A Day At The Beach!

I am sat in a chair on a small balcony just a few metres from the sea on a beach in a bungalow built by my now happily retired Dad.

I can hear the voices of tourists from many corners of the world, such as Russia, Holland, Spain, China and even Brasil. They all speak in English. Next to my bungalow there is a restaurant, where half a dozen labourers under the supervision of one person, construct a new veranda. A few metres away a Czech diving instructor advertises his services, and it is all in English.

I am on the island of Koh Phangan in Thailand, not in London or New York or Sydney. I observe these activities, and in every activity I see the benefit of education, the positivity of learning. The tourists use English as their international bridge to communication, to new friendships and to the good times. The Czech guy promotes his business using his English, but also his abilities to present himself knowing his “pitch” must be short and also very effective. The labourers follow the instructions of one, and it reminds me of leadership, management and even project planning.  There is even a dog on the beach, and the Polish restaurant owner gave her an English name “Brownie”.

Often people in my industry, including myself, focus on how important our courses are for business people, people wearing suits and ties and yet here we can see just how far the skills we train people in such as English or Management can go. Walk in to any office in any large company, and they are full of people with a wide variety of skills, but as I have already said, those skills can be put to use anywhere, even on a small (and very beautiful) island only accessible by boat in south east Thailand.

To most people it is just another day at the beach. To me and many in my industry it is a clear sign that what we do for people in education and training really can improve people’s lives and their future prospects.