Open Platform progress

The Schumacher Institute is proud to deliver its Open Platform programme, which will assist those unsure about their careers.

Following the announcement of the Schumacher Advocacy programme at last year’s Schumacher conference, The Schumacher Institute and Society have been collaborating on a new career development programme now called Open Platform. This programme is for people facing a transition in their lives. These transitions are typically just before tertiary education, coming to the end of a period of study, returning from a gap period, redundancy, career re-evaluation or any other change - whether from external causes such as the economic crisis or from a spiritual need to contribute in a different way to global issues, particularly climate change and energy security. 

Open Platform will provide: 

• projects matched with career direction
• support for social entrepreneurial ideas - to generate green, new deal businesses
• education in systems thinking applied to their projects and ideas
• lectures and workshops in the Schumacher ethos, convergence and sustainability issues
• personal development and collaborative working
• individual mentoring and support for their project work
• access to a network of organisations, communities and leaders
• a long term community, ‘the Schumacher Alumni’,  for continued support

The engagement will range from voluntary, through work experience opportunities, to work release, and to full internships sponsored by local companies. 

Our first introductory event was held on the 14th of March. This was particularly focused on young people aged 17-30. With minimal advertising, eleven people participated and about thirty five have registered interest. This event was successful in engaging the participants and we are now building on this momentum with the aim to launch Open Platform in the early summer.   

Recruitment is ongoing.

For more information, please visit the Open Platform website here.