A podcast from Aston Business School hosted by Journalist Steve Dyson. Steve will be interviewing some of the UK's top business academics every month.
Aston means business
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Podcast Overview
A podcast from Aston Business School hosted by Journalist Steve Dyson. Steve will be interviewing some of the UK's top business academics every month.
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Publishing Since
10/9/2019
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Recent Episodes
October 2, 2024
S7E4 - Aston University alumni runs charity helping homeless into jobs and accommodation
<p>A former Aston University student is running a charity that is successfully ‘talent scouting’ homeless people to get them off the streets and into work.</p> <p>Christy Acton used lessons learned from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme at Aston University to set up Standing Tall. This charity provides employment opportunities to homeless people trying to turn their lives around.</p> <p>Mr Acton, the founder and chief executive of Standing Tall, was talking about his experiences in the latest episode of the ‘Aston means business' podcast, presented by journalist Steve Dyson.</p> <p>He said Standing Tall, which started in 2020 during Covid lockdown, had since helped almost a hundred people. And the success of the initiative, launched in Birmingham and now operating in six cities, is encapsulated by ‘Steve’, who was helped off the streets and into a job, and has now just got married.</p> <p>Mr Acton said he got the idea while managing a night shelter in Birmingham and seeing some people who were “ready for full-time work:</p> <p>“We knew a couple of businesses in the city and matched up some of the people and it went really well. They grabbed the opportunity and were able to get ready to get their own place. I thought this has got potential.”</p> <p>He said the charity, which also operates in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Bristol, works with companies who have stable, full-time jobs available:</p> <p>“We then go and find the right person who has been through homelessness, who has the talent and the motivation to work hard.”</p> <p>Mr Acton says they have a member of staff in each city: </p> <p>“We call them talent scouts, and that’s entirely intentional because that’s what we do; we go and find the talent.”</p> <p>Once a homeless person is ready to start a full-time job, Standing Tall also places with a host, someone with a spare room in their home where they can live for six months until they are ready to get their own place.</p> <p>“We are being really careful to work with somebody for a period of time before we decide if one of our jobs is right for them. At the moment, 80 per cent of the people we are helping are in the same job one year later.”</p> <p>Mr Acton said what he learnt on the Aston University programme helped him build up Standing Tall:</p> <p>“Whilst we are a charity, we are also a trading business. We charge a placement fee for each person we match, which enables us to have financial independence.”</p> <p>Also interviewed in the podcast was Michael Lambe, managing director of family business M. Lambe Construction, which offers entry level positions to people matched by the charity.</p> <p>Tragically, Mr Lambe lost his younger brother, also named Christy, two years ago following long-term mental health issues. </p> <p>Mr Lambe said: </p> <p>“It gave us pause for thought about what was important in life, what the business really was for.”</p> <p>The result was the Christy Lambe Foundation which supports a number of local charities, including Standing Tall.</p> <p>“We’re an avid supporter because we have seen the impact it has on people’s lives. For me, it became clear very quickly that we have to do something positive with all the pain that we all felt. </p> <p>“Fundamentally, business is an under-utilised tool for social good and there are opportunities within any organisation to make a difference.”</p> <p>That is certainly true of ‘Steve’, who had been living on the streets for several months after splitting up with his wife.</p> <p>Mr Acton, who met him in 2021, added: “He used to be a plasterer by trade, so at the time we had a role at Lambe’s and matched him up. He moved in with a host for six months and was then able to get his own flat.</p> <p>“He is still at Lambe’s now and, last month, my wife and I were invited to his wedding, which was very special to see him so happy and leading a normal life.”</p> <p>More information about Standing Tall can be found at: https://www.standingtall.org.uk/</p>
April 10, 2024
S7E3 - "Equality must become the norm, not just a box ticking exercise"
<p>Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) needs to become “the norm” in organisations to escape “disappointing” government criticism that it is a waste of time. That’s the guidance coming from the latest episode of ‘Aston means business’, a podcast from Aston University presented by journalist Steve Dyson. Prof Shivani Sharma, the new deputy dean of people, culture and inclusion at the university’s College of Business and Social Sciences, explained that EDI cultures must become “everybody’s business” to address the existing gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Responding to recent government criticisms of EDI schemes, Prof Sharma said: “Not enough investment has gone into these roles because, if we look at the history, it tells us that just relying on everybody to do the right thing doesn’t work.” Also interviewed in the podcast was Omar Rashid, a director of The HR Dept, a human resources franchise for Birmingham Central & Wolverhampton. Mr Rashid, who specialises in diversity and recruitment, said that government criticism of EDI initiatives was “disappointing”. But he acknowledged: “I understand where they’re coming from because, if it’s seen as a scheme, as something we’ve got to do, and it’s not done properly, then maybe it is a waste of time and a waste of money. It has to be seen as the norm.” He said people need to realise they live in a multicultural world, with a diverse workforce, supply chain and customers, and that if implemented properly the benefits of EDI are there. Mr Rashid, who is also president of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce in Birmingham, specialises in diversity and recruitment. He added: “There is opportunity there through different skills. “Each individual, whether it’s race, religion, will bring their own perspectives, their own unique skills, even people with a