’t need to sit at home waiting for the response to that 200th job application; you can start a business yourself, and watch the applications roll in to you.  

  • Opinion: Covid-19 has exposed ‘systemic failings’ in university system

    Opinion: Covid-19 has exposed ‘systemic failings’ in university system

    By Garrett Withington

    Throughout the pandemic most university students have had no need to go and see their educational stomping ground let alone occupy the buildings for educational purposes. What’s interesting is that many have graduated and passed their studies regardless. This begs the question: “Are the current practices of universities antiquated and only kept to provide a veneer of prestige?”

    Education has remained a hot topic throughout the pandemic. There have been questions throughout as to whether it is right for pupils to return to school and how to carry out assessment. But from the perspective of university students there’s really been one question. Should we pay full tuition? The answer more often than not is: Why should we?

    Actually, it isn’t just a pandemic-specific question. The fact that we’re asking this speaks to fundamental concerns about our current educational structures. 

    As a recent graduate in the humanities from a ‘Russell Group’ university, an epithet itself which is meant to garner prestige, my experience may vary greatly from others who studied in engineering or medicine, and may obscure interpretations of what is considered ‘value’ for a degree.  

    Regardless, for those in the humanities like myself, there has been little value to justify the cost. There have been inaccessible facilities. Lectures have e=been reduced to the equivalence of a YouTube video or podcast. Meanwhile, in-person seminars have been replaced by Zoom meetings where you are greeted with a panel of awkward stares of disinterested students who want nothing more than to go for a beer.

    None of that’s to the good, but is it really that much worse than what we had before the pandemic? Then we had sprawling lecture theatres in which you listened to the drowned sounds of a person reading off a powerpoint (though for full disclosure, I did benefit from a few inspiring lecturers). Crammed seminar rooms discussing theories whose application to the real world was always questionable. Most students waited nervously to be picked from the line-up to answer a question, and hoped for it all to end – again, so that they could go for a beer. 

    Try to think of another industry in which people would be willing to pay so much for so little. Half of the depressingly low ‘contact hours’ are made up of lectures, an inherently non-interactive exercise. So why shouldn’t there be an option to just view a pre-recorded video so as to provide students a greater flexibility in the structure of their learning and pursue more extracurriculars or internships? The Open University has already demonstrated that more resources can be moved online, yet established campus universities remain reluctant to do so outside of their libraries.   

    The internet’s endless number of resources has democratised learning, further chipping away at the validity of a closed university learning experience. Their red brick buildings instead act as monuments to times gone by. What’s more, the main value of universities are their clubs, which are more often than not run and financed by students themselves. Value at university then, is to be found in the opportunities provided by third parties who use universities as a platform to network.

    Unsurprisingly, a report by the House of Commons Petitions Committee argued against the need to reimburse students for their tuition during Covid: it felt like an attempt to quell future arguments of tuition. What we really need is to ask a more existential question about university as a whole, and why there are such low expectations all round. Students often complained about the re-use of lecture slides during the pandemic -though in truth this was commonplace well before Covid.  

    It might be that I am an outlier. For instance, over 80 per cent of students are said to be happy with the quality of their course according to the National Student Survey 2020. If these statistics are accurate, then I would ask many students to reflect on their time at university and ask themselves what true ‘skills’ they developed in three years that are applicable to the real world. Social life has become a common argument as to why many go to university, but FOMO – Fear of Missing Out – shouldn’t be a reason for pursuing higher education. Many universities do not even include first year grades to the overall degree award.

    There are now 1.8 million undergraduates in the UK, and with the Blair era’s insistence on 50 per cent of secondary students going to university – a policy kept by the Conservatives – the degree itself has been devalued. Soon it will be the Masters that becomes the standard-bearer with universities effectively bribing students to sign up to Master courses in return for slashing third year tuition fees – all before receiving their final grade.  

