So, how are we all coping with Lockdown 2.0? The slight relaxation of official Government guidelines has given many of us a slight degree of added flexibility in our daily lives and, although we're still a long way away from normality, for some it means a gradual return to the workplace.
It has been interesting to see the thinking behind what industries are prioritised to make that return. It's not the office jobs and white-collar workers so often associated with the nation's wealth, it's the builders, the engineers, the manufacturers and the gardeners. It is those people that the Government is relying upon to get this country's economy back up and running.
That should be a source of great encouragement for many of our students. A significant proportion of our courses feed directly into these professions and there is a sound argument to be made that their importance and their recognition among those in the corridors of power has rarely been more apparent.
When the country finds itself in times of trouble it turns to those who get things done. It wants problem-solvers, it wants people with ingenuity and the ability to think for themselves. It wants people with common sense.
While the rules of lockdown have been finessed, and whether they are clear enough is a whole other argument altogether, one thing remains clear – the importance of maintaining social distancing.
The six-foot rule looks likely to stay with us for many months to come and we, as a college, are beginning to look at ways we can incorporate this into our routines and standard practices when the time comes to once again open our doors.
We don't know yet when that will be but what we do know is we will need to be ready to go when the Government gives us the green light. That preparation starts now and work is going on behind the scenes to maximise the safety of staff and students.
Things will change, that's inevitable, but it also presents us with the chance to look again at the way we do things and make improvements where necessary.
While we may not be required to stay home as much as we have been, we all need to stay alert. We will be staying alert to the dangers, but also staying alert to any potential opportunities to make a positive change.
