Buckeye Innovation’s Post

Delighted to speak at the Eton Star Partnership event today on Fulfilling Potential: Nurturing Excellence in Post-16 Education. The Partnership's mission is to elevate the life chances of young people from disadvantaged communities. I was invited to talk about apprenticeships as a career pathway for young people: a subject close to my heart. It was a total pleasure to share the stage with Prof Raheel Nawaz PFHEA NTF Samuel Okusaga John Cope. We heard quite a lot about academic excellence at the conference, but I wanted to focus on employability excellence: how young people can both prepare for and recognise how they have the transferrable (Fusion) skills which employers look for during the recruitment process. Team working, client facing and problem solving examples can be drawn from any life experience. Also the ladder of opportunity: how it's possible to start at level 2 and work your way right up to Level 7 if you wish, but also equally important - a degree is not necessary to succeed in industry. It's knowledge, skills and behaviours which count; real on-the job skills and knowledge, not necessarily exam results. A lively debate!!

Another insightful article highlights the impact of Graduate Apprenticeships on employees' career advancement and the bridging of skills gaps for over 400 businesses throughout Scotland. Come talk to me if you are ready for that promotion! Robert Gordon University #GraduateApprenticeships Gregg Walker Neale Farman Lydia Hunter Tomi Ibukun, AMEI Christina Laing

Great article by the The Press and Journal in the last week about Robert Gordon University’s upskilling support for businesses including #graduateapprenticeships and #shortcourses - all in the support of a wellbeing and productive economy. Let me know if you want more information, particularly about September-start #GAs .

About nine months ago, I met Christopher Banks (he goes by CJ). He had a vision to bring Salesforce education and employment opportunities to underserved communities in western New York, and he started KORP Foundation INC. to be the conduit to make this happen. Red Argyle has a history of hiring people from "non-traditional" backgrounds, including a cellist, actor, philosophy PhD, and security guard, to name a few. Anyone with the desire to learn and work hard can be successful in the Salesforce ecosystem. Also, It's amazing to see how people draw from their previous life experiences and apply it to their work as a Salesforce professional - some things just can't be taught. We've always had the desire to create a program to scale up the education and employment of people from all those diverse backgrounds. So, it was serendipitous to connect with CJ, who was already building it as KORP Foundation's PATHS program! Red Argyle is proud to be the PATHS program's first employer partner. We are currently supporting PATHS' first cohort by teaching class once a week. The students study in Trailhead and saasguru during the week in pursuit of their Salesforce Associate and Administrator certifications (every student has earned their Associate cert). They then come to "Lab" on Thursday nights to build a Salesforce app together. They've chosen to build a Fantasy Sports League app. It's challenging and eye-opening for the students to get to apply their studies and start to "think like Salesforce". It's also a delight for me to guide these students toward their own decisions in their architecture and configuration decisions. Best of all, it's as real as Salesforce work can get - we're training students not only how to build on the platform, but how to gather requirements, take ownership of workstreams, be adaptable in the face of uncertainty, and communicate as a team. When this first cohort concludes in May, Red Argyle will hire four PATHS graduates for year-long apprenticeships. They will join our project teams and do real work side-by-side with other Argylers with their support and mentorship. Is it a little risky? Sure. But employers can't just support programs like PATHS with donations and well-wishes. We need to support the intended outcome: bring Salesforce employment opportunities to underserved communities. I wish Red Argyle could hire all the graduates, but we aren't quite big enough for that, so 𝐈 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞" 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧-𝐭𝐨-𝐛𝐞 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐒 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Reach out to Christopher Banks, Sheana VanDyne, or Tom Patros to learn more about how to support the PATHS program as an employer partner.

CareerWise Colorado is transforming futures by merging education with real-world skills through youth apprenticeships. Students gain invaluable experience and a jumpstart on their careers, while industries cultivate a future-ready workforce. Let's support initiatives that link education to employment, preparing our youth for tomorrow's challenges.#YouthApprenticeship #CareerWiseColorado #FutureOfWork

Sharing on the eve of A Level results. Whatever your results, there's always a path. Maybe an apprenticeship could be the answer. A positive attitude and enthusiasm is key, skills can be taught! #alevelresults #apprenticeships

The Maritime Apprenticeship Program provides excellent opportunities for people to sail as a deck officer.

Attention Buffalo Businesses Are you struggling to find skilled tech talent to fuel your growth? We have an exciting opportunity for you! Franklin Apprenticeships, in partnership with the City of Buffalo and local philanthropic organizations, is offering job readiness programs to create a work-ready, local talent pipeline for your business. Join us for an evening Meet & Greet session on June 18th, 2024, to learn how you can access this valuable resource and get skilled Buffalonians working for your organization. During the session, you'll discover: ✅ How to cultivate local talent equipped with in-demand skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and personal accountability. ✅ Ways to onboard employees who are already productive thanks to hands-on training. ✅ Strategies to build a future-ready workforce primed for ongoing learning and growth. Don't miss this chance to secure a competitive edge and support your community's economic development. RSVP now by visiting https://lnkd.in/gQGWPbne and let's Get Buffalo Working together! #BuffaloNY #TechTalent #WorkforceDevelopment #Apprenticeships #FutureReadyTalent

Today, on Juneteenth, we celebrate freedom, resilience, and the ongoing fight for a more just and equitable society. As we reflect on the past, let's also look towards the future and how we can create opportunities for all. At Project Hire-Ed, we're committed to promoting diversity and equity in the workforce, and that includes our apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships offer a fantastic pathway to skilled careers, providing valuable on-the-job training and experience without the burden of college debt. We recognize the need to break down barriers and ensure that everyone has the chance to succeed in these rewarding careers. By investing in equity within our apprenticeship programs, we're not just building a more diverse workforce – we're building a stronger future for our entire community.

The afternoon session of today's Shaping the Workforce of the Future conference kicks off with a discussion on the potential of apprenticeships for shaping a skilled workforce and providing more varied career pathways - including via the recently launched Public Service Apprenticeship Plan. Andrew Brownlee of SOLAS (An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna), Peter Davitt of Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT) , Mary O'Donohue of the OGCIO and Orla Lynch of Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science provide insights and practical examples of innovative approaches from employers. #BetterPublicServices | Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery & Reform