#212 – What Matters in Edtech: Skills

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Welcome to the latest episode of the GLOBAL edition of our What Matters in Edtech Series, our podcast collaboration with Bett. This podcast series is all about the things that matter in education, and how and when tech might help.
You can follow the conversation using #Edtechpod and #Bett2021. Thanks to Bett for supporting the series, and to Pearson for supporting this episode.
So, what’s in this episode?
There has been a huge change in employment and skills development over the course of coronavirus being part of our lives.
In this episode looking at skills, we are in conversation with an amazing 19-year-old key worker on her experience of 2020, an SVP on understanding more about how vocational learning pathways are adapting to a fast-shifting employment landscape and a principal and CEO on the education sector moving forward on cultivating essential skills.
- Which skills are in demand?
- How are people reskilling?
- How did key workers in the pandemic train for this moment and how can adaptability and resilience be developed from an early age? And,
- what changes in assessment and qualifications and support will we see in reaction to our new societal needs?
We will be answering all of these questions and more plus, there are some great book recommendations and the usual anecdotes, allegories and insights.
Tune in and let us know your thoughts. Please do send in your highlights in the comments below, via our social channels @podcastedtech or record a quick free voicemail via speakpipe.
The Edtech Podcast Team
People
Mark Steed, Principal and CEO at Kellett School, Hong Kong | Twitter: @independenthead
An experienced Schools’ Group Director / CEO with a history of working in the non-for-profit sector in the U.K., the Middle East and South East Asia. Experience in Strategic Planning, Coaching, Educational Technology, Conference Speaking, and Fundraising. Writer and Commentator. @independenthead. Principal and CEO of Kellett, The British International School in Hong Kong
Cindy Rampersaud, Senior Vice President, Pearson BTEC and Apprenticeship | Twitter: @RampersaudCindy
Cindy is currently Senior Vice President, BTEC and Apprenticeships at Pearson Education where she is responsible for the development of all Pearson’s UK technical, vocational and apprenticeship qualifications which are delivered to over one million learners a year. Cindy moved into the education sector in 2011 when she took up the role of Deputy Principal at City & Islington College. In 2016 she was appointed a Deputy Further Education Commissioner by the Department for Education working on the Government’s review of the Further Education sector nationally.
Before moving into the education sector Cindy held a number of senior roles in the entertainment media sector including roles at EMI, Warner Brothers and Virgin. Cindy is passionate about the vital role education and skills-based learning can play in helping individuals make progress in their lives but also in driving economic growth and productivity. She has a particular interest in the increasing role of technology in providing access to education and lifelong learning including how it can innovate what we learn and how we learn. Cindy is a member of the Commission on Sustainable Learning and she currently sits on the board of The Speakers Trust and is an honorary lifetime member of The Children’s Society having served as a Trustee for 8 years.
Naomi Dardai, Health Care Assistant at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Naomi is a
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 from over 145 countries with the UK, US & Aus in the top 3. Sophie has spoken and moderated at a variety of events including SXSW EDU, Yidan Education Prize, ASU GSV Summit, and the Next Billion Edtech Summit. She is an industry mentor and advisor, including to the UCL Knowledge Lab initiative EDUCATE, a Reimagine Education, GESA Awards, Bett Awards and XPrize Adult Literacy judge, and previous Edtech50 and Edtech Digest winner.
Sophie is passionate about lifelong and everyday learning. If she’s not interviewing a University Vice-Chancellor, Edtech Investor, School Leader, or StartUp about education innovation, she’s engrossed in Teach Your Monster to Read or wrestling her lockdown baby. A keen cyclist, she has recently relocated to West Devon which she considers the English version of the Pyrenees. She is very lucky to work with a distributed team on The Edtech Podcast.