    Education is vital to individuals and society, making it all the more important that it be regularly scrutinized. Covid has not proved to be a unique year in ‘value’ of education but instead exposed the systemic failings of universities. The reality has dawned on many that they are able to recreate the learning experiences from the comfort of their own bedroom. Covid provided the perfect opportunity to widen the debate surrounding universities beyond tuition fees but it appears that this will not happen. Instead students will continue to be used as cash cows and placated by endless supplies of alcohol. Will they ever ask the question: “Was it all worth it?” To paraphrase, Boris Johnson when he announced lifting Covid restrictions: “If not now, when?”

  • Johanna Mitchell on the US families relocating to the UK

    Johanna Mitchell on the US families relocating to the UK

    The global pandemic has sparked an increase in our cousins from over the pond relocating to London. Why?  To access in-person schooling for their children. In the US, in both 2020 and to date in 2021, education provision has been in flux.  When UK schools were re-opening in September of 2020, US schools remained firmly closed, with most operating some form of online learning. 

    With the advent of Covid-19, it dawned on every parent and employer how much their livelihood and sanity depended on institutions placed too often in the background:  the nation’s schools.  

    For parents with flexible workplaces, deep pockets, or those able to open an arm of their existing US-based company in the UK, relocation to London for their offspring’s schooling was a no-brainer. For some families, this will be amount to a sojourn of a year or so, until their US schools are fully open again.  Others will stay longer.  As in the UK, US parents found it tough to juggle home-schooling with the demands of work and career. Families buckled under the strain that online learning had placed on the mental health of their children, and themselves, and a move to London schools was a welcome relief. 

    US families value London’s broad offering of schools and curricula.  Although the American School in London (ASL) in St John’s Wood is the holy grail for many US families, many are opting for British schools or English/ French bilingual schools.  This is particularly true of families with younger children, who are less concerned about changing curriculum and whose children are not close to exam years.  International schools offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) are sought after, not least because the IB has become the go-to curriculum for students on the scholarship route to US universities. All US colleges, including Ivy League, value the IB’s emphasis on research and its multidisciplinary focus. Some US colleges are offering top IB students a fast-track option to skip a year of their course, a huge draw for parents hoping to save a year of prohibitive college fees.  

    As we have a shared language, it is often assumed that the UK and US education systems are similar. This is not the case. The UK has more nationally-assessed exams and the early years approaches are different.  For children from aged four upwards, the US system is more play-based, whereas the mainstream UK system is focused on learning to read and write at a young age. To guard against culture shock, we recently placed the five-year old daughter of a family relocating from Los Angeles in a Montessori school in Hampstead.  The gentler Montessori approach was more aligned with her early years’ US education experience.   

    As I write, the expectation is that all US schools will be opened for the Autumn of 2021.  This current academic year has been inconsistent. Some schools opened, others operated a hybrid model (part in-person teaching, part online), some only offered remote learning. Generally speaking, the more “conservative” states, such as Texas, have been focused on maintaining, or even mandating, in-person instruction, while the more “progressive” states have offered hybrid options and made in-person learning optional. For example, on Long Island, most schools returned to some form of in-person instruction, but it was rarely mandatory and often hybrid with some online component.  

    A year later, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed education in America in lasting ways. Although most US families expect a return to the uniform, in-person teaching model for the coming academic year 2021/2022, some US school districts are developing permanent virtual options in the expectation that, post-pandemic, families will plump for remote-learning – even for their younger elementary/primary school offspring.  

    Relocation to London to access British schools has been the preserve of an élite, well-heeled tranche of US society. But we cannot ignore the reality that Covid-19 has been a tragedy for many students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Stories of kids who have melted away from education, dropped out of college, or gone hungry abound equally in the UK and US. We have been forced to question the efficacy and relevance of our existing education systems.  The pandemic has unleashed a wave of accelerated change in education. This wave will continue to ripple out and to have a permanent and transformative effect on education systems in both the US and the UK.   

    The writer is the Director of Lumos Education in London.  

