Kasi Shawgo, CPA’s Post

Last week I had the honor to welcome an incredible group of interns to Charlotte for the summer. The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s Young Professionals advisory board convened interns from many of our Alliance investor companies to build connections with each other and our region. The event was a walking tour of Charlotte’s SouthEnd which originated at the Vantage building (home to Grant Thornton (US) Charlotte). As I welcomed the interns on behalf of the CLT Alliance Board and the many tenants of Vantage that are Alliance members, I shared the following three points that I have heard from my mentors over the years. I thought I’d share today here as we all have interns and new associates joining in the coming weeks.     #1 – Deliver in role. You were hired for a reason and you have a certain amount of time with the organization to leave an impact. Meet and exceed expectations. You have the chance to define yourself. You don’t want anyone to say about you at the end of the summer “They were fine”. No matter what the task, think about how to over deliver. Try to get better every week. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -- Maya Angelou #2 – Build your network. Take the opportunity to learn from executives, business owners, community leaders. Don’t focus on someone’s level as you build connections -- friends around you today will be executives of tomorrow.   Look left and right, in 15 years these will be the executives leading companies in the region. They will be fellow not-for-profit board members and own businesses. Some will be peers and some may work for you or you may work for them. “Make friends before you need them.” #3 - Be positive. Work doesn’t feel like work when you show up connected to your purpose and with an inherently positive outlook. As you accelerate your career, understand our rapidly growing and changing community. Help. Lead. Engage in causes you care about. Show up. In many situations people ask, “What can I do” and the first thing you have to do is show up.   “Do well by doing good.” – Ben Franklin “If you love what you do, you’ll never feel like you worked a day in your life.” – various, including my father

ATTN: Career Professionals, Governor Newsom released the Executive Summary for the CA Master Plan for Career Education! We expect the final plan to be released next month. I mentioned this at the annual MPACE (Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges & Employers) Conference. A Few Key Takeaways: 1) Formation of a State Planning and Coordinating Body that brings together the state’s education segments, workforce training providers, and employers. 2) Strengthen Regional Coordination to create sustainable forums in which educators, workforce training providers, and employers work together with a clear division of responsibilities across partners. 3) Support Skills-Based Hiring Through a Career Passport making it easier for employers to make hiring decisions based on individuals’ skills in addition to their academic credentials 4) Regional mechanisms that coordinate funding by submitting fewer proposals, tracking a consistent set of outcomes, and sustaining resources. 5) Regional coordinating bodies can place greater emphasis on strengthening employer engagement and expanding opportunities for work-based learning, with a focus on paid internships and apprenticeships. A+ leadership is involved with this effort, join the discussion on this topic in the A+ | American Association for Employer Relations + forum: https://lnkd.in/giuae6AE David Palter, A+ | American Association for Employer Relations + National Association of Colleges and Employers MPACE (Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges & Employers) National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) California Workforce Association

☎ Reconnecting with former colleagues recently has been a journey down memory lane as I seek guidance for my youngest son, who is eager to embark on an IT apprenticeship. In honour of #InternationalMensDay (a day late, but I hope you’ll forgive me), I want to spotlight some of the men who were instrumental in shaping my early career and continue to support me even after 20+ years. I had the privilege of working with Graham Sturrock BSc(Hons), MBCS, CITP, CEng, Kwai Yue at what was then CSC. Despite my initial lack of IT knowledge, their mentorship was invaluable. As one of the few women in a predominently male environment, they made me feel at home and part of the team. We affectionately dubbed our section of the office "the crèche"—not because we were immature, but because we shared so much fun and laughter. They provided me with simple, Janet and John IT guides almost daily, and introduced me to the "rules" of #MorningtonCrescent (if you know, you know). Here are my top three takeaways colleagues: 💻 iSCSI connection? Anyone 🤔❓ Need to know what one is for a presentation for your bosses boss? No flipping clue in the days, pre internet? Sometimes you’ve got to just fake it ‘til you make it! 💻 The importance of asking "stupid" questions This has been one of the most valuable life lessons. Being around these colleagues taught me to ask questions without fear of seeming foolish. If they didn’t have the answers, they always directed me to someone who did, generously sharing their time and knowledge. 💻 The art of creating analogies They showed me how to simplify complex IT concepts by relating them to real-world scenarios. For example, a proxy server is like a post box: you put your letter in, and the Royal Mail delivers it on your behalf. Similarly, a proxy server takes your request and sends it on your behalf. These lessons have stayed with me and continue to influence how I approach challenges. Thank you to for your enduring impact on my life and career.

