ICF HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

History

The ICF was formed in 1986 to support Geoffrey Shaw and a small group of others to allow them to extend their pioneering work started as “Reading Action” in schools in Reading in Berkshire. It might be said that we formed the very first “Education Business Partnership” – now taken up by Government throughout the UK some 20 years later!

We wanted to break away from the stupefying boring format of education-business liaison of those days to excite pupils in schools to look more positively at careers in the wealth-creation sector (“industry” – hence our name) in our economy and to seek ways to get the qualifications and skills to be successful in it.

We did this by arranging 2-3 day events in the schools to allow students to work with management volunteers from industry in intensive workshops and games, simulating exercises and case-studies taken from situations in industry.

We had been supported by the University of Buckingham but for various reasons in 1988 we decided to formalise the operation into a registered charity and limited company by guarantee. This enabled us to become a membership organisation. This became quickly an important part of the ICF philosophy as those members were a vital source of voluntary help in the conferences and a valuable source of case-studies and stimulations to keep our events fresh and topical.

One of our early supporters was Unilever and through their support we gained the use of their business game UNISIM and we then developed and refined it into a completely new model UNISIMII, which is still a most appropriate model to use in events to keep the pupils interested, as it acts as a thread through a 2-3 day event.

As time went on we needed backing from businesses which had the money and resources to support initiatives of our type in an environment where both schools and government were seeking help to introduce their pupils into the wider issues of management and liaison. We therefore had to drop our narrow wish to remain just in the wealth-creation sector. However an aspect of this remained a part of every conference and event.

Objectives

To increase the mutual understanding between business and education
To provide a resource and mechanism to inform and excite young people about the challenge of business management.

Vision

That there would be an organisation, which would have members from both the educational and business sectors of our society.
Those members would work with individual schools or groups of schools with pupils of wide ability
They would respond to initiatives and find innovative material to excite youngsters about the rule of business management
The students would therefore find these skills of management in themselves before they left school
Those in the business community would themselves be excited and stimulated by working with youngsters in well organised quality events in the schools and colleges.
The students would see the relevance of their training in school in that it would lead them to a useful and satisfying career
The students would experience a real hope for their future role in life.

Essential features of an ICF event

Control stays with the school or college or group of colleges. We do not allow an event to be dominated by one particular company or sponsoring organisation.

Each event is individually designed to suit the schools’ requirements.

Costs are reduced by using school resources and either school or sponsored premises.

Every event is organised on the basis of a group of 6-9 students serviced by a volunteer manager from business. School delegates take part in whole year or subject groups – they are not volunteers.

Advisers once invited are given clear instructions and help.

Resources used are high quality and up to date.

The aim of each event is to stretch (in an academic sense) all that take part, both students and advisers.

Where we are now

The intellectual capital and UNISIMII is now used under copyright by Challenge Training Partners, which was formed in 2005 to deliver the concept with our support. The partners, Andy Clayton and Andy Dixon, were both keen members of the ICF, taking part in and organising a wide range of events for some years before this date. They are not held to the features mentioned above but in many cases most or all these are maintained.

The ICF now acts in an advisory capacity to schools and colleges to continue the vision.

We have now put a considerable proportion of our reserves into the sponsorship of ICF scholarships of the Arkwright Trust, which we consider is making a realistic attempt to achieve many of our objectives. What appeals to us is that they are encouraging school students to study engineering and technology. This fits closely with our original concept of encouraging careers in the wealth-creation part of our society.

GCS/25.02.08