Business Barometer Podcast Series

The Open University•podcasters.spotify.com

The Open University has released a new limited podcast series in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, hosted by Baroness Martha Lane Fox CBE. The five episodes see business leaders from across the four nations discuss issues arising from The Open University’s Business Barometer report. The annual report looks at the skills landscape and its impact on employers across the different sectors, regions and nations of the UK.

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Episodes

Episode 5: Solving the people and work challenge – with Shevaun Haviland and Jane Gratton

In this fifth podcast, Martha Lane Fox, CBE, Chancellor of the OU and President of the BCC talks to her two guests - Shevaun Haviland, Director General at the BCC and Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the BCC – about talent, skills shortages and the importance of lifelong learning. Both stressed the importance of upskilling and reskilling, of engaging in a process of continual learning. Jane said employers repeatedly speak to her about skills gaps, asking what could be done to al...

Apr 10, 2024•30 min

Episode 4: The role of career changers – with Bryan Redpath

In this fourth podcast of the Open University’s (OU) series on business and skills, Bryan talks to Martha Lane Fox, CBE, Chancellor of the OU and President of the BCC, about his personal experience of moving from one career to another. He shares the advice he would give other people transitioning into a new field and why employers can benefit from thinking more openly about career changers. “This was the first real decision for me to go into something totally different, put a suit on, go into an...

Apr 10, 2024•30 min

Episode 3: Local skills for local people – with Alwen Williams

In this podcast, the third in the OU’s series on the UK skills landscape, Alwen Williams, Portfolio Director at Ambition North Wales, talks to Martha Lane Fox, CBE, Chancellor at the OU and President at the BCC. They discuss plans to develop skills and careers for local people, with a strong focus on sustainability, climate change and the needs of future generations in North Wales. Ambition North Wales is looking to invest £1 billion over the next 15 years, creating up to 4,000 new jobs in the e...

Apr 10, 2024•29 min

Episode 2: The importance of financial wellbeing in the workplace – with Carla Hoppe

Financial stress is one of the biggest drivers of mental health issues in the UK, according to Carla Hoppe, CEO and Founder of Wealthbrite, an organisation that provides financial skills training in the workplace. Carla was speaking to Martha Lane Fox, CBE, Chancellor of The Open University (OU) and President of the British Chambers of Commerce, in the second podcast in the OU’s recent series discussing business and skills and the findings of the latest Business Barometer report. Carla says the ...

Apr 10, 2024•25 min

Episode 1: How SMEs can solve skills challenges – with Anthony Impey, MBE

SMEs need to be more proactive about addressing skills challenges if they are to recruit and retain the talent they need in order to succeed. This is one of the key messages from The Open University’s (OU) recent podcast How SMEs can solve skills challenges , the first in a series discussing findings from the Business Barometer report. This first podcast features Baroness Martha Lane Fox, CBE, Chancellor at the OU and President at the British Chambers of Commerce and Anthony Impey, MBE and Chief...

Apr 10, 2024•31 min

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