Bristol Water Online Youth Board 2020 Final Report 5Th November 2020
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1 Bristol Water Online Youth Board 2020 Final report 5th November 2020 Meet the panellists Report structure 2 1 Project background 2 The world today: understanding the lives of future customers 3 The world today: general service needs and expectations 4 Future gazing: what will life be like in 10 years’ time? Future gazing: how can Bristol Water meet the needs and 5 expectations of future customers? Project background 33 • For the last 3 years, Blue Marble has successfully run the Bristol Water Youth Board – a 2- day face-to-face event canvasing the views of future customers (6th formers and college students) and 2020 would have been no exception. Background • As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and the uncertainty of being able to convene a face-to-face event, this year’s Youth Board was conducted virtually – using an online research platform A 10-day online virtual panel with 18 future customers • Involving a series of daily tasks lasting around 30-minutes Methodology • Fieldwork took place between 12th October - 21st October 2020 (before the second national lockdown) See appendix for overview of online task guide and sample Dealing with companies Bristol Water specific Them and their word • To understand how future • To explore current • To understand what life is like customers interact with knowledge and brand Objectives for future customers: day-to companies & channel associations day life, challenges preferences • To explore how Bristol Water • To understand current • To explore characteristics of can meet the needs of attitudes and values good service experience future customers • To explore future aspirations, • To understand how they • To generate ideas for how goals and worries expect companies to act Bristol Water’s actions could and behave go beyond core activities Panellists' feedback was broadly positive 44 The activities gave me the opportunity to Average score of 8/10 express my ideas which allowed me to feel Based on 13 / 18 responses like my voice mattered. I can't really think of any ways the Online Youth Board could ✓ Online platform: easy to use, simple design, be improved. The website was brilliant - easy to navigate with interactive features lots of useful features (like the chart system and being able to ✓ Interaction with other panellists: able to read sort comments by most liked, most recent etc.). others’ answers, comment and discuss ✓ Task design and variety: well designed; easy to I really enjoyed being able to interact with other participants. I understand; engaging; enjoyable; thought think the way that the questions were given and written was provoking very easy to understand. I liked the way that everyone was able to ask anyone questions and anyone could reply - I thought this was a really good way for everyone to discuss ideas. Main feedback for improvement × Would like more interaction between the Generally I prefer doing things like this face to face but there wasn’t much that the board could have done to change this. participants / team tasks / opportunity to present × Word limit too taxing at times, time consuming Anecdotal feedback × Prefer face-to-face interaction Team projects and pitching would have been interesting × For the Youth Board to be more widely promoted, beyond school/college The world today: understanding the lives of future customers When asked to consider life today vs their parents’ generation, future customers 66 identify a number of positives • Communication: quick and easy to interact with friends and family • Learning: on going access to learning esp. heightened during Covid-19 lockdown The role of technology – • Entertainment: YouTube, music, video games benefiting all aspects • Global purchase power: more choice, competitive prices of life • Employment opportunities: created a whole new job market in the tech world • Social media: when used for the right reasons, can be a powerful tool for raising awareness of important issues and providing a platform for discussion Greater educational • Perception they have more support in accessing higher education, University and job opportunities • Greater opportunities such as apprenticeships Perception that society • Gender equality/equal pay, sexuality, race, religion is more accepting and • Much greater awareness, acceptance and support for mental health issues, inclusive with the belief that there is a lot less social stigma Feel fortunate to live in • Safe area to live the Bristol area • Not too overcrowded • Surrounded by greenery, close to the beach (N.B. potentially • Good transport links and access to cities such as Bristol, Bath and Cardiff triggered by Covid-19) • Good local employment opportunities But overall, there is a perception that life is harder for today’s generation 77 • Pressures and impact of social media biggest challenge for today’s generation: • Creates unrealistic body image and lifestyle expectations e.g. how to dress, the