Latest / Technology Now / Apprenticeships and tackling the tech skills gap
Transcript
- Aubrey Lovell (00:10): Hello friends, and welcome back to Technology Now. A weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where we take what's happening in the world and explore how it's changing the way organizations are using technology. (00:21): We're your hosts, Aubrey Lovell. Michael Bird (00:23): And Michael Bird. (00:24): And in this episode, we're talking about alternative routes into STEM and why getting a breadth of talent is becoming more and more important to our organizations. We'll be talking about how major organizations can reach out to diverse talent pools, we'll be looking at changing values and how to build staff loyalty in a world of changing employee expectations, and we'll be talking about the value of getting people into your organization at earlier stages of their career rather than always going for the more experienced candidate. Aubrey Lovell (00:53): If you're the kind of person who needs to know why what's going on in the world matters to your organization, this podcast is for you. (01:00): And as always, if you haven't yet, subscribe to the podcast app of choice so you don't miss out. (01:04): All right. Michael, are you ready? Michael Bird (01:06): Oh, yes. I'm ready. Aubrey Lovell (01:08): All right, let's do it. (01:12): Okay. So we're going to jump right in here. And according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Technology Review, there's an acute shortage of candidates for tech jobs. (01:22): And in a poll with global technology chiefs conducted by The Publication, 64% claimed candidates for their IT tech jobs lacked the necessary skills or experience. Another 56% believe there's an overall shortage of candidates. (01:39): Meanwhile, research by consultancy group, Korn Ferry, found that by 2030 there's due to be up to 85 million, I said million, potential unfilled tech roles globally. So that's roughly the population of Germany. Michael Bird (01:53): Now, clearly there's a problem here. So what can tech companies do to bring more talent through the door? Could building a baseline of investment in new or even unqualified talent be a solution? (02:03): Joining us today is Maninder Randhawa, early careers leader for Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the UK, Ireland, Middle East, and Africa region. (02:11): Hi, Maninder. Maninder Randhawa (02:12): Hi there, how's it going? Michael Bird (02:13): Very good, thanks. Very good. (02:14): So can I just fire off a question straight away? When we say, "Early careers," what exactly do we mean by that? Maninder Randhawa (02:20): What we mean is, interns. So they're our placement students. So typically their third year of university, they'll come and spend 12 months at HP and then go back and complete their degree. (02:30): We've got graduates. They finished university, and then they'll join us, typically, with straight out of university or 12 months experience. (02:38): And then we've got apprentices, who have finished their A-levels or Btechs and fresh out of college. Aubrey Lovell (02:46): Why are apprenticeships, in particular, an important part of the picture for tech companies? Maninder Randhawa (02:51): Apprentices, in particular, are really important. I think traditionally, we've always had interns and graduates, but apprentices give us a new access to a different market, a younger generation of talent as well, 18, 19, 20-year-old. (03:06): But the big thing for me is, it's different talent. And talent, typically, tech companies wouldn't really normally have access to. Because before it was, "You need a qualification. You need certain amount of grades or come from certain universities." That is really breaking now, in a positive way. (03:22): Tech companies are looking at apprenticeships to broaden our horizon, bring in different people who wouldn't have access to tech companies, you don't necessarily need the best qualifications. And it's people with fresh ideas, different perspectives. I think the big thing is, tech companies have a responsibility to give everyone a fair chance at having jobs, right, especially in the tech industry. Michael Bird (03:44): Yeah. So I guess you hear a lot about skills shortages? Surely, bringing people who specifically don't have those skills is counterproductive. Isn't it just a lot of work to skill them up? Maninder Randhawa (03:54): Well, it is a lot of work, otherwise I wouldn't be in a job. So I'm very grateful for that. (03:58): But equally as well, what they lack in skills, and knowledge, and experience, they make up in abundance with their energy, their passion. And the big thing is, they're just so open to learning. They don't really know too much about the tech industry or the way we're working. (04:14): And the best things that they ask is the silly questions, stupid questions. Or the best one is, "Why are we doing it like that?" And then for someone like me, who's been in the company for 11 years going, "Yeah. Why are we doing it like that? Let's come up with something new. Okay. You just gave yourself a project. Over to you then, all right?" (04:32): It's that next generation of thinking, the idea, and creativity. But the big thing is, they're just so passionate and they've got that enthusiasm and energy, and they're just so open to learning. Aubrey Lovell (04:41): What are the long-term benefits of bringing in inexperienced staff members, rather than people with years of time in the role? I think you touched on this a little bit, but can you expand on that? Maninder Randhawa (04:51): Yeah, absolutely. (04:53): I think, traditionally in tech companies and especially in our world, we've always brought in experienced people. And you'll see people from different tech companies jumping across to different tech companies, which is great. But I think bringing in early careers, there's a long-term play here, and there's a long-term benefit. (05:10): Firstly, we need to be