Today was another fascinating day for me in the Royal Mail Future Talent team! 📬 I had the opportunity to sit with our Senior HR Leader of Future Talent, my manager Charlotte Wakeham FCIPD and one of our Plant Managers, John Doyle to listen to six of the apprentices from our 2024 CMDA co-hort. They each gave insightful presentations on their experiences so far, sharing the highs and lows of their first few weeks in the business and their key takeaways. Hearing their fresh perspectives from the operations side of the business was invaluable, especially working in the corporate functions; there were so many great takeaways. 🌟 John pin-pointed seven top tips for our Royal Mail joiners which I’d love to share: 1. Ring Fence Your Learning Time 🕰️ – Ensure you dedicate and protect your time to learn, and don’t be afraid to speak up if it isn’t being allowed. 2. Ask for Help 🙋♂️ – It's a sign of strength, not weakness. 3. Document Everything 📝 – You may need it later. 4. Build a Network 🤝 – This is invaluable for your growth. 5. Self-Care 🧘♀️ – Stay on top of stress and take care of yourself to be able to perform your best 6. Stay Calm Under Pressure 🌊 – Especially when you have a team looking up to you 7. Data Driven Descisions 📈 - Key to ensuring we lead through facts and don’t fall short from relying on gut feeling. The session left me feeling inspired and equipped with new perspectives and valuable learning that will certainly aid going forward in shaping our future co-horts. #HR #EarlyCareers #FutureTalent #Apprenticeship #Corndel #CMDA #LearningAndDevelopment #Leadership #OpsManagers #FutureManagers #RoyalMail

🚀 3 months into the Wiser Academy 🚀 Time flies when you’re connecting people with amazing opportunities! Since joining the Wiser Academy, I’ve been on a journey of growth, creativity, and impact, working with some of the best employers in the game to help students and graduates like you find their next big move. Some highlights so far: ✨ Helping promote exciting roles at firms like Clifford Chance, KPMG, and haysmacintyre. ✨ Engaging with my network to answer questions, share insights, and guide people toward their goals. ✨ Collaborating with a community that’s all about building authentic employer brands and real opportunities. Remember: you’ve got a chilled guy on your side—no stress, no pressure, just here to help you navigate opportunities and make the best decisions for your future. If you’ve got any questions or want guidance before the end of the year (or when we return in January), my inbox is always open! Let’s make the most of these opportunities together. 🎯 #WiserAcademy #Opportunities #Careers

'Hiring differently'—this is how Elaine Kerr, CEO of DPD UK, describes one of her methods for achieving that elusive inclusive working environment. In her piece for Raconteur | B Corp™, she maps out the practical steps her company adopted, like offering work experience, internships and apprenticeships to people with disabilities or special education needs, that resulted in 80% of staff agreeing that DPD was an inclusive place to work. Could your organisation benefit from programmes like these? Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eCzDzipC #inclusiveworkingenvironment #inclusiveculture #hiring #apprenticeships #workexperience #dpd #ceo #businessleadership #leadership #hiringtrends #hiringdifferently

Earn bonus points, create impact! Our latest article unpacks everything you need to know about absorption for your B-BBEE strategy.   https://lnkd.in/d5PphPS9   #BBBEEPoints #Transformation #SkillsDevelopment

“Simply having conversations about ED&I is no longer enough – you must embed it at the heart of your organisation. “ – And I couldn’t agree more! Procurement leaders need to advocate for more than just ticking boxes; and instead emphasise authentic commitment over superficial gestures. At 4C, we really have been taking steps forward, for instance, we have our apprenticeship assessment day today! By breaking down systemic barriers and attracting diverse talent, were not just talking the talk, but are fostering a truly inclusive environment! #ED&I #Apprenticeship #4C

As we begin our 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫, we'd like to focus on someone who was given a new beginning. 📆 The Albion Foundation’s HATCH Project in partnership with UK Youth and KFC is an excellent way for young adults to break into the world of employment. The scheme aims to empower young people, by giving them training, one-to-one support, and paid employment placements before a guaranteed interview at the end of each process. HATCH doesn’t just give candidates a job, it offers personal and professional development that they can hold within them for the rest of their lives, as 18-year-old Tyler found when he joined the programme following a tough period of his life.

Birmingham DEI Hub Results: Key Insights We had an engaging and insightful time at the Birmingham DEI Hub, and we're excited to share the key results from our discussions and polls. Here's a look at the top ways to engage with communities and improve organisational culture based on your invaluable feedback: Top Ways to Engage with Communities: Inspiring Leadership Initiatives in Schools: Leadership presence and engagement in educational settings. Inclusive Recruitment Imagery: Ensuring that recruitment materials reflect diversity. Community Festival Partnerships: Collaborating with local festivals like Mela in Cardiff to create brand awareness and discuss job opportunities on-site. Career Days and Parent Evenings: Engaging with both students and parents during career-focused events. Confidence Workshops: Hosting workshops aimed at building confidence within communities. Mentorship and Work Experience: Offering individual mentorship and summer internships to underrepresented groups. Connecting with Faith and Community Centres: Building relationships with local community organisations and faith centres. Top Ways to Improve Organisational Culture: Management and Leadership Development: Implementing programmes focused on developing leadership skills. Leadership Training on Soft Skills: Emphasising curiosity, supportiveness, assuming positive intent, respect, and authenticity to build psychological safety. Employee Understanding: Taking time to know employees and tailoring approaches to individual needs. Reverse Mentoring: Encouraging reverse mentoring to foster mutual learning and understanding. Psychological Safety: Having tough conversations and creating a safe space for open dialogue. Development Programmes: Providing comprehensive development opportunities for employees. Strong Communication Strategy: Maintaining clear and consistent communication across the organisation. These insights are instrumental in driving progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their valuable perspectives. Let's continue to work together to create more inclusive and supportive environments. #DEIHUB2024 #BirminghamHub #CommunityEngagement #OrganisationalCulture #Inclusion #Leadership #Diversity #Equity #EmployeeResourceGroups