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#177 – David Shull, Head of Handshake UK – On Better Connecting Students and Employers

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Welcome to the next episode of our The Voctech Podcast: learning continued series, supported by the Ufi Voctech Trust and Ufi Ventures. You can follow the conversation using #voctechpodcast and #voctech. (BTW, the Ufi Voctech Seed Fund is open from the 21st January to 13th February. So, what do you need to know? Well, there is between £15k up to £50k available for innovative projects that use digital tech to help people improve the skills they need for work across the UK. The project duration can be anywhere from 3 to 12 months. There are supporting workshops and webinars to guide your applications happening now. And finally, Applications for the seed grants are open on the 21st January and close 13 February, 5pm, so get prepping! For all the details go to ufi.co.uk/ufi-seed-guidelines) 

What’s in this episode?

This week I’m in conversation with David Shull, Head of Handshake UK and Europe. Handshake work to make the student employability space or “bridge to work” better. They’ve recently set up in the UK and since this was recorded they have added the indefatigable Natalie Nezhati of Edtech Mark to their team as the Head of UK Marketing. In this episode, recorded earlier in the year, David and I chat about starting Handshake, the pain points for employers aiming to recruit students, and creating more opportunities for students no matter where they are located. 

We also have some snippets from Ian Hurd, who was out and about at the recent Ufi Voctech Showcase, chatting to MegaNexus, Nissan and Pembrokeshire College.

Happy listening, we hope you enjoy this episode!

People

Sophie Bailey is the Founder and Presenter of The Edtech Podcast

Sophie is the founder of the iTunes new and noteworthy, The Edtech Podcast. The mission of The Edtech Podcast is to improve the dialogue between ‘ed’ and ‘tech’ for better innovation, through storytelling. The podcast is downloaded 2000+ times a week, from over 145 countries with the UK, US & Aus in the top 3. Sophie is a mentor and advisor within the edtech community. If she’s not interviewing a University Lecturer, School Leader, Ex-Angry Bird, NGO, or Investor about education innovation, she’s chasing her son around the park or binge-reading Homo Deus.   Twitter: @podcastedtech

David Shull, Head of Handshake UK & Europe

David was part of the early team at Handshake. Handshake is the fastest growing EdTech company in the world. They’re genuine partners with over 800 Universities in the United States and have connected tens of thousands of students to opportunities they never would have dreamed of without Handshake. David is currently focused on launching Handshake Europe and is passionate about startups, entrepreneurship, and constant learning. He Loves adventure, is a frequent traveler and avid audiobook listener. Twitter: @dsshull

Ian Hurd, Reporter and Presenter at The Edtech Podcast

Ian is a reporter and presenter for The Edtech Podcast. His focus is on Further Education. Ian has a fascination with the concept of creativity and has a blog coming soon with a focus on developing soft skills. Twitter: @Ian_R_Hurd

  • Richard West, Meganexus | Twitter: @meganexusltd
  • Dr Geoff Elliott, Learning and Technology Development Manager, Pembrokeshire College | Twitter: @PembsCollege, talking about the LoGo App;

Learners often lead busy lives and can struggle to find the time to study while dealing with work, home and family. However, they often may have times when they could be studying whilst doing other things if learning was more flexible.  The LoGo app will enable learners to listen to study materials being read and dictate their own notes, so that they can make the most of the times when they could be studying – if they could do so without using their hands to make notes and answer questions or using their eyes to read.   The project will develop a completely new app, designed uniquely and specifically for the vocational-learner use-case. Features will include the creation of a mechanism to jump between dictating and listening and a new file format to enable educators to add questions and quizzes for learners to answer verbally.  

  • Nissan Manufacturing UK talking about Digital SPACE | Twitter: @NissanUK

The project aims to develop and test an app that will empower young adults to own their development and progress into sustainable careers. The product will consist of four main features which aim to overcome problems associated with high attrition, such as learner disorientation and anxieties during the on-boarding phase, encourage ownership of learning and increase the absorption of learning via digital interactive activities. The project will test the concept within Nissan, focusing initially on the Sunderland based Nissan Apprentices, Temporary Manufacturing Staff and Placement Students and expects to provide strong metrics to show how digital can have a tangible impact on learner outcomes.  If successful, the app will be rolled out across the business and its UK supply chain, with a view to demonstrating the app to industry bodies such as EEF, SEMTA and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance and illustrating the value of digital technology in supporting vocational learning. 

 Quotes from this episode

“It created massive inefficiencies and it was bad for everybody.”

“Students were ultimately losing out because they weren’t necessarily finding the opportunities that were a best fit for them”

“More isn’t necessarily better if you don’t have the tools to be able to discover what’s right for you”

“Focus is everything”

“We need to be able to talk to our computers”

“I had to change my radiator the other day and you instantly go on to You Tube to find a video that tells you how to do it”

“It does eliminate that peer pressure of you’re in prison so you can’t learn”

References from this week’s episode

Thank you to the Ufi Voctech Trust & Ufi Ventures

The Voctech Podcast Series is produced by The Edtech Podcast and supported by Ufi Voctech Trust and Ufi Ventures.

Our aim is to help improve vocational skills in the UK’s workforce by funding digital solutions for vocational learning. We only fund activity that is ‘scalable’ through technology, ie projects that use digital methods to widen access to vocational learning. While digital learning solutions are potentially open to all, we are especially keen to assist digital projects which involve post-school age vocational learners that have failed to be engaged by the education system. Contact: kate.atha@ufi.co.uk, Head of Communications, Ufi Voctech Trust. Ufi Ventures offers early-stage ventures finance and support that draws on the depth of Ufi’s experience in developing digital technologies for skills needed for work. We can invest from £150,000 up to £1m as equity or debt into early-stage companies who share our mission and meet our investment criteria. We are keen to collaborate and co-invest with other value-aligned investors interested in the opportunity presented by the changing nature of work and skills. Contact: richard.male@ufi.co.uk

Tell us where you are listening in from

We’d love to hear about innovative technology or approaches you are developing or using in adult education. Leave your stories in the comments below. Alternately, record a quick free voicemail via speakpipe for inclusion in the next episode. Finally, you can post your thoughts or follow-on links via twitter @podcastedtech or via The Edtech Podcast Facebook page.

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