amount of money you have, the lifestyle you live • People are more susceptible to bullying and hate comments on social media • Enables the spread of false news 10 • Negative impacts on mental health: difficult to switch off and escape (Scores 6 to 10 out of 10) • General stress and pressure to achieve: • Pressure to perform well at school: obtain good grades; expected to study for long hours; perception educational standards have increased • Stress of deciding future plans e.g. applying for universities, choosing a career path or apprenticeship programme 4 • Overall sense there is little time for personal relaxation (Score of 5 out of 10) • Believe they have more worries about their future: • Getting onto the property ladder 4 • University fees and debt (Scores 1-4 • Employment prospects in an increasingly competitive and skilled job market out of 10) • For some, perception ‘looked down upon’ by society due to age: below the Life is easier Hard to compare Life is harder voting age; feel not to be taken seriously; negative connotations of being a ‘teenager’ e.g. ‘hooded hooligans’ At present, future customers have an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about the next 12 months… Uncertainty and future concerns amplified by the impacts of Covid-19 88 • This is a pivotal stage • Interruption and disruption to education My biggest concern for the • Missed out on vital months of teaching next 12 months is the of life – we’ve heard in • Having to catch up on missed work uncertainty about whether previous years that we will have exams and • Growing disparity in educational experiences and whether they will be a their main worries and standards(state vs. private school) but will be assessed delay. The vast majority of concerns often through the same exams last year was interrupted by Covid, causing massive concentrate around • Uncertainty about A Levels: exams or based on gaps in learning. the next 12 months predicted grades • Cancelled work experience and been made redundant which will affect CV/experience • The uncertainty of Another thing that concerns Covid-19 appears to me is the discrepancy of • Having a domino effect on future plans teaching, yet the nation will be amplifying those • Worried about obtaining grades needed to get into sit the same exams concerns chosen University/apprenticeship • Stress of choosing a University when can’t visit, only • Main emotions: virtual tours concern, worry, • Stress of completing UCAS with the backdrop of I've been seeing a lot on uncertainty for next year the news about this year’s uncertainty, anxiety, University students feeling stress, frustration • Uncertainty about plans for travel, holidays, gap years like they're in 'expensive' • Worried about getting jobs at University and knock on prison as they are aren't financial impact of studying allowed to go out at all • Worried about how Covid-19 will affect their University experience But they remain optimistic and excited for the next 12 months, despite high levels99 of uncertainty Looking forward to • Obtaining drivers licence to travel beyond their In the next 12 months, I am more independence own town, some hope to buy their own car looking forward to getting • Moving away from home for the first time more independence, after I and freedom have completed my A • Holidays with friends Levels and am able to go to University. Hopefully, I will be able to drive and this will enable me to go further and see new places, before I • Starting University / apprenticeship / job start my ‘new life’ at uni. • Meeting new people from different Life beyond school: backgrounds and cultures broadening • Traveling, volunteering horizons, learning • Being taken more seriously as a young adult: I am looking forward to new skills treated more like an adult; developing own coming closer to the next opinions; turning 18 allowing them to vote in general election which will allow me to voice my the next general election political opinions. • Opening of creative arts and musical For the most part I think that Life returning to theatre, festivals, sporting events the unpredictability of next normal, post • Seeing friends and family e.g. family that live year is exciting and that I abroad don't know what I will end up Covid-19 world doing! [N.B. fieldwork before 2nd • Christmas lockdown announced] • Holidays post lockdown What’s important for this age group? 1010 I think that one of the big issues is not being treated equally. As I am from an ethnic minority, this is a sensitive topic as I have been exposed to racism numerous amounts of time. Equality and inclusivity Protecting the environment • Black Lives Matter movement • Tackling climate change spontaneously mentioned by most • The impact that individuals, companies The difference between • But also addressing other inequalities or and politicians have on the environment political opinion and equality discrimination seen as important: e.g. single use plastic, corporate actions is a massive issue for my gender, sexuality/ LGBTQ+, Islamophobia friends and I.