Not made in England: The lost art of manufacturing

Engineering is a triumph of the human spirit. So what happens when a nation loses the ability to manufacture the products it consumes? Cultural illiteracy, argues Stephen Bayley

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/not-made-in-england-the-lost-art-of-manufacturing-2278382.html

This is an interesting article and the first one suggested by the course tutor.

My intro post to the Tutor Group Forum (TGF)

Hello everyone,

I am Sean Brady and I am currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines based in the Navy Headquarters in Portsmouth, UK. I am 38 and I have been in the Royal Marines for about 16 years and apart from a brief spell as the Athletic Union President at Southampton University, where I studied Oceanography and Geology, I have never worked for any other organisation. Nevertheless, the nature of the Royal Marines means that you move jobs every 18-24 months. This means that I have had a broad range of roles, some with a more obvious leadership function such as commanding a Rifle Company in Afghanistan for six months; whilst others, such as the role I am currently in, where I am responsible for the policy and the day to day management of the Royal Marine Reserve, are more management focused.

I am now moving into the second phase of my career where the skills which an OU MBA can provide will assist me greatly. However, I am also cognisant that I will be leaving the military either voluntarily or when my commission runs out. Therefore, it is prudent to plan ahead and I hope that by studying for an OU MBA I will be able to better quantify the experience I have gained through both study and work.

I am looking forward to studying as I enjoy it, and recently in 2007/08 I was lucky enough to spend a year on the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College where I was able to gain a MA in Defence Studies awarded by Kings College London. Fortuitously, I was also able to gain three level 7 qualifications in strategic management from the Charted Management Institute, which I have subsequently joined as a Member.

I am married and I have a daughter aged 2½ and a mad Springer Spaniel aged 4½. In my spare time, I enjoy outdoor activities with the family; cooking, military history and I have a desire to take up Kite Surfing however I suspect that is probably on hold until I complete the MBA.

I look forward to learning, working and sharing ideas with you all.

Kinds Regards

Sean

End of week one

I have just completed week one of B716 MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice.  So far this is what I have done so far:

Date of event: 1-5 May 11

What was the development activity?

- I posted my intro to the TGF

- I printed off all the resources up to the end of MDA 1

- I brainstormed my EBI and developed the timeline for TMA 1

- I established my evening routine and sorted out the office

- I have read a number or articles and added them to my bibliography on refnotes

- I have established my filing system, my note taking options and started a learning log blog

What was I expecting to learn?

- How to learn with the OU

What have I learned?

- the principles of how to organise my self

How will I apply this learning?

- To better prepare myself for the rest of the course

Overall, it has been a good week!