I was honoured to be asked to speak at the CBI's annual dinner in Sheffield on the 5th of March. While there, I highlighted how founders4schools and workfinder worked with communities throughout the UK to develop and sustain learning and to drive economic growth. I spoke about our use of AI and ML so that we supported the learning and development of teachers who were not expert in local labour market economics so that they felt more comfortable reaching out to the business community and guiding students in their classrooms about roles they might hold in business in the future. I spoke about how the endorsement of the CBI in Scotland had brought about more than 30% of all children nation-wide benefitting from our services and how in some communities all the students had met business volunteers in their classrooms, while in others, none had. We share the dream of reducing regional disparity so that all students in all cities, towns and villages meet business leaders in their classrooms at least once per term. No one should be left behind - and together we can bring this about.

1. How we build communities to develop and sustain learning and drive economic growth
5 March 2020
Please feel free to get in touch @scoutu

7. I would be able to grow my
company faster if
applicants had the skills
needed to meet my
customer demand.
82%OF 163 SCALE-UPS
AGREE
79%
OF 442 CEOs AGREE

8. THERE IS A MAJOR SKILLS
GAP AMONGST UK'S
YOUNG PEOPLE
The Problem

9. #scaleup

10. JOURNEY….

11. OUR SCOTTISH
STRATEGY

12. OUR SCOTTISH
STRATEGY

16. OUR SCOTTISH STRATEGY
● Collaborate with Scottish Government via
the DYW agenda
● With regional groups in each city/area
● With SDS as part of Marketplace
● Work with Local Authorities and the CBI
● Support from advisors across the country

17. Growth of Activity in Stirling

18. Rate of Growth in Scotland in 2017

19. Forth Valley still has the
highest SEE/1000 but EMEL
has overtaken in the number of
SEE in 2019/2020.
The West region has also seen
significant growth and some
areas such as Lanarkshire, Fife
and Perth & Kinross are also
experiencing positive growth.
Areas such as Argyll & Bute
still need further development.
Student Employer Encounters
Gains in the past 6 months:
Forth Valley (+24%), Edinburgh (+13%), West Lothian (+15%), Glasgow (+39%), West Region (+51%), Perth & Kinross (+18%), Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire
(+22%), Ayrshire (+460%), Fife (+311%), North East (+2%)

20. Growth of Activity in Stirling

21. Growth of Activity in Stirling

22. Growth of Activity in Stirling

23. Growth of Activity in Stirling

24. Gaining Business Support
• Sign up
• Inspire young people
• Engage with local
community
Business
Support
• With head teachers
• With teachers
Education
Engagement • Improve
employability
• Reduce skills gap
Young People

25. Call to Action – Educators
Pledge that each student you are responsible for will get their
student employee encounters per annum if they are under 16 and at
least 1 week of work experience per annum if over the age of 16
Embed training on digital employability platforms and services into
CPD and Initial Teacher Educator

26. Gaining Business Support
• Sign up
• Inspire young people
• Engage with local
community
Business
Support
• With head teachers
• With teachers
• With Students
Education
Engagement • Improve
employability
• Reduce skills gap
Young People

27. Call to Action – Local Government
Pledge that each young person
will get employer encounters per pupil per annum in EVERY SCHOOL
Introduce cost per employer encounter (per pupil) in reporting requirements to ensure
value for money

28. Call to Action – media
Visit your community’s dashboard
Sign-up for the free alert service
Write about the educators who are doing the most
Write about the businesses who are doing the most!

29. Those who seek to boost the economic growth of their community will
• Expand access to mid-career adults with short scaleup courses, soft skill training and
stackable credentials
• Ensure students get internships and work experience (with scaleups) every year
• Develop students develop soft skills by encouraging them to mentor younger students
in local schools
• Celebrate the scaleups in your community and make sure the voices of their leaders
feature in business school classes, case studies and newspaper articles
Recommend your staff and colleagues use the digital services available so that it
is easy for them to do this simply and quickly

30. How we build communities to develop and sustain learning and drive economic growth
5 March 2020
Please feel free to get in touch @scoutu