disability. It shouldn’t be seen as a barrier.” He said examples of a “tick box mentality” were where businesses might adopt Black History Month but do nothing for the other 11 months of the year, or provide a prayer room during Ramadan but not at any other time. He added: “When it’s tick box, it’s not worth it because you’ll have a business or someone who will do something for a short period of time. They half-heartedly did something without the conviction. Diversity shouldn’t be just a little bit here and there.” Prof Sharma went on to say that ‘world days’ such as International Women’s Day can act as a catalyst to focus attention on an issue. But she added: “It’s really important that why you’re doing that is clear, and that the strategy of raising awareness, to remove barriers to women, equitable inclusion in the workplace or in society, continues throughout the year.” She said that Aston University had recently gained an Athena Swan Gold award for promoting gender equality in higher education, but that the “scale” of the problem meant there was still lots more to achieve. She explained that proportions of women entering as students into higher education was really positive, as were degree completion rates. But she pointed to the fact that around 80 per cent of university vice chancellors identified as men, with low representations of ethnic minority women among professors. Professor Sharma added: “It will take a sustained effort to undo that over time.” She also praised the Inclusive Aston networking initiative at Aston University, with senior leaders mentoring colleagues of minority ethnic heritage. Mr Rashid said SMEs needed to look at the opportunities that a diverse workforce and culture can bring to their business. He added: “One SME business engaged with someone from an Asian background, wanted to tap into India, and guess what? He has the connections and they were able to open a branch in India.” Human Resource Management MSc 👉 https://tinyurl.com/467trt72 Human Resources and Business Management BSc (Hons) 👉 https://tinyurl.com/yr7cjsxw The Aston Edge 👉 http://tinyurl.com/3f6243na</p>
March 6, 2024
S7E2 - Academic’s RAF background invaluable for supply chain course
<p>A former RAF pilot and combat base commander is helping to provide a new generation of supply chain professionals for some of the world’s biggest companies.</p> <p>Richard Atkinson said his military background was very “relevant” to his current role as deputy director of the Supply Chain Leadership programme at Aston University.</p> <p>The former air commodore, who once flew Tornado and Phantom fighter jets and was station commander of RAF Leuchars in Scotland, appears in the latest episode of the Aston means business podcast series, presented by journalist Steve Dyson.</p> <p>Mr Atkinson, now a teaching fellow at Aston University, said that he was enjoying passing on his knowledge of how to tackle modern day logistics issues to ‘learner colleagues’, along with the experience of many other experts.</p> <p>He said:</p> <p>“When I was director of Air Operations in Afghanistan, where we were supporting the development of Afghanistan, the people I spoke to the most were our logisticians, understanding the novel supply chains required.</p> <p>“And even today, with troubles in the Horn of Africa, the Middle East and with the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, all of these conflicts depend upon supply chains, but they all impact supply chains as well.</p> <p>“That’s why our programme is so relevant to create the future generation of supply chain leaders.”</p> <p>Mr Atkinson explained that NATO’s role in Afghanistan meant military forces had to be adaptable every day in terms of supply chains.</p> <p>He said the big challenge was global warming which would “strategically impact migration and supply chains across the world”.</p> <p>“In future, we need to hit situations where we can deliver water, food and medicine where they are needed, at the right time, safely, securely and sustainably. So, we need our political leaders, our generals, our admirals, our air marshals, but also supply chain professionals to come up with these solutions, these alternative routes.”</p> <p>Mr Atkinson said Aston University was the UK’s leading faculty in supply chains with its BSc degree apprenticeship in Supply Chain Management. The programme started four years ago with four companies and now has 30 to 40 companies and hundreds of ‘learner colleagues’.</p> <p>Companies using the programme include pharmaceutical giant GSK, Coca-Cola, Jaguar Land Rover, DHL, and many other companies.</p> <p>Mr Atkinson highlighted how GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) had “wonderful scientists and chemists” to create life-changing drugs, such as the new Shingles vaccine, but that they equally needed “amazing logisticians to make sure they get to the right people in the right place at the right time”.</p> <p>Tim Buchanan, apprenticeship levy lead for GSK, was also interviewed as part of the podcast.</p> <p>He explained how GSK is based in 133 countries around the world, which means global issues impacted in terms of bringing raw materials in, processing them into the drugs that appear on shelves, and then moving them back out to markets.</p> <p>Mr Buchanan praised the programme at Aston University and said:</p> <p>“Getting the new generation of supply chain apprentices up to speed, having them gain the experience … is crucial to the way we go forward.</p> <p>“We continually know we’ve got to have a group of new people coming in with the skills that Aston University is providing.”</p> <p>The first few apprentices, who are already full-time employees, will complete the programme this year.</p> <p>Mr Buchanan said the three main reasons for going on the programme were academics from Aston University going on site to meet GSK line managers, the course having “matured” after listening to feedback and “very high enthusiasm” from the apprentices about the learning.</p> <p>He added: “We wouldn’t be returning if we didn’t think there was value in the programme.”</p> <p>Mr Atkinson agreed, pointing out that Aston University was “filling a gap in the market”, which was crucial with the UK having “teetered into a recession” and businesses struggling.</p> <p>He said: “Let us bring our talent to you to help develop your talent for the future solutions.”</p>
62 total episodes available
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This podcast is available on 8 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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