Since its inception in early 2019, School of Thought has connected the industry and engaged with thousands of young people promoting career opportunities.
It has also connected and received support from industry organisations including ABP, RMI, NBRA, VBRA, IGA, IVR, NFDA, IMI and has now become a member of the Federation of Small Businesses.
Since the start of the school term, School of Thought Ambassadors have attended 39 events and connected with over 2,000 students.
One visit to a college of further education resulted in 10 CV’s being presented to an Ambassador, who is now sifting through them to find a new Apprentice. Another Ambassador has taken two young people on a Traineeship one of which has now started a job in his parts department.
The programme has also connected with associated sectors such as the VBRA and Tom Hudd who is also an Ambassador, and is now linking the programme with the Commercial Vehicle sector. In addition, discussions have occurred with The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Federation of Small Businesses.
Everyone is fishing in the same talent pool and engaging with young people of all ages and abilities is the most important challenge the industry faces in the next decade. As an industry, we can’t simply expect the problem to go away or fix itself.
School of Thought has received support so far from volunteer Ambassadors, people who have a vision of the future and share the same philosophy. More now needs to be done, which it is hoped will see the programme move to another level. The programme reportedly understands the problems the pandemic has created for everyone and has operated on a mixture of self-funding and support funding for various events and projects from companies, which it says has been greatly appreciated through these difficult times.
To this end, School of Thought has created a membership package to suit everyone from small independent businesses to Corporate partners. It has set up a crowdfunding page for anyone who would like to donate as much or as little as they can afford.
This appeal has been issued to the whole of the Automotive industry. The programme believes the advancement of technology is not an insurmountable problem for the industry, but the lack of young people coming into the industry is and not acting now is not an option.
School of Thought believes the industry is starting this late and has done a poor job of selling itself to the youth of the past, and wants to make sure a better job is done with the youth of today and tomorrow.
