MOVEMBER BUSINESS APPRENTICESHIPS
THE IDEA
Movember Business Apprenticeships
LOVE MY COMPUTER
Your computer can become your:
Classroom.
Research laboratory.
Office.
Creative studio.
Shop window.
Business development centre.
Learners can use digital technology to research markets, develop ideas, create presentations, build digital portfolios and investigate new ways of working.
Love My Computer = Love Learning. Love Research. Love Opportunity.
RESEARCH BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
This initiative is designed to encourage learners to investigate real business questions rather than simply memorise information. ASK What problem could I solve? RESEARCH Who needs a solution? DEVELOP What could I create? TEST Can I try the idea on a small scale? MEASURE What happened? LEARN What worked and what didn’t? IMPROVE What should I change? GROW Could this become a sustainable enterprise? RESEARCH → TEST → LEARN → DEVELOP
INDEPENDENT LEARNERS
Not everyone learns best through a traditional classroom. Independent learners can be encouraged to: Follow their interests Research independently Interview people Develop projects Use digital tools Build portfolios Present their findings Learn from mistakes Work collaboratively The Community University concept provides a bridge between independent learning and community participation. Learn independently. Connect collectively.
BUSINESS APPRENTICESHIPS
Formal apprenticeships provide a route combining employment, training and qualifications. In England, apprenticeships are available from age 16, subject to the relevant eligibility requirements. Our proposed programme aims to develop 108 annual business apprenticeship opportunities, subject to approved providers, employers, standards and funding. The journey can be: LEARN Build knowledge. WORK Gain experience. TRAIN Develop professional skills. EARN Receive a wage through a formal apprenticeship. QUALIFY Complete the relevant apprenticeship. PROGRESS Move into employment, further learning or potentially enterprise.
FROM LEARNER TO ENTREPRENEUR
Your membership hours are designed to be flexible. Your membership hours are designed to be flexible. Depending on the service schedule, your hours can be allocated towards eligible: GENTLEMEN’S BARBERING Haircuts, grooming and appropriate hair-care services. HAIR CARE Hair and scalp-care consultations and eligible services. TIME OUT A period of personal time within the Cosa Nostra environment. WORKSHOPS Learning, enterprise and personal-development sessions. GOOD IN THE HOOD Community workshops led by Dan. BUSINESS Eligible workspace and business-development activities. MEN’S HEALTH Educational and awareness activities, including the wider Movember Diagnostics programme. COMMUNITY Selected Time Banking and community activities. The final service-hour schedule will specify how many hours each service requires. Depending on the service schedule, your hours can be allocated towards eligible: GENTLEMEN’S BARBERING Haircuts, grooming and appropriate hair-care services. HAIR CARE Hair and scalp-care consultations and eligible services. TIME OUT A period of personal time within the Cosa Nostra environment. WORKSHOPS Learning, enterprise and personal-development sessions. GOOD IN THE HOOD Community workshops led by Dan. BUSINESS Eligible workspace and business-development activities. MEN’S HEALTH Educational and awareness activities, including the wider Movember Diagnostics programme. COMMUNITY Selected Time Banking and community activities. The final service-hour schedule will specify how many hours each service requires.
SOUL TRADERS
We use “Soul Trader” as a creative programme concept for people who want their work to have purpose as well as commercial potential. A Soul Trader asks: What am I good at? Who can I help? What problem can I solve? Can I build a sustainable income from it? What difference could my business make? Purpose is valuable — but a sustainable business also needs sound pricing, cash flow, customer demand and legal compliance. Purpose meets enterprise.
TIME BANKING
TIME IS A COMMUNITY ASSET Time Banking provides a natural partner concept for this research initiative. Timebanking UK describes timebanking as an exchange of skills where, typically, one hour given earns one hour of credit in return. Everyone’s time is valued equally. This creates an interesting research question: What happens when communities recognise people’s skills as assets? A member might offer: Computer help Mentoring Gardening Photography Business experience Event support Creative skills and receive an hour of another member’s time in return. Timebanking is based on reciprocal community exchange and does not involve money changing hands for the time exchanged.
TIME BANKING AS RESEARCH
Timebanking UK itself highlights research into the impact of timebanking and has supported research exploring areas including employability, digital technology, community participation and health. That makes Time Banking particularly relevant to a research and business-development initiative. We can ask: Can exchanging skills increase confidence? Can community connections lead to employment? Can independent learners discover new skills through other people? Can local businesses participate in community development? Can digital technology make skill-sharing easier? Can community knowledge become an economic and social asset?
THE DIGITAL LEARNER
Love My Computer provides the technology.
Independent learning provides the curiosity.
Research provides the questions.
Business development provides the structure.
Time Banking provides the community.
Apprenticeships provide a potential employment pathway.
Put them together and you have an ecosystem for learning.
THE COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY
The proposed Community University brings learning into everyday community life.
Rather than separating education from business and community, we create opportunities for them to meet.
Potential activities include:
Research clubs
Business workshops
Digital skills sessions
Mentoring
Enterprise projects
Community challenges
Networking
Time Bank exchanges
The community becomes the classroom.
MOVEMBER
The proposed Movember Business Apprenticeships concept uses men’s-health awareness as one of its conversation starters.
It brings business and health awareness together through themes such as:
Men’s health
Careers
Confidence
Business
Wellbeing
Community
Start the conversation.