Today myself and David celebrated the achievements of our Postgraduate Masters students from the University of Westminster at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

What a tremendous day was had by all, and what a fantastic way to celebrate the hard work after, what has been for some, two years of study and assignment and dissertation writing.

David and I wore black gowns, caps and our own University colours, David in the lovely purple and gold hood from Thames Valley University which I would have also worn had the hire firm not lost mine – after much searching I ended up wearing the maroon colours of the University of Westminster instead.

The time was ready for us to enter the auditorium, and we lecturers filed in two-by-two and sat on the stage looking out into the audience at a sea of expectant and very proud faces (see picture above for the view that we had from the stage where the orchestra normally sits).

As each successful student came up on stage to receive their award and walk past us we clapped and clapped and clapped, until our hands hurt – but it was worth it.  Some walked shyly across, hardly believing they had done so well, others with a more confident stride and one or two milking the adoration for all they could get – the atmosphere was electric!

You can use the link below to watch some personal footage of the ‘background scenes’ from the event

OFQT at the Royal Festival Hall

David and I not only applaud such academic achievement but are sure that if formal education or formal work-based training or informal learning, is to be of value in the market place and help the individual or organisation improve the quality of what they do, then it has to be applied quickly and with some regularity – then and only then, will changed behaviours embed as part of normal practice.

What we are also very sure about is the power and value of learning and how it can change so much in work and in life.

Einstein has been very widely quoted as saying:

“Learning is finding out what you already know. … “If you always do what you‘ve always done, you‘ll always get what you‘ve always got“

In this context we believe this to mean that to achieve some kind of change of outcome, you have to learn something new, but even more important, the individual has to want to learn as this cannot be forced.

Józefa at OFQT