The Future Success of the UK and Globally......
Colin Thompson
Managing Partner Cavendish/Author/International Speaker/Mentor/Partner
We need to sow seeds for our future success
To emerge from the recession in a strong position, we need to identify opportunities that develop our education systems in schools, universities and business – and implement strategies that distinguish us from your competition. It is a continuous 20 year loop in planning our future around our requirements that makes us a global successful story.
We need our schools to teach all the requirements to fit the UK demands. That means we do not require `all` students to enter university. We need to stream our requirements into students who suit university, apprenticeships and training programmes to fit the needs of the UK and globally. This was the programme of events in the UK previously (up to 1973) and it was very successful. This course of action will allow us in creating new products and services to expanding into new markets, this is the time to strengthen our business model, so we are ready to grasp new growth opportunities as they start to arise.
Achieving the above will allow UK businesses to be successful and this requires a sustained focus on operational effectiveness, making strategic acquisitions and gaining share in the right markets. With the `right` multi-disciplinary teams this will provide UK organisations with integrated, objective advice to help control costs, increase efficiency, evaluate opportunities and improve transaction outcomes. This will allow UK PLC to become more agile organisations, that’s better equipped to respond to change, enter new markets and sustain successful businesses in the future.
Are we ready for recovery?
Global trends revolutionise business
The current economic climate may tempt us to focus on immediate events, but we cannot ignore longer-term trends. The way businesses plan and respond to events over the next decade will help determine our future. Change has always been a constant in the business world. Yet?in recent years it has hit us with an unprecedented speed and intensity. The forces shaping our world today are immense, complex, surprising and challenging. More than ever, our prosperity — as organisations, societies and individuals — depends on the extent to which we can adapt to these forces and deploy them to our advantage.
Our workforce is a strategic asset
Mature Workers with skills and experience will fill the `Skills Gap`. By keeping mature (skilled and experienced) people and attracting others from retirement is a better way of solving our skills shortage than importing in migrants.
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Some top executives in Europe, America and Asia have admitted for the first time that older (mature) workers are the key to fixing the skills gap globally. These people can fill the positions as permanent or interim workers and help train others over the coming years.
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Why do not these top executives persuade employees to stay on beyond retirement or to recruit other skilled and experienced people? This is the answer to the issue!
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We are reaching a tipping point and we are seeing a fundamental movement in thinking across business. There is such an enormous white-collar, professional skills and trades shortage that attitudes are having to change now, rapidly. Businesses are realising that they have to hold on to older (mature) skilled and experienced workers.
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Due to the number of young adults not being available due to the drop in birth rate over the last 30 years and continuing to drop in the West and lifespan increase, the limitations of today's strategy of importing foreign workers are showing. Persuading the older (mature) workers to stay on and tempting others back from retirement is now imperative. We need all businesses to see the `light` otherwise costs of employment will rise rapidly.
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It is three years now after the introduction of laws `banning` discrimination on the grounds of age, this prejudice is poised to overtake sex discrimination as the greatest workplace grievance. There is probably about a fifth of UK workers feel they had been discriminated against on the grounds of age. At this present rate it will increase rapidly due to the increase in foreign workers being transported to the UK in the tens of thousands!
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Research from the Employers Forum on Age suggested that ageism remained deep-rooted in the workplace. Six out of ten people were said to have witnessed ageism at work in the last 12 months. The Employers Forum on Age has said that 200 claims a month were now being lodged with the Tribunals Service and increasing rapidly.
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Therefore, is business torn between realising that older (mature) workers are the answer and an emotional rejection of the inevitable? What do recruitment and HR executives think? Well, I believe that the prospect of legions of older (mature) workers fills them with horror! Why, because of income streams that will slow down, as older (mature) workers do no move from job to job. Older (mature) staff is more loyal and reliable than younger workers (despite all the worries about failing health, older employees take less sick leave than younger ones and most cases older (mature) people are fitter and have a positive attitude to life. They have excellent work ethics and understand team work.
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Some companies believe they are already ahead of the curve on the age issue. They have turned to retired staff to meet customer demand. Customers seem to find mature staff particularly reassuring. Look at many of these companies and for example `We have more than a dozen retired technicians who still have the skills and attitudes we want and of course a lot of experience and who still want to work. They have the `right` attitude.
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UK schools and hospitals are already showing the strain of catering for an influx of younger workers from Eastern Europe. There is an issue with the language and illnesses that our hospitals cannot cater for!
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The pioneering business is now in the retention and recruitment of older (mature) workers. Many companies have raised the retirement from 60 to 70 and some cases to 75.
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Changing demographics means there is a clear business case for change. Customers are more satisfied with the services they receive from older (mature) staff; older workers stayed longer and recruiting and retaining older workers met the company's fairness and diversity policies. Also, people are working on because they want to and not just because they need the money.
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However, the reality is that there are only a few businesses going all out to attract older people. It is time the majority woke up to the pending crisis. In fact, the recruitment of older (mature) workers is now so critical that it merits the introduction of positive discrimination. There is so much prejudice that I would argue for positive discrimination - for example, giving older workers more rights on part-time working. It has to be understood that these days older workers may also be caring for even older relatives has there are no care homes to take them on board.
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Positive discrimination is controversial, but we have to consider the major talent shortage facing us over the next 20 years plus. Time, is not on our side, so we all need to take action on the older (mature) workers and also train the few younger people into jobs that are `needed` for us all to survive.
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The future is a mix of young and mature workers that complement each other for our long term strategy to be self efficient on home born workers. So we become more agile with our organisations, that’s better equipped to respond to change, enter new markets and sustain a successful business in the future. Transferring knowledge across generations is the answer.
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"Turn Challenges into Great Success -- and Triumph Over Adversity Every Time!"
When Colin Thompson was 20 years old, he embarked on a quest that would test his mental strength, will power and physical endurance.
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Success is a Journey
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`Accelerate with Impact` -
by Colin Thompson ISBN: 978-1-84549-289-2
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Take on board `Accelerate with Impact` -?ISBN: 978-1-84549-289-2
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The books can be obtained from all bookshops/internet shops globally.
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The eBooks can be obtained from www.colinthompson.org.uk?
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“Your Journey is Your Life Time, so take each step and reach Your Goals”
– Colin Thompson
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What are your plans?
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Fresh thinking requires a vision to see beyond the conventional. When you combine excellent quality with outstanding value for money you will begin to realise the full potential of creative and well presented business solutions. Together, the sky`s the limit. Have passion to learn and let the knowledge help you to be successful in life.
Sharing successful information for your success from many sources.
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