{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Carl Hankinson, UK Chief Commissioner ","standfirst":"","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a Tuesday night in the Houses of Parliament. A shrill bell rings, summoning MPs to a vote, while statues of the great politicians look on, thankful perhaps they no longer need to rush down the corridors of power into the chamber.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m in the Churchill Room, in the Palace of Westminster, surrounded by Scouts helping MPs learn some new skills. That\u2019s right. Young people showing MPs, not the other way around.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/21019/uk-chief-commissioner-carl-hankinson-speaking-at-parliament.jpg","width":5142,"height":3428,"altText":"UK Chief Commissioner Carl Hankinson is wearing a suit and necker as he stands in front of a microphone to present at Parliament. In the background to the left is a purple screen with a white Scouts logo on.","caption":"UK Chief Commissioner, Carl Hankinson","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re here to launch a \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/may/new-research-on-youth-employability-by-demos/\u0022\u003Enew report from Demos\u003C/a\u003E, showing how skills learned through extra-curricular activities make all the difference when it comes to employability.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEncouragingly, over half (53%) of those who were Scouts felt prepared for the world of work, compared with 37% of those who didn\u2019t take part in any extra-curricular activities.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt one activity base, we\u2019re scratching our heads, pricing up a bag of rice, a tin of beans and other groceries \u2013 just one of the things we do to help young people budget, gain financial confidence and earn their HSBC Money Skills badge. (By the way, that bag of groceries feels much more expensive now, a timely reminder of the cost of living crisis).\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ETaking skills into the workplace\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis report comes at a time when employers are telling us that there\u2019s a \u2018double skills gap\u2019: they\u2019re not finding enough candidates with the right technical skills, or enough transferable skills. In particular, 61% of employers said they\u2019re struggling to find young people with emotional resilience while 45% of said they struggle to hire young people with teamwork skills.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis tells us two things: first that what we do in Scouts is more important than ever, giving young people the skills they need to get on in life and work. Secondly, it tells us that we need to work harder and go further to give more opportunities for more young people.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking around this room, I\u2019m not seeing any shortage of teamwork, leadership or resilience. These Scouts are working so well together, taking the lead, and most impressively, they\u2019re brilliant at articulating how the skills they gained through Scouts have given them a head start in the workplace.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlready I\u2019ve met a Scout who\u2019s on the production team on BBC\u2019s Springwatch, and another who\u2019s part of the team at VisitScotland. They\u2019ve landed dream roles, and they\u2019re thriving in them. They\u2019ve used the skills Scouts has given them to succeed.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/21021/scouts-at-parliament-to-hear-research-from-demos-about-employability.jpg","width":5827,"height":3885,"altText":"Three Scout members at Parliament are looking at a table with crisps, flour, bread, rice and beans and leaflets. One visitor in a green and white blazer jacket holds up some yellow sticky notes and each member is looking at them to read what they say.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThis something we need to get better at \u2013 helping our young people translate what they do in Scouts into skills at interview (explaining for example, how leading an expedition across Dartmoor in a storm is the perfect training for leading a project when things aren\u2019t going to plan. How did they respond? How did they keep team\u2019s spirits up and use the strengths of each individual member?)\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese young people \u2013 many of whom are volunteers too, show just what happens when we get things right. They\u2019re positive, confident young adults \u2013 full of a sense that anything\u2019s possible when we put our minds to it; when we\u2019re willing to learn and then share what we\u2019ve learned from others.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe way they\u2019re working together is comparable to the very best teams I\u2019ve seen in the corporate world. It\u2019s an inspiring sight \u2013 and another great example of how we\u2019re not just youth-shaped but youth-powered.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhy values are such an important part of the mix\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there\u2019s something more going on here. What I\u2019m seeing is real sense of care and cooperation. Our young people are looking out for each other, literally standing shoulder to shoulder as they welcome MPs, and speak with real passion about the advantages Scouts have given them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s so much teamwork and respect between the volunteer and staff team \u2013 this is one of those great moments when we\u2019re truly one team.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI also get a great sense of their integrity. Ayesha, our UK Youth Commissioner, is a shining example of this \u2013 her brilliant speech showing how the encouragement of Scouts has helped her become who she is today, one of our most determined and inspiring leaders.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe\u2019s speaking from the heart \u2013 about her lived experience of Scouts week in, week out. It\u2019s all too clear how that\u2019s shaped the person she\u2019s become \u2013 generous, outward looking and relentlessly optimistic about the future.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/21020/uk-youth-commissioner-ayesha-karim-speaking-at-parliament.jpg","width":5478,"height":3652,"altText":"UK Youth Commissioner Ayesha Karim is standing up to speak in Parliament. She\u0027s wearing a red white and navy necker and stands in front of a microphone. Behind her is a purple screen with a white Scouts logo on.","caption":"UK Youth Commissioner, Ayesha Karim","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAbove all, I see a real belief in the power of Scouts to change lives for the better. As another bell rings, echoing through these ancient stone walls, summoning MPs to yet another vote, they\u2019re leaving with a deep impression of the difference Scouts makes.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s remember, it\u2019s not just the skills that matter, but the combination of skills and values that makes what we do in Scouts so special. Let\u2019s never forget the power of that combination \u2013 or the difference we make as volunteers \u2013 as we continue to support our young people on their journeys of achievement and discovery.\u00A0\u00A0 \u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"06 June 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"The Employability Badge report","url":"/scouts-and-employability/the-employability-badge-report/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"New research on youth employability by Demos","url":"/news/2023/may/new-research-on-youth-employability-by-demos/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":50438,"nodeName":"Why skills and values are a winning combination","title":"Why skills and values are a winning combination","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/21019/uk-chief-commissioner-carl-hankinson-speaking-at-parliament.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd28238590","caption":"UK Chief Commissioner Carl Hankinson Speaking At Parliament","type":"jpg","size":4764197,"width":5142,"height":3428,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Why skills and values are a winning combination","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"UK Chief Commissioner, Carl Hankinson, talks about Scouts\u0027 visit to Parliament to share new research on Scouts and employability.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDQzOCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/june/why-skills-and-values-are-a-winning-combination/"}