This is an idea I created a few years ago using the Visual Thinkery process with Educators.Coop and their collaborators focusing on the world of work.
Education & Work

This is an idea I created a few years ago using the Visual Thinkery process with Educators.Coop and their collaborators focusing on the world of work.
In the UK, the government are bringing in an apprenticeship levy, the details of which are still a bit sketchy, which prompted me to capture these details in a quick sketch at the excellent “Making Apprenticeships Work” event hosted by City & Guilds.
I’m all about apprenticeships. Proper apprenticeships. Not sausage-factory apprenticeships (unless it is actually in a sausage factory – which would probably be awful, but with obvious benefits…)
Shed. Check. Swiss Army Knife. Check. Soldering Iron. Check. Raspberry Pi and associated bits. Check. Motto: to solve problems and to find problems that need solving. Check…
When I was at University, the word “engineer” had some odd connotations in my head. Geeky, sterile, boring. It seemed so theoretical, so mathematical. I thought that engineers became engineers by doing an engineering degree at University.
Since those days, I’ve met engineers who have never been near a University. They are defined by a way of thinking – a spirit of engineering, if you will…
A came across this lovely Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) quote here: Thinking like an Engineer.
The recent Digital Leaders conference was entitled “Building Digital DNA”. Jacqueline de Rojas (VP at Citrix) spoke about women in tech (or the lack thereof).
I was thoroughly impressed with some female students I met a few weeks ago whilst doing some visual thinkery for UCL Academy. They had no problem seeing themselves as future engineers. Sure enough, looking inside the school, I could feel the project-focused creative engineering vibe flowing through their learning spaces.
I believe this is a cultural problem, and we would do well to continue to revisit this question.
I really enjoy trying to find visual metaphors for abstract concepts. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, its a bridge of course – to a profession. TechBac…
The UK has a growing skills gap. There are predicted to be over 14 million skills shortages by 2020. Created for City & Guilds.
Over the last 30 years there’s been a whole lot of tinkering with vocational education. I’m not sure if we’ve made much progress. Inspired by this report by City & Guilds.
This image reflects on the core principles of an apprenticeship, which were outlined in a report by City & Guilds – definitely worth a thought.