#189 – Talent Pipeline, Technology and Training

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Welcome to the latest 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. 

What’s in this episode?

This week we throw-back to a “pre-coronavirus” recording with Hector MacAulay, Managing Director at international infrastructure and manufacturing company Balfour Beatty. We chat about talent pipeline, technology and training and why getting up at the crack of dawn in your first teenage job sets you up for life.

Following on from our chat with Hector, Ian Hurd is out and about at this year’s Bett and you’ll hear from a range of attendees about everything from avoiding plagiarism, developing attention and calm in the workspace, and skills development in AI with stories from the UK, via Israel and the UAE.

We kick off the episode with a listener feature on the Edtech 50 evening with Nicole Ponsford, Becki Bawler, and Caroline Keep from the Gender Equality Collective then, a message from HundrED.

ENJOY!

People

Sophie Bailey is the Founder and Presenter of The Edtech Podcast | Twitter: @podcastedtech

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.  

Hector MacAulay, Managing Director, Balfour Beatty | Twitter: @balfourbeatty

An experienced, energetic, strategic and people orientated senior business leader, focussed on driving change through the development of high performing teams. An impressive track record of delivering consistent profitable businesses in the Construction sector.

Balfour Beatty plc is a leading international infrastructure group. We operate, finance, develop, build and maintain innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins daily life, supports communities and enables economic growth. 

Ian Hurd, Reporter and Presenter at The Edtech Podcast | Twitter: @Ian_R_Hurd

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. 

Ian interviews the following at #Bett2020

• Jason Gibson, Professional Services Consultant, Turnitin | Twitter: @Turnitin
• SenEgg from Osborne Technologies | Twitter: @osbornetech
• Itamar Levy, Partner, Business Development Manager, Speak
• Dr. Omar, UAE Higher Education Sector Representative
• Freddy Elturk, Founder & CEO, VDX BlockChain Solutions | Twitter: @vizidox

Listener-Feature Contributors

• Nicole Ponsford, CEO & Co-Founder, Gender Equality Collective | Twitter: @NicolePonsford
• Becki Bawler, Teacher, Leader & Learner| Twitter: @RCCS_MissBawler
• Caroline Keep, Teacher, Director of Spark Makerspace, Co-Founder of Liverpool Makefest & Educational Consultant | Twitter: @Ka81

 Quotes from this episode

References from this week’s episode

• Hector MacAulay, Managing Director at Balfour Beatty – LinkedIn
• Balfour Beatty – website, homepage
• Balfour Beatty Managing Director appointed to Construction Scotland’s Industry Leadership Group – article via Balfour Beatty website
• Balfour Beatty – twitter
• Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh – website, homepage
• Balfour Beatty Showcase – previous projects detailed on Balfour Beatty website
• Kelvinside Academy – website, homepage
• Kelvinside Academy, the building – school website
• Succession planning – further information via CIPD
• 70-20-10 principle – further informations via Training Industry
• Balfour Beatty Academy, online training – article detailing the academy funding received in 2014
• Balfour Beatty Development – further information via Balfour Beatty website
• Balfour Beatty Virtual Reality Goes Viral  – blog post via Balfour Beatty
• VR for Corporate Training: Examples of VR already being used – article via Virtual Speech, July 2019
• Developing the Young Workplace – further information via Education Scotland
• DEC: Design, Engineer, Construct Programme – website
• Apprenticeship programme at Balfour Beatty – website Balfour Beatty
• How Do Drones Work And What Is Drone Technology – article via DroneZon
• What is predictive analytics? Transforming data into future insights – article via CIO UK
• Video game-like tech draws younger, more skeptical workforce to construction – article via Construction Dive, May 2019
• Satellite campuses – explanation
• Turn It In – website, homepage
• Turn It In – twitter
• Rubrik – website, homepage
• Microsoft Teams – website, further information
• CEFR – further information
• MindCet – website, homepage
• Department for International Trade – website, homepage
• An Inside Look at the First Nation With a State Minister for Artificial Intelligence – article via Futurism, Dec 2017
• Captains of Industry: In conversation with the world’s first ever AI minister Omar Bin Sultan Olama – article via NBC, Nov 2019
• Virtual classroom – explanation
• AI Sector Deal, UK Gov – policy paper via UK Gov, May 2019
• VDX blockchain solutions
• VDX – twitter
• Crypto – explanation
• Metadata – explanation
• HomeLearningUK – Resource from a group of proactive educators to help educators, students and parents as they deal with new ways of supporting teaching and learning

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.