  • Opinion – Work-from-home must be an option going forward

    Opinion – Work-from-home must be an option going forward

    By Patrick Crowder

    Now that restrictions are lifting, hopefully for the last time, there are mixed feelings about returning to work. Some are looking forward to it, some are concerned about catching Covid, and others simply don’t see the point. For those who crave the structure that a traditional office provides, that should always remain an option. But for those who dread the idea of getting back to their morning commutes, increased flexibility in the workplace is essential.

    Research from the global workplace specialists at Instant Offices shows that 90 per cent of office workers “want more flexibility in where and when they do their jobs”. That doesn’t come as much of a surprise – who wouldn’t want to choose their own hours and work from anywhere? Now that people have seen that their jobs can be done effectively from home, it will be difficult to return to rigid office hours without good reason.

    According to Instant Offices, 44 per cent of people looking for work are refusing positions that do not offer sufficient flexibility. This means that some workplaces may need to shift to at least a mixed home/office approach in order to employ enough qualified professionals to operate.

    Not everyone is going to want to work from home. It can be particularly difficult for parents of young children to have a distraction-free home office. Space is always an issue, especially in big cities such as London where young professionals often live in smaller accommodation. 

    Others enjoy the structure and feeling of community an office provides and feel that they work better in an environment of like-minded people. Some even enjoy their commutes as the back-and-forth bookends the work day allowing them time to leave their work life at work and home life at home.

    We know that working from home is a more comfortable solution for some people, and happy employees are generally more motivated and productive than one unhappy with their working situation. On top of that, Instant Offices’ research shows that 41 per cent of office workers believe that they are not only as productive, but more productive from home than they are in an office. 

    People will always work to their full potential in different ways, and that’s a good thing. Giving employees the option to work from home if they choose does not mean that nobody will come into the office to run the ship. Instead, companies will be able to reduce the size of their offices saving their employees time and themselves lease money.

    Companies must realise that people are unique in the ways that they get things done, and when everyone is forced to follow the same format, there will be a dip in productivity. Now that working from home has become normalised to a degree, a rigid return to the ways of old will only anger current employees and drive away potential new ones. There will always be a place for the traditional office, but it is time to allow the people who enjoy the WFH life to work to their full potentials.

    For more on the Instant Offices research go to: https://www.instantoffices.com/en/gb 

  • Stuart Thomson: Covid-19 will hit the young hardest – especially in the world of work

    Stuart Thomson: Covid-19 will hit the young hardest – especially in the world of work

    There is no doubt that young people have been hit hard by Covid-19.  Unless businesses and government take immediate and decisive action then the long-term consequences will be enormous.

    The All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs recently held an inquiry into the economic impact that Covid-19 has had on young people.  It found that young people have felt the impact on their financial, emotional, and vocational wellbeing. The report highlighted the educational disruption and financial pressures alongside an impact on mental health.  Alongside this pretty bleak picture, they provided seven key recommendations including:

    “Provide additional support and opportunities for young people and employers to ensure that they are “work ready” on leaving full time education, and equipped with the skills to manage, training and support new workers”.

    The emphasis may often be placed on schools, colleges and ‘the government’ to help equip people but it should also apply to all types of roles across the public and private sectors. In other words, the problems are being encountered by everyone.  There are no exclusions.

    Some employers may have support systems and mechanisms in place, but they are not always designed with the needs of young people or the types of damage inflicted by Covid-19. Maybe the emphasis on support for younger employers is new.  Financial support is, for instance, often more about pensions and savings and not always totally relevant to new entrants. 

    The APPG report noted that some employers are delivering ‘upskilling’ so there are good examples out there.  It also says: 

    “The Government should pay particular attention on how both educators and businesses can be active partners in providing opportunities for young people.”

    But there is nothing to stop this sort of link-up happening at a local level as well and it may better reflect the needs of the local labour market. Too much emphasis on central government may deflect attention from more effective action. 

