In a global economy, a shift in competitive advantage, particularly in industries that play a large role in national economies, can have a large impact.

Construction drives the economy

The construction industry is a global economic engine. When a nation’s construction industry thrives, that nation’s economy will tend to have a solid basis on which other industries can also benefit. The reason for this is that the scope of the construction industry is not comprised of only those companies that build things. 

What is the multi-hyphenate method? 

The dictionary meaning of the word ‘multi-hyphenate’ is ‘a person, especially a celebrity with several professions or skills’. Although the meaning makes a specific reference to celebrities, this is also relevant to people from all walks of life who are pursuing different professions or using their skills to do different jobs. 

What problem are you trying to fix?

For many successful entrepreneurs, their success came because they experienced a problem themselves and came up with a solution to address it. However, this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes you just have an idea, but to turn that idea into a saleable product, people have to want or need it.

To be sure that you are solving an actual problem, you need to engage with your potential customers.

I was thrilled to be asked to be a member of the industry panel and to support the students’ development with my industry hat on, offering critiques of their work as well as guidance for future development. 

Practical aspect of the qualification

The Music Academy offers this opportunity to students on their Artist Development programme, and has successfully run this event for five years. It’s a great opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills to a panel of experts while standing in the same studio as some of the most well known artists in the world. 

I studied to be an architect but, despite my HE qualifications, I’m not designing buildings. Does this mean that my higher education was a failure as I didn’t get that ‘return’ I expected for the sacrifices I made? If this was purely a financial investment, where a fixed amount is invested and then a fixed amount is returned to the investor, I would have lost out significantly. So why is it that I consider my HE experience anything but a failure and actually, that I got quite the return on my learning? 

Well, the artist Esperanza Spalding seems to have taken a step in a fascinating new direction. Esperanza Spalding is a Jazz artist who first came to the public’s attention when she beat Justin Beiber to the Grammy for the Best New Artist Award in 2011. She has won numerous awards, performed several times for President Obama, and has just been announced as a new Professor at Harvard, working with students on Composition and Performance.

In shredding a work that had just been bought for £1m Banksy challenges us to question the value of art. Is a work of art worth the money that is paid for it? In the case of “Girl with a Balloon”, is it now worth more because it is the first artwork to be ‘created’ during a live auction? Some would say that the shredding of the work is the art. While others have said that Banksy had no right to destroy the work after it had been purchased.

What is Academic Misconduct and ‘Contract Cheating’? 

Academic Misconduct could be any form of cheating that happens in connection to a formal academic exercise.

Our contributions to the consultation are worth sharing, as they demonstrate just how strongly the BTEC Higher Nationals (HNs) meet the government’s requirements for higher quality level 4 and 5 technical education, which can help meet the economy’s needs for more level 4 and 5 technical skills.

A skill is an ability, which can be gained from knowledge and practice as well as aptitude, and can be objectively measured. If you are proficient in a given area you can claim it as one of your skills; if you're really good at something, i.e. you generally find it easy AND you really enjoy it even when the challenges come along - if it gives you that buzz - then it's a strength. 

Once you've got your head around that, here are five ways to categorise your strengths and skills: