The Birmingham School Of Business School

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy

It's that time of year again, when in August A-Level and University results drop. Clearly causing stress and worry for students everywhere across the UK.

I too have a son who will be experiencing this next year and clearly I and most other contacts of mine will have had this same experience at some time of their life. I was reminded of this just a week ago when I met up at the Marble Arch pub, Rochdale Road in Manchester for a few refreshers, with two school mates (who I don’t see way enough TBH ).

All of us (still) have extremely responsible careers and experienced reasonable success. Its fair to say we have tried to improve things, if that’s me in Social Housing, or the other two in Civil Service or the water industry. One thing that connects us is the fact we left school with enough GCSE's, however none of us went directly to sixth form and on to university. We all potentially could, but didn’t.

University education doesn't guarantee success

At some point in older years we all did qualifications, including for me an extremely valuable degree (BSc in Applied Computing), at the School of Hard Knocks (AKA Manchester Poly, now the Metropolitan University of Manchester). I would not have chosen anywhere else, particularly as I worked throughout my five year course. None of the three us stopped there, for example I did a City & Guilds in photography. Famously, one of my school mates was John Mettrick, who ran the Briss butchers shop in The League of Gentlemen. Excellent organic butcher, doing great work back in Glossop, High Peak.

All of our courses were undoubtedly of use in our working and wider lives, however we all agreed that those courses and formal education absolutely did not define us. That is the lesson that this year (and all years for that matter) need to absolutely take away. Those courses and results (good or bad) do not define you, and you should not get hung up on it.

I have worked with many fantastic and inspirational people. The reality is that while qualifications help, in few cases have I found its defined those people. I have met many inspirational ICT folk who thought they were going to be vets and failed at those courses. They are now the people I contact to pick their brains, not on canine rheumatism, but cybersecurity.     

The point of this blog is the message that you should continue to learn & improve yourself, but don’t let those results define you. Good people and organisations will nurture and mentor you if you seek them out, those experiences will complement those academic endeavors. There is a world beyond academic achievements, good workplaces will guide you in the journey beyond the velvet curtains of experience. Once you find them, embrace them, through them you will better find yourself.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ *** Join the discussion with Claire & Aiden *** _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

If you are struggling with inefficient SocialHousing solutions, reach out

please just get in touch , for a chat over a brew and some Chocolate Gingers ☕😋

       Related Post: How can the right Critical Friend guide you to a new system?

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

The Fall - The Birmingham School Of Business School.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.

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Schools Out

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy
or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy


Well, what a week I’ve just had. Anyone who knows me, understands that no week of mine is ever remotely similar. I like that, but I get it that everyone else might not enjoy working in that way!


An interesting week of some ecstasy, ups, downs, travel, real fires, Hook Norton, new places, old places, lots of mixed emotions.

Towards the end of the week, however I had the chance to join a proper, ‘Back To School’ type moment.

In Scotland, I work with the lovely Arneil Johnston folks, helping them as associate with all their ICT work with Council and SocialHousing clients. As part of Scottish Housing Day, Arneil Johnston undertook some free schools outreach with a number of secondary schools.

As part of that, I went back to school in East End Glasgow, within a stone throw of Celtic FC’s ground in Parkhead, last Thursday. A group of about 20 teenage students from St Mungos Academy played an interactive game, about different personas and housing options, which may match their future circumstances. It was an interesting afternoon and on hand too were a couple of staff from Parkhead HA, to explain what socialhousing is for and who might be most suitable or eligible for it.

The game covered and described all the types of tenures, to be found in the school locality, as well as stressing the need to understand the range of what may be available, wherever these young people take their lives. IE limited socialhousing, intermediate rents, Shared Ownership, PRS (Private Rented Sector) and buying to become an owner-occupier via a mortgage. Arneil Johnston also have access to a wide variety of current statistics to provide insights for the students. Local builders and others were name-checked in the presentations.

In Glasgow, the percentage of owner-occupiers has reduced in recent years, in a similar way to most of the large cities & conurbations across the UK. More than ever we need to equip our youth about the options out there and how they might match a career, income level or diverse social needs, to possible housing options.

The day was fun and I would be fibbing, if I didn’t admit to having a wee warm feeling, by its conclusion. I think the majority of the students took a lot from the session. In contrast, although I personally have lived in all but one of those tenures, had absolutely no coaching/teaching at secondary school or college as to what options were out there for me.

An understanding of potentially diverse housing options, in a rapidly shrinking pool of properties, across the UK, is a useful skill to pass on to teenagers, getting ready to leave school. I think we should be doing more of this, relating it specifically to local catchment areas, landlords & other options.


Related Post: Your team. Do you know their key strengths OR NOT? 

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://soundcloud.com/housingitguy/

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

Alice Cooper – Schools Out.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.
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