The world almost stopped for a few long minutes when COVID-19 hit, and lockdowns were instituted in almost every country in the world.
Then slowly, a new normal started emerging. College and high school students were enrolled in online classes so things would start working almost as before again, and zoom meetings became the order of the day for the employed. It was like discovering a whole new world that had always been there.
Now, one of the surprising events that followed the pandemic was the increased university enrollment for undergraduate degrees in the UK. Through UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, 514,020 applicants of all ages have taken the first step to higher education. That is a 1.6% increase as compared to 2019. What informed these changes and especially now with a pandemic redefining learning as we knew it? Here are a few thoughts on how schooling has changed.
Technology is Showing Off
Pre-COVID, classes were one-on-one and available online options were not favored too much. That meant students had to find time in their schedule for class, something that isn’t always easy with all the demands of modern life. Currently, the situation has shifted towards online learning and more universities are offering flexible schedules. In most cases, even if you cannot attend the class, you can review Zoom call recording later in order to catch up.
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Of course, there have been some negative consequences of lockdown as well. For example, a lot of students are feeling depressed because of the pandemics and the pressure of assignments they have does not help. It may seem that we all have more time to spare now as you won’t need to spend time commuting, however, students’ workload has increased a lot as well. Many students participate in TikTok challenges or try new hobbies to cope with mental issues, and against that background it’s a true relief there is the ability to now order free of plagiarism research paper help from EduBirdie regardless of where you are in the world. Writing assignments is always one of those tough parts of college and so having a professional do it for you makes it possible to focus on your mental health a bit more.
Speaking of technology taking off in the education sector, educators have been put to task to make their classes even more engaging, which was an issue with this form of learning before. Students are encouraged to express their creativity through videos and other presentation methods when they hand in assignments virtually. Peer-to-peer discussion groups are also taking off well where students can hold discussions regardless of their location in the world as long as they are connected to the internet.
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Education Gives People Choices
As more and more young people move from seeking employment to focusing on building their own enterprises, they find more reasons to get university education. They no longer just want the best job on Wall Street, but a chance to run a successful business, which has better chances of happening if they are informed. They want finance degrees to show them how to handle money and growth and art degrees to validate their talents.
Even if a person chooses to become an entrepreneur and open their small business, education provides knowledge and connections required to succeed. With a strong academic background, the options are limitless. Though the economy may not support the creation of jobs at the moment, this situation won’t last forever. Smart people know there is no better time to prepare for the future than the present.
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It’s What we Do
Why go to university? Because it is some sort of rite of passage. If you didn’t go to university, there is little to do with your early 20s. At this time, young adults are trying to define how they want the rest of their lives to look like, and so transitioning from home to college is a big deal that everyone who yearns to experience it should.
While there is a lot of learning, writing assignments and papers, and attending lessons, the college also allows you to grow. There will be new friends to make, clubs to join, mistakes to make and learn from, and generally the time to find your true north. With COVID, students may not have the true experience until the vaccine roll-out allows everyone to gather again without too much fear of the outcome. Still, that doesn’t limit one from making friends and enjoying this new phase. So, young people are going to university because they need this transition. It’s part of growing up.
The Future of University Education
It is still a little too early to decide how the future will look like, but we know for sure online classes will never be looked down upon again. The course of this pandemic has taught us what can be achieved with good internet connections and tech advancement. There could be renewed interest in techie courses as there is still too much to explore there.
Business
Manchester Airport to host big jobs fair with more than 500 roles on offer
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of careers are set for take-off, as Manchester Airport’s popular jobs fair is returning early next month.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports, is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and for its first jobs fair of the year is promoting vacancies in areas like airport security, lounge hospitalitylmand terminal operations, as well as other roles on offer with third-party employers based at the airport.
Some of these roles range from airline support and check‑in, to airside operations, logistics and ground handling, retail, and special assistance services for passengers with restricted mobility.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about a career at the airport by speaking to employers operating on-site.
More than 500 roles will be advertised at the event, and more than 20 leading employers will be represented.
Manchester Airport is hosting a big jobs fair with more than 500 roles on offer / Credit: MAG
Running from 10am to 2pm on Tuesday 3 March at Wythenshawe Forum, some of the other employers who will be represented at the fair include retailers and franchise operators like Boots, Costa Coffee, JD Wetherspoon, WHSmith, Pasta Evangelists, Monsoon, HMSHost SSP, and World Duty Free, as well as airport service providers like PrimeFlight, 36T HUB, Mitie, Swissport and ABM.
The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group, will also be in attendance on the day to promote its free pre-employment support programmes and fully accredited training schemes.
Jobseekers who secure a role within MAG can take advantage of a wide range of benefits during their employment.
These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts, and many more.
There’ll also be a wide range of third-party employers present at the event / Credit: MAG
“We’re proud to serve the North, not just by flying people to the places they want to travel to, but by helping local people find their way into rewarding and fulfilling careers,” commented Tina Edwards, who is the People Director at Manchester Airport.
“The airport directly employs more than 3,400 people and indirectly supports almost 20,000 jobs, so we’re a major contributor to the local economy and our ambitious growth plans mean we’re always looking for more talented people to join our teams. The same is true of our fantastic partners who are represented at this jobs fair.
“It’s an exciting time to be embarking on a career at Manchester Airport as our £1.3bn, decade-long expansion programme wraps up this year, giving us the platform to realise our potential as a truly global hub.”
Manchester Airport’s spring careers fair is free for all to attend, but you’ll need to book your ticket online first here.
Featured Image – MAG
Business
Manchester’s tiny new tiramisu hatch Layr speaks out after receiving influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s tiny new tiramisu hatch has spoken out after receiving a recent influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages and reviews.
Having only opened its doors – or should we say, shutters – at the end of last month (29 January) over in Acoats, Layr is one of Manchester’s newest independent businesses that is selling purely tiramisu, with a menu of three different flavours, each served in individually portioned pots.
Here you can expect classic tiramisu where sponge is soaked in espresso, then layered with vanilla marscapone and cocoa dust.
These freshly-made, alcohol-free and Halal desserts have gone down an absolute treat with residents and visitors to the city alike since opening, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been completely smooth sailing for founder Moona who has admitted over the weekend that they have been receiving a number of ‘hostile’ hate comments and reviews that don’t reflect the service they are providing.
The statement comes after the business teamed up with The Couture Club and influencer Farron Clark for a Valentine’s collaboration over the weekend.
Layr said in its Instagram statement: “As a small independent business, we can’t stay silent when things aren’t right. It’s hard to share, but it has to be said.
“With a heavy heart, we need to address something that’s been happening behind the scenes. Over the past few days, we’ve noticed a pattern that’s been difficult to process. Hostile hate-messages, comments, and reviews. A number of one-star reviews have appeared that don’t feel reflective of real customer experiences… with some of our genuine customer photos have been screenshotted and reposted elsewhere.
Layr has spoken out after receiving an influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages / Credit: The Manc Group
“As a small, new independent business, we take all feedback on board. However instances that appear not to be genuine are disheartening to see.”
They then shared a couple of screenshot images of reviews and comments they were referring to, before adding that: “The industry is already a challenge without these instances. We all need each other’s support and I hope we all succeed in what we set out to achieve.”
The statement concluded: “Let’s spread love… not hate.”
The Manc -
15th January 2021 
