How Powering Futures offers a different path beyond exams

Despite recent recommendations from various reviews of Scotland's Education and Skills system, the current system continues to place greater emphasis on academic attainment, where exams assess theoretical knowledge with only a weak connection to real-world applications, rather than focusing on skills, abilities, and broader achievements. Whereas, in the workplace, there are very few formal assessments and employees are evaluated on their performance, skills and abilities. A cursory perusal of job sites will show that experience is the most valuable quality a potential employee can possess. Educational attainment often accompanies this requirement as a fashionable minimum requirement with no specialisation demanded.

As each year passes it is increasingly evident that young people need more than exam results alone to achieve success. The following question then asks itself: Is our Scottish Education system meeting the needs of our future workforce?

Throughout my career, I have been invested in the development of young people. This has included ensuring the technical competence and development of engineering apprentices and graduates, as well as helping further and higher education institutions equip learners with the skills employers need. In these roles, I’ve seen first-hand the immense value of education that focuses on experiential learning and skills development for both young people and their future employers. Moreover, hands-on, experiential learning often uncovers hidden talent, allowing young people who may not thrive in traditional academic settings to excel in the workplace. If we can create more opportunities within the education system for these learners to develop and succeed, we would significantly enhance their opportunities and unlock potential that is too often overlooked.

This is not to suggest that theoretical knowledge and examinations should be discarded entirely. They do provide transferable skills, such as the ability to accurately recall and apply information. However, this is just one measure of how a young person might perform in the workplace. By failing to develop their ability to learn across disciplines and by not offering environments where they can confidently develop skills like teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, we are not fully preparing them for the demands of their future.

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The question surrounding Scotland’s Education system is not just anecdotal reflections from individuals like me - they are being acknowledged at the policy level. Ripples of change are already in motion, with significant reviews and recommendations being published and the ongoing Education (Scotland) Bill offering a critical opportunity to reshape the future of education in Scotland.

I attended an evidence session concerning this bill where eminent figures in Education such as Professor Ken Muir, Professor Graham Donaldson and Barry Black discussed its contents with the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee. I gained a fascinating insight into what reform might entail, and how reform might be achieved. Yet, I was left wondering about the why, why do we educate young people anyway?

Powering Futures launch event at Portobello High School for Powering Edinburgh’s Future (Image: Jamie Simpson)

At Powering Futures, we have answered this question, our purpose is clear: We aim to provide everyone, from those in the senior phase of high school, to those early in their career, the chance to benefit from a changing world of opportunities and to maximise their future success in the workplace. This is our why.

With our why established, how do we do what we do? We help people discover their potential, develop essential meta-skills, and unlock opportunities. Our focus is about giving young people the tools to create economically and environmentally sustainable futures that are resilient against an ever-changing global landscape and job market.

In an education setting, our flagship SCQF Level 6 Programme is the what that follows from our why and how. The programme brings together learners from S5 and S6 to tackle substantial sustainability challenges posed by real businesses. This hands-on experience prepares these young people for future careers, while also embedding the principles of sustainability and their application. By connecting education and industry, we challenge young people to develop critical meta-skills which are developed through authentic experience of practical problems and open up a world of opportunities that exist beyond school.

Our programme is an example of Interdisciplinary Learning that forms one of the recommendations in the recent Hayward review. Its rapid expansion, from five schools in 2022 to more than 100 schools and 1700 learners today, highlights the demand for this approach. Teachers, keenly aware of the shortcomings of the current education system, recognise the value of interdisciplinary skills development and are eager to offer their learners meaningful experiences and opportunities beyond traditional curricula. These experiences resonate with a wider range of young people, preparing them for life beyond school and better prepare them for the workplace. This, to me, is a clear example of an education system in action that has answered its why.

Jennifer Tempany co-founder of Powering Futures (Image: Jamie Simpson)

The most successful organisations, of which our Scottish Education System could be one, are those driven by a clear sense of purpose. This notion is most explicitly captured in Simon Sinek’s concept of “The Golden Circle” where the why must precede the how, which must precede the what.

As we look to the future, we must ask ourselves: Are we doing enough to prepare young people for the challenges ahead? The answer, right now, is no. We need the Scottish Education System to value all forms of achievement over exam results alone, prioritising interdisciplinary learning and viewing young people not just as students to be taught, but as the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. This is encapsulated in our mission at Powering Futures: to positively impact one million young people by 2030, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and mindset needed to thrive in a sustainable future.

With the right reforms and a renewed focus on experiential learning and skills development, we can unlock the potential of all young people. It’s time to move beyond an outdated focus on exam results and instead prioritise the development of well-rounded individuals who are ready to lead, innovate, and succeed. The stakes are too high to wait any longer.

Jennifer Tempany is the co-founder of Powering Futures, an organisation that aims to help businesses attract, train and engage the next generation of talent