Inspire youth on work experience, says first ‘Apprentice’ Campbell
17 July 2013
Work experience placements should inspire young people about their futures in the world of work, and not simply require them to make tea or file, says Tim Campbell MBE, the first winner of TV’s The Apprentice (pictured).
Thu, 18 Jul 2013
Work experience placements should inspire young people about their futures in the world of work, and not simply require them to make tea or file, says Tim Campbell MBE, the first winner of TV’s The Apprentice.
“Work experience is two weeks where you might go and do some filing, which is not very inspirational. I think it should not be ‘work experience’ anymore; it should be called ‘work inspiration’,” says Campbell, who is now the head of client services for emerging talent at recruitment process outsourcing provider Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS).
In Recruiter’s exclusive interview with Campbell, who features on the cover of the July edition of the magazine, out this week, he adds that work experience should be “something that motivates you to say, ‘this is for me’ or ‘this isn’t for me’ ”.
Campbell (pictured right) went on to say that businesses must get involved with local schools to instruct students about entrepreneurship and commerce because the schools themselves must focus on teaching academic subjects. “Most teachers have never experienced entrepreneurship and business,” he says.
“To expect a teacher who has gone straight to university, become a teacher and been in teaching for the last 10 years to then be up-to-date with what’s happening in the business environment and the business world and what’s relevant for an employers in terms of skill set is a step too far, I think,” he says. “What you should be able to do is complement the teaching skills of educators with businesses intervening and offering their expertise where it is valuable.”
Campbell offers the example of how he would have been “greatly motivated” by his former maths teacher if “he could have made the connection between why I am studying algebra and how it is going to help me make more money in the future”. Future business applications of subjects like geography and foreign languages would also have been useful, he says.
Work experience placements should inspire young people about their futures in the world of work, and not simply require them to make tea or file, says Tim Campbell MBE, the first winner of TV’s The Apprentice.
“Work experience is two weeks where you might go and do some filing, which is not very inspirational. I think it should not be ‘work experience’ anymore; it should be called ‘work inspiration’,” says Campbell, who is now the head of client services for emerging talent at recruitment process outsourcing provider Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS).
In Recruiter’s exclusive interview with Campbell, who features on the cover of the July edition of the magazine, out this week, he adds that work experience should be “something that motivates you to say, ‘this is for me’ or ‘this isn’t for me’ ”.
Campbell (pictured right) went on to say that businesses must get involved with local schools to instruct students about entrepreneurship and commerce because the schools themselves must focus on teaching academic subjects. “Most teachers have never experienced entrepreneurship and business,” he says.
“To expect a teacher who has gone straight to university, become a teacher and been in teaching for the last 10 years to then be up-to-date with what’s happening in the business environment and the business world and what’s relevant for an employers in terms of skill set is a step too far, I think,” he says. “What you should be able to do is complement the teaching skills of educators with businesses intervening and offering their expertise where it is valuable.”
Campbell offers the example of how he would have been “greatly motivated” by his former maths teacher if “he could have made the connection between why I am studying algebra and how it is going to help me make more money in the future”. Future business applications of subjects like geography and foreign languages would also have been useful, he says.
- Read the profile interview with Tim Campbell MBE on pp28-30 of the July 2013 issue of Recruiter.
