Talent Centric
Campbell’s emphasis on
workforce inclusion is echoed by
colleagues Sir David Walker
and Fionuala Goritsas
about the glassmakers, the blacksmiths –
and thought ‘this feels right, I can really
those industry sectors, built on the back
make a difference’, and thankfully she’s
of an expert passing on knowledge to an
been true to her word.”
“Good businesses
apprentice. It’s a longstanding way of getting
The apprenticeships agenda was on
really have the
training, which is becoming cool again.
Alexander Mann Solutions’ radar long
ability to make a
“Because of government policy, there’s
before it was a trend, Campbell stresses.
fundamental
a really interesting conversation around
“Before it was cool to talk about
how we identify talent early and use the
apprenticeship levies, we were banging
difference to
apprenticeship model to go forward.”
the drum, encouraging clients to bring
people’s lives”
younger people into the pipeline who
Championing inclusion
may not have gone to Oxbridge, and
In an era when degree students pay
empowering them, moulding them
crippling tuition fees, and the pace of
into the company, because that’s what
change can quickly leave specific areas
apprenticeships offered.
“And low and behold, in April, the Apprenticeship Levy of learning obsolete, apprenticeships can offer a direct way
(see page 34) came in, forcing people to do what we’ve into the workplace for talented people with clear ambitions,
been talking about for years. I was recently talking to an without saddling them with life-long debt. They are also a
engineering client about work we started with them three- tool in the diversity and inclusion (D&I) agenda, supporting
and-a-half years ago, and it’s fantastic to see the benefits social mobility, Campbell believes.
Having grown up in a single-parent household in east
coming through.”
For Campbell, to attract the best people, in a competitive London, and witnessed first-hand how tough life could be
marketplace, employers should be open to bringing in without wealth or connections, Campbell himself defied
the odds by making it to university (an achievement he puts
talent via a range of different routes.
“It’s not an either/or conversation,” he argues. “That’s down to his mum’s hard work, and “lots of discipline along
very old school, whereby if you were brainy you went to the way”). He worked for TfL, on the stations, to help fund
university, otherwise you went into vocational training. his studies, before entering its graduate trainee scheme.
However, he remained determined to do what he could to
YTS schemes stigmatised those who were clear about what
they wanted to do and didn’t feel the need to go through a ensure talent wasn’t lost as a result of class or background,
three-year course at an academic institution, to prove that. any more than because of discrimination on the basis of
“The UK was built on apprenticeships,” he continues. “Think gender, ethnicity or sexuality. He warns that an unintended
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