homegrown and build those talent, those future leaders. Bring in that new creativity, the new innovators, and diverse perspectives and point of views. Another thing is, if we're just going always after experience people, that's great when you've got a specific target or goal to reach to and you need to get that talent, but they might be a little bit stuck in their way. And I use the analogy of, they might be a rock versus a sponge. And I think you need both. You need some very solid people who are rocks, who know what they're doing with their experience and knowledge. But you also need people who are just open-minded to just absorb like a sponge, and you need that for sure. (05:51): And I think another perspective is, you don't want a really top-heavy team of resources that have been here for 10, 15, 20 plus years. One, you open yourself up if they're going to retire. And especially after COVID, folks are taking early retirement, that's a big problem. Number two, they're walking away with that knowledge and experience. So it's great for the now and the short-term, but what about five years? What about 10 years? (06:15): And then from a business perspective, it can get quite expensive having a really experienced team to run. You need a balanced labor pyramid. So you need people at the bottom entry level who are working up, people in the middle, and then people at the top. And that way you can really promote and homegrown your talent, have long-term retention and loyalty. Michael Bird (06:37): And do you think staff expectations are changing as time goes on? Maninder Randhawa (06:41): I think expectation is just changing. Before it was bringing early careers in and, "Right, here's your job. Off you go." Want results pretty quickly and expecting of results. I think the big thing that has changed now is, staff are open to, "It's going to take a bit more time." There is a period of learning, growth, and development. And there's a period where they're going to make a lot of mistakes, which is fine. It's about having an open mindset and a growth mindset to their learning and saying, "It is going to take time. They are going to make mistakes, but what support can we give them as well?" (07:15): Equally, this new generation are very, very tech-savvy. They do work in slightly different ways, they're a generation that have had access to answers instantaneously, they've had the internet. To staff are going, "Well, okay, maybe the way we've done things, we have to change it a little bit and look at the new generation for the next thoughts and ideas." Aubrey Lovell (07:36): So what advice would you give to other organizations who maybe are investing in early career programs? Maninder Randhawa (07:42): My advice firstly should be, you should be investing. And secondly, when are you going to invest? Because once upon a time, we were all early careers. We all started off as an intern, a grad, or an apprentice, or something. We all started at a company and progressed through a period of time. (07:57): I am extremely blessed, fortunate, and humble to have great coaches, mentors, managers, people within the business that have helped and supported my career. The least I can do is give back to the next generation, and we have a responsibility, us, as tech companies, to give back to the industry and to give back to these young individuals as well. Aubrey Lovell (08:20): Thank you for that, Mani. It's been a great conversation and we will be back with you in a moment, so don't go anywhere. Michael Bird (08:28): All right then. Well, it is time for, Today I Learned. And it's the part of the show where we take a look at something happening in the world that we think you need to know about. Aubrey Lovell (08:38): And this week I've got one for you, Michael. If you don't mind? Michael Bird (08:42): Ooh, yes. Absolutely. Absolutely, carry on. Aubrey Lovell (08:44): Okay, so get this. The US government has pledged to have a working fusion reactor within the next decade. Michael Bird (08:53): Oh, nice. Aubrey Lovell (08:53): So it's official, it's government policy. And that's according to the US Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, who made the pledge as part of the national move to greener energy. (09:03): Now, nuclear fusion is a process by which atoms are forced together, releasing huge amounts of energy. And is, theoretically, much cleaner and more powerful than nuclear fission, which involves tearing atoms apart and is how current nuclear generators operate. (09:18): So, successful nuclear fusion ignition was first achieved by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, in December of 2022. And that was a major breakthrough after decades of work, because in most fusion experiments it takes more energy to fuse the atoms than you get out of it. That said, getting from that first stage of energy generation to commercial power plants which are making electricity, is still a huge step. (09:44): So obviously, it's a pretty straightforward news story, but it's an exciting one too. And we've linked the story from the Associated Press in the show notes. Michael Bird (09:54): Okay. So it is time for questions from the audience. You've been sending in your questions to Maninder on routes into STEM careers, and we have pulled out a couple. (10:04): Now, Maninder, the first question comes from Joanne in Cardiff, whose daughter is looking for careers inspiration at the moment. She'd like to know what the first year of an apprenticeship might look like and what people will actually be doing in that time. Maninder Randhawa (10:17): So the first thing is, they'll be working for about 80% and then 20% of their time will be focused on their apprenticeship qualification. So typically, that could look Monday to Thursday, they do their work week. And then their Friday, they will do their apprentice qualification. So that is the big part of it. The whole purpose of apprenticeships is working and learning at the same time. (10:39): It