When I opened the Nottingham Post yesterday (28 October 2014) and in particular the business supplement, I felt very proud.
Our students are some of the best trained in the world and reading that the current Prime Minister of Malaysia (Najib Tun Razak) graduated in industrial economics in Nottingham back in 1974, is certainly testament to that.
Very few can claim Nottingham’s international links with China and Malaysia, driven by the foresight and ambition of Professor Sir David Greenaway and The University of Nottingham’s international campuses. Professor Edward Peck, the new Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University is now back in the city also with an international outlook and the vision of ‘Creating a 21st-century university’.
The Nottingham Post reports not only on our talent rich student population, but on their ability to spend and the direct contribution they make to the local economy, with each student spending an average of £11,000 per year on clothes, nightlife and outgoings.
With my background in recruitment and also as NMB’s Interest Group Chair for Skills, I know we can get hung up on what has come to be known as the ‘skills gap’. In my opinion this is more of an ‘opportunity’ than a ‘gap’, with the ‘opportunity’ coming as a direct result of taking action.
As the recovery takes shape, businesses tell me they are getting busier and busier, our educational establishments are producing enviable talent and the opportunity lies in the two meeting in the middle.
To do this is actually simpler than you might think – it’s about businesses investing in training and building relationships with our schools, colleges and universities. It’s also about those leaving education having sight of local opportunities not only with the larger organisations, but also with our vibrant SME economy.
I met a young man this morning who is building a business linking Chinese students to internship opportunities in Nottingham. It’s not just a business to him, it’s a passion and on that basis he’s extremely likely to succeed. He’s not waiting for things to happen, he’s making them happen and has already opened doors with senior officials at Nottingham City Council. I’ve offered to help him by sparing a few hours a month to work on his business plan and focus him on the right things. The power of mentorship to energise, encourage and drive our enviable talent can never be underestimated.
What I’ve read and heard this week makes me very proud to be a graduate of The University of Nottingham and to also live and work here.
As a city and county, we have the talent and we have the ambition to put Nottingham and Nottinghamshire firmly on the international map.