Student loan interview - WOW!

 This is worth a watch:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17avJGWHCR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Hope it opens for you; the numbers are jaw-dropping, and not in a good way 😳

Have a great weekend, Mark 

Citizens Advice on campus today

Hello all, I have just received an e mail from our Student Engagement Officer. 

Serendipitous really, seeing as this is what you are studying at the moment for the Business Communication Unit! info below (25/2/26). The info seems really beneficial, too.

Hi all, 

Just a note to let yourselves and your students know that Citizens Advice are in Coatbridge campus atrium until 1:30pm today.

They are here to assist anyone who may be seeking help with debt management, understanding benefit entitlements (like Universal Credit), resolving housing issues, managing consumer disputes, and navigating employment problems etc. 

No appointment necessary - just pop along to the atrium and have a chat with them. 

Meeting assessment info - guidance - criteria

Hello all, I have been impressed with the industry shown across both the A and B groups whilst preparing for the first assessment for the Business Communication Unit, which is the formal meeting on the subject of young people and debt.

Everybody now has a copy of their respective agendas (via e mail and uploaded to Moodle) and you know what topic you have either chosen or been allocated, where the assessment is, when it is (date and time).

Remember, you only attend your meeting slot, and will be authorised for the week where I am not assessing you.

A few things to note then:

I will chair the meetings and will sit at the front of S46. I will have all your PP slides e mailed to me prior to the meeting so it runs smoothly and I will project them onto the plasma screen for you.

You will have my remote control which moves your slides on, and will be sitting in the front two rows of the class.

I will audio record the meetings, which are very helpful for verification purposes.

I suggest that you all print off your own slides (just a copy for you), in case there is a technical malfunction, highly unlikely, but possible. Think about the 'real world' as it were, as this unit aims to replicate what would happen within a formal meeting.

Don't forget, your slides are created to help anchor what you are saying, so you will be providing information around the visuals, so be careful not to be just reading off the slides! Bullet points are helpful in which to do so, and don't forget to use signposting techniques, like "as you can see from this graph", "if you look at these statistics on this slide, it is clear that..." and so on. Always think of your audience.

Cue cards, but definitely NOT a script can be advantageous for you. I noted in class a few times that increasingly I am seeing students use their mobile 'phones for notes too, and that has been really successful. I wasn't sure how that would work in practice, but in fact, it does work really well. Notes on your slides are how I sometimes operate if I am presenting in a meeting, but there is no one way which is correct! Your notes will be taken in after the assessment, again, for verification purposes. I will already have your PP slides. 

You will take notes whilst others are speaking, so you have sufficient info to write up your individual minutes.

You will answer questions from at least one person in the group and be asked to ask one question to one member of the group. This helps to satisfy all the criteria for the assessment.

You are being assessed as an individual within a group setting here. If somebody does not turn up, that is not a problem to you. Their apologies will be noted and when it comes to their turn; I will clearly signpost that this agenda item was not discussed due to absence. The meetings will all go ahead as planned. 

In the 'any other business' section, I will ask each presenter to outline which source, or sources, they felt were most helpful to their research, and to give a brief outline of why they thought that. 

Remember, you all have access to exemplar materials via Moodle and post class e mails for you to consult. Accuracy is the key driver here. 

Assessment info again - how you are assessed:

• The learner will provide evidence to demonstrate his/her knowledge and skills by showing that he/she can produce and respond to complex oral communication by planning and delivering an input of at least five minutes to a formal business related event. 
• Evidence to be retained for verification should include a detailed observation checklist (by me) with copies of any supporting materials and an appropriate written record of activity. There should be some recording of oral work in order to provide examples of standards and to support Internal and External Verification procedures. 
• The quality of the input should be such that: information contributed is complex, accurate and relevant to purpose and audience, ideas are presented clearly and coherently, structure is appropriate to purpose, evidence is provided to support points made, support materials enhance communication, language, register and tone are used effectively and adapted to meet the needs of others, responses to the contributions of others progress interaction, non-verbal skills promote and progress communication,  written records are to a professional standard. 
• The assessment will be conducted in open-book conditions.

This is an assessment which students recognise more so after the event that it 'wasn't as bad as they thought' - my view is that it isn't ever going to be bad at all if you put the work in, and this is something I AM seeing from almost every student in both classes. Trust your ability, your research and show confidence in your oral presentation skills. Do refer back to my teaching materials, all of which are housed within your respective Moodle pages. I have faith in all of you. Please prove me right!

All the best and I hope this helps.

Mark

BBC news links - personal debt

Here are some news links to personal debt, from the BBC website, which you may wish to consult.

Personal debt | Latest News & Updates | BBC News

HNC Accounts Groups A and B first assessment - meeting info - from your Moodle page

Here is a reminder of when your respective assessments will be taking place, for assessment one of the Business Communication Unit (H7TK 34). 

Group A

3/3/26 at 2pm, Room S46 - Ellie, Niah, Brandon, Iryna

3/3/26 at 3pm, Room S46 - Viktorija, Gabriela, Nicola, Aimee

10/3/26 at 2pm, Room S46 - Jessica, Sohaib, Anastasiia, McKenzie

10/3/26 at 3pm, Room S46 - John, Teagan, Lewis, Jason

Group B

4/3/26 at 11.15, Room S46 - Lauchlin, Sarah, Jack, Stella, Areeba

4/3/26 at 12.15, Room S46 - Murryn, Keavan, Lucy, Pamela

11/3/26 at 11.15, Room S46 - Bryan, Claire, Ava, Ross, Sean

Panorama programme on the credit card trap - worth a look (30 minutes)

 Panorama - Maxed Out: The Credit Card Trap - BBC iPlayer

I watched the Panorama programme on credit cards, which might be of use for your research for assessments one and two of the Business Comm. unit. 

A brief synopsis of the programme then: 

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, millions are leaning on credit cards to make ends meet. Credit cards are part of everyday life, but with card debt rising rapidly, many are struggling to keep up. Credit cards offer convenience, free credit and protection against dodgy traders, but for those unable to pay them off in full each month, they can be a slippery slope to persistent debt. 

Reporter Iona Bain investigates the hidden dangers of easy credit, from soaring interest rates and minimum payments, to lenders pushing higher limits and interest-free deals. With personal stories and expert insight, Panorama asks if regulators are doing enough to protect us and offers tips on how to avoid unnecessary debt.

All the best,

Mark