Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results How to measure the future Wolverhampton University 26 th October 2012 Bob Windmill MSC MBA MD Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results ©Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd Bob Windmill Water Industry 27 years 3 disciplines 9 Jobs Research & performance 6 years 3 disciplines 3 jobs Own Boss 1 year Multi-discipline Multiple clients

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results The project To find a practical way of engaging students with their on-going personal and professional development © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results The issue – The world of work is constantly evolving. Students need to understand that their first degree is a starting point for their personal and professional development (PPD) – Advice on PPD is often top-down and general Students need specifics – To do well at work they need to take ownership of their PPD PPD needs to be transferable between jobs © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results A solution – Engage the students in a process “Tell me and I will forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I will learn” Confucius – Make it relevant to their area of study in this case architecture and housing – Show them the benefits Employers paying for the skills that will make them a profit © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results This project – Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd (WIS) & Wolverhampton University (WU) – Developing pilot package with a view to future development – Delivered by WIS as part of WU “Lifelong Learning” module – Run in December 2012 © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results The approach – Base on students learning and applying the principles of Scenario Planning – Use scenarios to define the skills that the industry will need in the future – Students then setting out how they would expect to acquire those skills over time – Also how the would look out for unexpected trends and event © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results ©Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd The scenarios Economic Growth Economic Decline Social Stability Social Instability A world of prosperity and social stability A world of hardship and social instability

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results ©Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd Planning for the future Now The Future Expected change Actual change

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results Outcomes – The students identified a number of technologies skills that would be needed in both scenarios Technologies: Energy Efficiency, Smart buildings, modular construction, advanced materials Skills: 3-D Printing, high-end CAD skills (REVIT, 3D-Max), Building Information Management (BIM), the ability to engage with communities and end users, research skills to stay abreast of new and emerging technologies – The key point was that they “owned” these ideas and engaged with them. © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results Personal and Professional Development Plans – The students set out what they thought their PPD Plan would look like: Their first degree would be a starting point PPDP opportunities important when considering jobs Some kind of professional CPD would be needed Would need a higher level qualification at some stage Would include management as well as technical skills – The important point was that this was their plan with their views © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results Summary – The pilot was successfully delivered The teaching package we developed and delivered to Specification – The outcomes supported the hypothesis: Engaging the students in the PPD process resulted in improved “Buy-in” Students and staff commented favourably on the process and the outcomes © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results Next steps – WIS and WU will develop a larger teaching package with three elements Personal and professional development planning Understanding business culture Developing “T-Shaped” skills – The aim is to help students “hit the ground running” when they enter the world of work. © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd

Windmill Insight Solutions Creating Inspiration, Delivering Results Thank you I hope that you have found this presentation and the paper interesting. If you wish to know more about it please do not hesitate to get in touch © Windmill Insight Solutions Ltd