    ‘Educators’ should also include universities as well.  The higher education sector is not always viewed favourably by this government.  The 2019 Conservative Manifesto proposed plenty of changes.  If universities are looking for ways to better support their students and improve their reputation with government then the post Covid-19 environment could be ideal.

    There are organisations out there providing support to employers to help rectify the impact on the young of Covid-19.  None has to go it alone which would be completely daunting especially for small businesses. Big businesses often have the teams in place but the wide range of advice and help available will be especially needed by small businesses.  And maybe they are better placed to help post Covid-19 because of the speed at which they can move?

    Government has put schemes in place – traineeships, apprenticeships, and the Kickstart programme – but membership and representative bodies, recruitment consultants, and other groups have come together to help deliver and prepare for work.

    But young people themselves can see where they need help and support as well.  It is not just about getting people into work, although that is critically important, but also about helping them in the workplace.

    Younger employees are going to make sure they don’t lose out as organisations work out what their own new working arrangements are.  On one level it is understandable why organisations will focus on the vast majority of their more established team members.  But they are potentially undermining their futures if they ignore this key group. It would also be counter to the types of support many proclaim loudly so there is a reputation aspect they need to be aware of as well.

    The competition for the best talent could become even more fierce after Covid-19, those best prepared and with the experience that will be even more sought after.  But we also need to ensure that the crisis does not allow some employers to fall back on old discredited behaviours, those of ‘who you know’ or the tendency to exploit when firms themselves are under significant cost pressures.

    We all have a role in helping the young to recover from the impact of Covid-19.

  • Gina Miller: “There’s a new kind of presenteeism in the workplace”

    Gina Miller: “There’s a new kind of presenteeism in the workplace”

    The fact is that after Brexit, we’d been living in lockdown for about three or four years anyway because we’d stopped going out. The attention generated by Miller I and Miller II had meant that life had become pretty restricted. Anyway, we carried on as normal and what changed is that the not so pleasant people we were busy dealing with had their own life and so they let us alone.

    However, it all popped up again with the anniversary of Brexit, and I had forgotten actually how horrible it is to be on the receiving end of this kind of abuse. It doesn’t really get to me – but I had forgotten how nasty it can be.

    But we’ve had a time of reflection, and society is now coming to a point where everybody’s wondering what they’re supposed to do with these supposed new freedoms. Family life has changed. Everybody had got to a place where home was almost an afterthought – even though it costs so much money. The challenge is going to be finding the balance as we move forwards.

    What I find very interesting is that the UK is in a dilemma over remote working, whereas other countries have already decided their approach. For example, in New York, the authorities have that said if you can eat out, you can work out, and so they’re encouraging people to go back to the office. That’s happening across Europe and in Asia as well. It all comes down to productivity, and how you get that up and working from home works better in some sectors than in others.

    I work in wealth management, and I think for professional settings – and I include lawyers, accountants, and bankers in this – there’s so much that you learn by watching people and seeing how they make decisions. It’s also a question of mentoring and asking ourselves how we bring on the juniors. Business-owners will realise that you can’t do that remotely.

    But the reality is that each profession – and each business – is going to have to make up their own minds and I don’t think we’ll see a holistic view of how we work for the future. But it also raises other issues, many of which people aren’t thinking enough about. One of those is pay. For instance, if people are using more of their own energy and electricity and they’re going to be at home, do we need compensation structures for that? Many companies had travel allowances before. Will we now have a home allowance? That needs to be resolved. 

    Then there’s the question of human resources. How do you actually assess progress? The problem is that if progress is going to carry on being measured by outcomes then that could actually create all sorts of other discriminations, as you’ll find output varying a lot according to home circumstances. 

    That opens up onto a topic I’ve become especially concerned about, which is presenteeism at work – that’s to say, people showing up at work and being unable to be productive. For parents – and for women, in particular – it was fantastic during Covid-19 that you could be at home so much. But for professional women we’re beginning to see data that they’re already thinking of going part-time or giving up work. That’s because at home, they’re still the mum and the wife, and they’re having to do an awful lot more. Middle management women, or women in senior management roles, are working late into the night once they finish their domestic day. They’re working until two or three o’clock in the morning, and we shouldn’t be surprised if such people experience burnout.

