📖 My annual visit to my blog to jot down some thoughts on the books I read in 2025 📖 careersrussell.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/m...

This week's FT AI shift newsletter is so far up my street, it's practically parked on my drive - On how, despite AI leaders predictions of doom, there are now growing numbers of radiologists and how those professionals are working with AI @sarahoconnorft.ft.com @jburnmurdoch.ft.com

2. It made me sad to hear Govt ministers describe basic English & maths in apprenticeships (standard in other countries) as 'unnecessary red tape'. Real world result is fewer people improving these skills, holding back them, their employers & our economy. Grading for govt: must do better.

From the always interesting AI Shift newsletter by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com: AI is maximising job applications and word counts, in vicious circle of doom kind of ways

These data points do look like they have been planned in unison

@lutontown.co.uk could think of a few things

What the graduate unemployment story gets wrong on.ft.com/42wdJ82 | opinion

Good morning from a wonderfully sunny Birmingham for the NICEC AGM! A safe journey to all joining us throughout the day for the Skills & Growth Network meeting and 50th anniversary drinks

Just one of the very best to dance the dance

This whole thread demonstrates the consequences when a crucial and successful part of the UK social and economic fabric is the subject of incessant negative coverage.

NEW: The public hugely overestimate how many graduates regret going to university and significantly underestimate the importance of higher education to the UK economy. Our new study with @hepi-news.bsky.social also reveals widespread misunderstandings about tuition fees, student loans and more ⬇️ 🧵

This is why education systems shouldn't chase "jobs of the future"....

The UK has one of the world's strongest graduate labour markets and most graduates get jobs quickly. But it's very urban, and most graduates are not very mobile so graduates who go home to non-urban areas after graduating are amongst those most likely to struggle.

What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders? AI or automation isn't used by as many employers or as commonly when recruiting as applicants seem to think. Mostly it's still just HR or line managers scanning applications to shortlist

It's not the biggest problem education is facing but at some point the preference of parents and students for coursework and fewer exams is going to collide with the fact that AI probably necessitates a big return to in-person exams

Just going to hammer home a point I keep making. In 2004, 60 per cent of the UK workforce were in jobs below professional level - they didn't usually need post-18 qualifications. In 2024 47 per cent are in jobs that don't need post-18 qualifications. The crossover happened during COVID.

It isn't possible to design a school system where everyone leaves with the skills needed for the workplace because *they're all going to do different jobs*. Workplace training needs to be done by employers.

applying for jobs again

A lot of Graduate Schemes were not feasible for International Graduates already due to employer's baulking at sponsorship. This removes them completely from International Graduates options

Really good, really important reporting by @georginaq.bsky.social:

All of this thread. And add in they do this after paying some very high fees to our educational institutions

Interesting how this type of large scale, skills focused, graduate scheme level, artic shores type recruitment happens parralel to the more "obvious experience fit is obvious" recruitment that happens more in SMEs and other career stage roles

Graduate visa holders’ earnings increase while they’re on the route. After 12 months, international students who graduated in the 2020/21 academic year were more likely than domestic graduates to earn the equivalent of £30k per year, but also more likely to earn less than £22k.

Restricting graduate visas to only student holding a "graduate level" role also ignores how UK firms hire and progress International graduates. UK firms are wary of International experience so the current rules at least allow the chance for some to convince employers in junior roles

"Employment & interview skills" rank 4th for parents and 2nd for students when asked, "Which, if any, of the following areas would you have liked/would you have liked your child to spend more time on between year 7 and 11?" assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d961...

Thoughts with the people of Ukraine 🇺🇦

Succinct realisation of the cultural differences when applying for jobs in the UK compared to a lot of International labour markets in this FT piece www.ft.com/content/a710...

👀 One of a kind job advert out this morning 👀: www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...

I can’t i just … i can’t www.404media.co/anthropic-cl...

From what I recall about, say, GCSE Maths coursework back in the day, allowing kids to complete assignments at home *increased* attainment gaps due to greater parental /family support, better home resources etc. You'd think top universities would be able to do their research....

This is why you don't design curricula around "jobs of the future". We can't predict the future but we do know what general skills and knowledge will be valuable whatever job you do.

From @lmicharlie.bsky.social on the ISE blog: insights.ise.org.uk/home_feature... Will be interesting to see the increase in any different initial stage recruitment methods in 2025 to stop the whole process grinding to a halt

Merry new year! youtu.be/14ycMqFysJ0

The suggestions for assessment changes in this ISE Curriculum review summary: insights.ise.org.uk/opinion/blog... Are classic examples of Careers minded folk making well meaning suggestions that would lead to worse outcomes for huge numbers of our most disadvantaged young people

The 2025 Bill Law Award is now open for abstract submissions All of the details and the help and support you can access can found on the 2025 Bill Law Award area on our site www.nicec.org/articles/ent...

@benbrindle.bsky.social Hi Ben - with the update at the top of this article in mind migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co... is there any data on numbers & sectors of those moving on from the Graduate Visa onto the Skilled Worker?

Via the Hiring Gen Z Substack - hiringgenz.substack.com We found North Korean engineers in our application pile. Here's what our ex-CIA co founders did about it - www.cinder.co/blog-posts/n... #recruitment #hiring

wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/... "It is also a mistake to see apprenticeships as an alternate route to a higher level qualification for disadvantaged young people" Another data dive that shows what schools are told to say degree apprenticeships are, isn't what they actually are