Where does genius come from? Does genius only exist in certain people or can anyone be a genius? By definition: “exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability” but is this all innate or learnt? I truly believe everyone has the potential to be a genius. Look at the common traits in the go-to genii: passion for their subject, the ability to observe, and their ability to question and take action is what, I believe, ultimately makes them so successful.
Apprenticeships have always been on an uphill struggle to gain recognition as a viable alternative to University. The enterprise bill goes some way to elevate the prestige of apprenticeships, but isn’t it about time we sold the programme to young people as more than just an alternative? Apprentices are enthusiastic and passionate, they observe skilled workers to learn their craft, they question to improve their understanding and put the three together to hone their skills. To my mind, that makes apprentices geniuses-in-training.
That is how we need to market Apprenticeships!
Ask any teenager not interested in tech to describe someone who is and they will probably list one of these observations: geeky, boring, male. A broad generalisation, yes, but not wholly untrue. But how do you solve this problem? This is the challenge the whole industry faces when inspiring young people to consider tech careers. We will never struggle to attract those already interested, but how do we tap into the wealth of potential of all those capable candidates who write off careers in the industry, because of their preconceptions?
The solution: Inspire them with their potential to be a genius. Every young person wants to know that they have potential, and it genuinely shocks me how often young people are defined educationally by what they can’t do. If you can identify and tap in to their passion and strengths, then relate it to technology (which I’ve learnt is always possible within the context of IoT!) suddenly their view of a career at Cisco is completely different. It’s at that point that you can begin to have a meaningful conversation about what’s possible at a company like ours.
It’s for all the reasons above we are recruiting with the philosophy ‘geniuses wanted; no experience required’, and over this series of blogs we’ll focus on how we’re putting this into practise.
When looking at Apprentice recruitment, if the passion for the potential of technology is there, the apprenticeship will provide the structured training for this passion to flourish. If they have the ability to ask why, we can explain and give them the understanding to succeed; we may even rethink the way we do things as a result! Qualifications are important, the apprenticeship wouldn’t come with a degree if they weren’t, but we have to think differently. Apprenticeships have the foundation to create geniuses; all we need is the enthusiasm to work with.
Cisco are supporting National Apprenticeship Week because Apprentices are geniuses-in-training and that makes our talent pipeline look pretty smart.
To find out more about our programme click here
To apply for the Cisco Apprenticeship click here
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Well said Ellie. We have to make apprenticeships first choice for geniuses to give us a pipeline of work savvy, customer ready A team members.