    So you have a concerning situation whereby presenteeism at the workplace is being replaced by presenteeism at home. It’s disturbing to me that we’ve fought so long to get into the workplace, and to push the diversity agenda, to consider the unintended consequences here: if we’re not careful, we might undo all that work very quickly. 

    We’ve got to look at this business of virtual mansplaining. Do we want a world where women are being left out of team meetings and pitches, and we have male workers go: “Well, we know she’s really busy in the day, they’ll pick it up in the evening?” Of course, not, and we’ve got to be mindful that that’s happening in order to prevent it. 

  • Finito mentor Pervin Shaikh gives her advice to international students coming to the UK

    Finito mentor Pervin Shaikh gives her advice to international students coming to the UK

    Finito mentor Pervin Shaikh gives her tips to international students studying in the UK

    Armed with grand ambitions and hopes of new opportunities and success, studying abroad can be a life-changing experience – and for many, this may well be their first time away from home too. However, the reality hits home very quickly, especially during the first month of arrival—many experience a culture shock as they adjust to a new way of living and studying. Over the last four years, I gained many insights whilst working with hundreds of Chinese students who came over to the UK to study. My hope in writing this article is that these insights may be useful to any international student.

    The first thing to say is that cross-cultural communication is a vital thing to learn. Stronger professional and personal bonds get built when there is clear communication between different people from different backgrounds and cultures. Learning to communicate with peers and seniors takes a bit of effort, especially if you’re not confident in speaking with others proactively. It’s ok to disagree, but what’s important is communicating your ideas and thoughts clearly, succinctly and respectfully. 

    It’s also worth noting that many international students are surprised as to how open their UK peers are and can discuss various topics. However, it is important to respect boundaries. Colleagues may not become your friend, and not everyone will be willing to talk openly about their personal lives, so be mindful. That should go hand in hand with adopting a ‘can-do’ attitude. In the UK, it’s essential to proactively find solutions to problems and then communicate the answers to the different stakeholders. It’s also acceptable to reach out to the stakeholders to share your ideas too. This way, you build your team’s trust and become a ‘go to’ person for others as you share your knowledge and expertise.

    In the UK, it’s especially vital to develop a network, both online and offline. My experiences have taught me, for instance, that the Chinese still have a hierarchical culture, and juniors do not approach seniors directly. However, networking in the U.K. is encouraged because it leads to learning, growth and development – but it does need to be be done respectfully and without high expectations. One word of advice when reaching out to people is to be mindful of their time. Remember, the person you’re trying to connect with has different time pressures to you and may not respond immediately – and that’s been especially the case during the Covid-19 pandemic where people are often stretched in ways it might be hard to imagine as you send your email.

    I’d also advise never to underestimate the power of LinkedIn. People are far more likely to read the message if it’s well written, with the proper salutation and tone; otherwise, the message will get ignored 99% of the time. However tempting it might feel to ‘click & connect’, don’t do it. It suggests you couldn’t be bothered to approach properly. I would recommend putting yourself in their shoes and asking yourself: “Why should they even bother to give me their attention in the first place?” But better still, ask yourself what value you can offer them.

    Meanwhile, when it comes to applying for jobs, don’t be put off applying to jobs because you don’t think you’re good enough or don’t think your English is fluent. With practice, you’ll learn to master the technique, especially when working with others online or when faced with video job interviews. You’ll have access to additional support and resources, but it’s your responsibility to organise yourself and figure the best support for you. For example, if you don’t feel confident in public speaking, join a public speaking group. If you have a job interview coming up, try practising on your own or with a group of friends or peers. 

