For businesses to continue to build on success and flourish in the future, a constant influx of young people is essential. To help safeguard the future of Redditch based waste management company FAUN Zoeller UK, Simon Hyde set up Power Up, which is a mix of senior local business people and educationalists who devote time to working and mentoring school children and young people.
Simon Hyde said: “Without mentoring it will be very difficult to attract new talent to businesses. We need to find the stars of the future, but it is vital to start doing something now. Young people in education are not showing enough interest in the business world. I was lucky when I was young – I had two brilliant mentors, without whom I wouldn’t be in the job I do today.”
The “Power Up” name demonstrates the group’s main goal, which is to encourage young people to consider a career in business. This is reflected in the definition of Power Up which is “to increase power and self-belief, dreams and resilience”, noting that “when Power Up is achieved an aura of energy will be generated.”
Simon Hyde said: “Some people think that mentoring is about being a nurse-maid and looking after young people. That is not true: it is actually about getting young people motivated, increasing their confidence and ensuring they are resilient. Some have become too sheltered and leave everything to their parents. That doesn’t work in the business world where pressure, competition and accountability are the main drivers. As mentors we have to switch them on so they can find their own energy.”
All members of Power Up work hard to encourage school pupils to visit their companies. They also visit the schools to talk to both the pupils and teachers to establish free-flowing dialogues.
Darren Houlcroft, principal at Houlcroft Wealth Management said: “We are inspiring school children to come into business after leaving school. But to do this we need to build bridges between commerce and the education worlds. Since I have been mentoring, I have been surprised how little is known about business – how it operates and the need for creativity, free thinking and dynamism.”
Mr Houlcroft added: “Our group provides the children and their teachers with evidence and clarity about what is on offer and what can be achieved, and also to ensure they are equipped and ready for the business world. We are also working hard to get more mentors with the right skill set to work with us.”
Mark Ridings, MD and founder of Lasercomb Group (which consists of Lasercomb Dies and Lasercomb Engraving), said: “There are two fundamental barriers that we need to break down. School leavers are pressed hard to go to university. They are therefore avoiding the trades and engineering. Our top priorities are to create a dialogue, open up the doors and engage with as many schools as we can.”
“The other problem is that Covid has had a big impact on education. We are in danger of having a generation of young people who feel disadvantaged and left behind. This is so wrong. We believe they potentially represent a golden generation who actually have limitless opportunities. But we need to get out there and convince them.”
Due to legislation and Health & Safety regulations work experience, weekend and evening paid work outside school hours have declined dramatically in the UK in the last decade. This means pupils have little experience of how business works. Schools have also been criticised for being too focussed on following curriculums and for too much emphasis on examination results and grades.
Louise Laxton is an experienced senior teacher who currently heads up the dedicated careers advice and counsellor department at Trinity High School & Sixth Form Centre in Redditch.
“In the past business has not helped itself by giving contact with education a low priority,” she said. “There has been a lack of effort which has created an image problem. But Power Up will help inspire pupils who lack motivation because they don’t know where to start.”
Many school pupils think that a lack of A grades or a university degree will hold them back and means a business career is not attainable.
Julie Dyer, commercial manager HELLER Machine Tools Ltd, disagrees. “We need to break down walls and challenge the mind-set of children and teachers. I started my working life as a receptionist and managed to progress from there to where I am now. I was well into my 30s before I qualified as an accountant.”
She added: “We are having a positive impact with the children we are reaching and working with. I want to give something back and help them to reach their full potential.”