Quotes from this week’s episode
References from this week’s episode
- Norfolk and Norwich Hospital – NHS website
- City College Norwich – Website
- City College Norwich – Twitter
- Health and Social Care BTEC – Website with PDF link (Pearson)
- HCA Reflections on Covid19 Practice – Short Royal College Of Nursing blog on HCA (health care assistant) role during covid
- TNA Apprenticeship – Website – NHS info on the TNA apprenticeship
- NHS Bank Staff – website – NHS Professionals site on bank staff, Naomi functioned as a bank worker at the beginning of the pandemic
- Cindy Rampersaud – LinkedIn
- Cindy Rampersaud – Twitter
- Pearson PLC – Website
- Pearson PLC – Twitter
- UK-ASEAN – Website – Cindy is a board member
- UK-ASEAN – Twitter
- Speakers Trust – Website – Cindy is a board member
- Speakers Trust – Twitter
- InvolvePeople – Website – Cindy named in EMPower Involve Top 100 BAME Role Model 2020
- InvolvePeople – Twitter
- EMPower – Website
- EMPower – Twitter
- WeQual Awards – website – Cindy was a winner in 2019
- WeQual – Twitter
- CBI – Website
- CBI – Twitter
- Mckinsey & Company – Website
- Mckinsey & Company – Twitter
- CBI – Learning fo Life: Funding a world class adult education system – Direct link to the report
- Skills Shortages In The UK Economy – Edge report on UK skills gap
- Higher Technical Education – UK Gov report on higher technical education in its current for and the case for reform
- British ESports Association – Twitter
- Ocado – Website
- Harvard Business Review – Website
- Harvard Business Review – Twitter
- Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo – Waterstones Link
- Bernardine Evaristo – Website
- Bernardine Evaristo – Twitter
- Where The Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens – Amazon Link
- Delia Owens – Website
- Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions, by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber – Amazon link
- KotterInc – Website – John Kotter chairs
- KotterInc – Twitter
- John Kotter – Twitter
- Holger Rathgeber – LinkedIn – CoWriter Our Iceberg Is Melting
- Team Rathgeber – Holger’s company
- Mark Steed – LinkedIn
- Mark Steed – Twitter
- Kellett School – Website
- Kellett School – twitter
- Berkhamsted Schools – Website
- Berkhamsted Schools – Twitter
- Mount Kelly School – Website
- Mount Kelly School – Twitter
- Mount Kelly School – LinkedIn
- Independent Schools Council – Website – Mark previously worked with the council
- Independent Schools Council – Twitter
- Independent Schools Council – LinkedIn
- FOBISIA – Website – Relevant organisation mentioned on Mark’s LinkedIn
- FOBISIA – Twitter
- FOBISIA – LinkedIn
- Independent Schools Of The Year – Website
- Curriculum and Teaching Innovation – FutureLabs handbook, related material to innovation as part of the curriculum
- National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) – FutureLabs handbook link above takes you to this website.
- CBI Skills Survey 2019 – PDF link
- Abundance – Book (amazon link)
- Peter Diamandis – Website
- Peter Diamandis – Twitter
- Peter Diamandis – Linkedin
- Steven Kotler – Website
- Steven Kotler – Twitter
- Steven Kotler – LinkedIn
Thank you to Pearson for supporting this episode
This episode of the EdTech Podcast is sponsored by Pearson, the world’s learning company.
In a world of increasing change and technological advancement, the need for people to have transferable skills is more important than ever. Aligned to the future of skills and employability, Pearson BTEC prepares learners for the future world of work by providing them the knowledge, technical and transferable skills they need to be successful in their careers and in their lives.
For more information about BTEC qualifications, visit btecworks.com
Thanks also to Bett for supporting the What Matters in Edtech GLOBAL series
The “What Matters in Edtech Global” Series is produced by The Edtech Podcast and supported by Bett.
Bett is the global meeting place for the education community. A trusted brand with more than 30 years of heritage, the Bett series promotes the discovery of knowledge and technology to enhance lifelong learning. The Bett series attracts over 60,000 educators, leaders and practitioners alongside more than 1,255+ technology providers from around the globe. For more information go to https://www.bettshow.com/bett-global-series
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. Alternatively, 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.