depends on team, some teams like to break up that 20% through the week. But that's typically the main thing, is you will get educated and work at the same time. On top of that, as well as doing your apprentice qualification, you'll be working. So you'll be doing the job, you'll be getting stuck into what that actual job is. And we've got apprenticeships in HR, marketing, finance, sales, pre-sales, lots of tech of course, lots of different avenues. So they'll be working and learning. (11:12): They'll also get a lot of different support. So we've got an early careers program that focuses on soft skills, mindset, well-being, and high performance. We want to make sure they're happy, healthy and well, and working to a good level, they feel supported. And when they do have a wobble, we're there to pick them up as well. So they get lots of learning support and development, lots of coaching and mentoring to make sure they feel supported and enabled for when the tough times come. Because we want to be proactive when those tough time comes, whether it's outside of work or inside of work. (11:44): That's typically what an apprentice year would look like is, you study, you work, and you do the early quiz program. Aubrey Lovell (11:51): Okay. (11:52): So the second question comes from Alex in Rochester, New York, who wants to know if you have any advice for people looking for a career switch into tech from an outside field? Maninder Randhawa (12:02): Great question. (12:03): From my perspective, don't get put off by the word tech. Straightaway people think they need to be a super coder, software developer, you're going to be stripping down servers or all these different things. That's actually not the case. I'd probably say, in the company, probably 20 to 30% are actually hardcore techie roles. We're a really big company, we're a business. We have got so many different departments. We've got marketing, legal, HR, finance, services, procurement, supply chain, so many different business units. (12:38): We just need really, really good people. What can you bring to the table? What are your strengths? Are you really good at communicating? Are you good at presenting? Are you good at time management? Maybe project management is an opportunity for you to do. So when the word tech comes, don't get put off. Think of it as actually, "It's a tech company, but they are a business." (12:59): Equally, as well, having a passion for tech massively helps as well. But the really cool thing, I would say, about tech companies and HP in particular is, you're going to be playing a part. Whatever business unit you come into, techie or non-techie, playing a part in making a difference around the world, advancing the way we live and work. Because that technology could be, I don't know, quickening up COVID research, cancer research, it could be working for the police, it could be working for particular large businesses, and to have that sense of pride of, "You know what? I made a small difference in that with the work I did. I can be super proud of that." Aubrey Lovell (13:37): I think this conversation really hits home for me, because I actually was a grad hire. Maninder Randhawa (13:42): Awesome. Aubrey Lovell (13:42): I had a internship my senior year of college, right, and I've been here ever since. And I think it's because the culture we have here in HPE is so just rich and accepting and you always have a seat at the table. So thank you for that, Mani, it's been a great conversation. Michael Bird (13:59): All right then. We are getting towards the end of the show, which means it is time for, This Week in History, which is a look at the monumental events in the world of business and technology which has changed our lives. Aubrey Lovell (14:11): Okay. (14:11): So the clue last week was, "Now you can double click on this." Producer Sam says, "It's a nice easy one." but I didn't get it. Michael Bird (14:18): Yeah, I'm not sure. Aubrey Lovell (14:20): It was, of course, the patenting of a computer mouse by Douglas Engelbart, this week, in 1970. And so for those who love a good detail, which I know you do, the device was patent number 3,541,541. And officially, was named the X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System. (14:43): So it was much more catchely called the mouse because of its taillike cord. The mouse was prototyped in 1964 and demonstrated in 1968, but the patent made it official, so to speak. That said, the device wouldn't catch on quickly. It wasn't used in any commercial machine until 1980, but once people realized just how useful it was, the mouse became an essential part of computing. Michael Bird (15:06): Yeah, absolutely. (15:07): Well, next week it's another invention. The clue is, in 1996, this really helped us get down to music. You know what it is? Aubrey Lovell (15:18): I don't. Michael Bird (15:19): I don't think I do. I have not got a clue. Aubrey Lovell (15:20): Interesting for this one. Michael Bird (15:23): Anyway, if you do, don't tell. (15:23): So that brings us to the end of Technology Now, for this week. Aubrey Lovell (15:27): Thank you so much to our guest, Maninder Randhawa, Early Careers Leader for Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the UKI MEA Region. (15:34): And to our listeners, thank you guys so much for joining us. Michael Bird (15:37): Technology Now is hosted by Aubrey Lovell and myself, Michael Bird. (15:41): And this episode was produced by Sam Datta-Paulin and Zoe Anderson. With production support from Harry Morton, Zoe Anderson, Alicia Kempson, Alison Paisley, Alyssa Mitri, Camilla Patel, Alex Podmore, and Chloe Sewell. Aubrey Lovell (15:52): Our Social Editorial Team is Rebecca Wenger, Judy-Anne Goldman, Katie Guarino. And our Social Media Designers are Alejandra Garcia, Carlos Alberto Suarez, and Ambar Maldonado. Michael Bird (16:04): Technology Now is a Lower Street Production for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. (16:07): And we'll see you next week.