    It’s easy to stay with people you know or in your safe experience zone. However, that’s not where learning takes place. To broaden your knowledge and confidence, try volunteering or participating in extracurricular activities. When you immerse yourself into the British way of life, you’ll better understand the cultural understanding, plus you’ll have something to talk about when you meet new people. This way, you’ll learn to communicate with different people, solve problems, and develop new ways of doing things. It becomes a win/win. 

    All in all, studying and working abroad can be an exciting time for many international students. It’s also an excellent opportunity to build confidence, a global mindset and life long friends and experiences. However, it requires a shift in attitude, effort and determination to make the experience work best for you. You owe it to yourself to use your time well. 

  • Caroline Roberts: Only a sensible immigration policy can protect our skilled workers

    Caroline Roberts: Only a sensible immigration policy can protect our skilled workers

    My best way of illustrating to you where we are with labour and skills at the moment is to tell you about Carl. 

    We recently employed builders to undertake a kitchen extension at our home in the Midlands, and I’m happy to say they did an excellent job. We now have a large, light kitchen space which both myself and my husband love to spend time in. It was the result of hard work – and also of skill on the builders’ part.

    During the building process, I had a conversation with one of the builders. Carl told me he was heading to Scotland next to work on a house renovation. He had secured this work through his employer networks in Scotland. How had he achieved that? By having qualifications which were recognised in Scotland and therefore enabled mobility in the skills market. For his employer, the qualification gave confidence that Carl had the right skills to deliver a quality job to the expected standards.

    In what follows, I will use the term skills market rather than labour market. I prefer the first to the second even though the second is normally used by commentators in this area. That’s because I believe skills are the real currency which has value in the jobs market. Particularly in this fast moving world of work where portfolio careers and flexible working are increasingly the norm, skills are the asset which will support employment, career progression and social mobility.

    Back to Carl. Unfortunately, devolution in the UK has meant that policy on skills has diverged and whilst Carl easily attained work in Scotland with his current qualifications, as the pace of devolution builds, the predicament for people like him may get harder. Additionally, Brexit has meant that we can no longer can the overseas skills we need to service economic growth. An ONS statistical release reported in June 2018 that latest figures indicate that 10% of all workers within the construction industry are EU nationals. Within the London construction industry, this proportion increases to 33%. Much will depend on how many of the existing UK-based EU workforce chooses to stay.’ This isn’t all. It will also depend on sensible immigration policies which recognise that the UK will still need to import some skills post Brexit which it is not able to home grow. 

    Worryingly, prior to Brexit, employers across the UK were reporting significant skills shortages and gaps despite access to overseas skills. The fact is that unless we have sensible immigration policies and agreements across the UK and its governments which continue to support the free movement of skills, those challenges will only get worse.

    Arguably, devolved systems work on the assumption that labour markets are geographically static and can be served adequately by local provision. The reality, however, is that the workforce needs to be mobile to meet changing skills demands – both positive and negative – across geographies. 

    For example, the car manufacturing sector in the UK has many skills in common with the food manufacturing sector and both are reliant on the transfer of skills between the two sectors to meet changing demands. We must be able to anticipate and proactively address those changing skills needs through effective use of research and skills analysis. We also need a training and education system which prepares people for flexible, mobile careers not just for a job.

    This does not, however suggest that one size fits all. Devolution on skills and employment policy allows for local contextualisation in terms of qualifications, education and training and will be better placed to serve local skills demands. But there are skills which everyone, wherever they live, choose to work, or be compelled to work, will need and it is important that education and training provision puts these skills at the heart of its offer.

    The World Economic Forum in 2017 set out those skills which will be crucial to the careers of now and in the future. Whilst it is unclear what the jobs of future will look like, The World Economic Forum believe there are generic skills which all individuals will require. By having these skills individuals will have greater resilience and longevity in the skills market allowing for transferability and mobility. 

    So, whilst Carl is an example of how the system does work now, we cannot lose sight of the changing demands of the skills market and encourage governments to develop skill policies which are mutually beneficial for the economy, the individual and society as a whole.

    Caroline Roberts is a Finito mentor