Taking stock & saying thanks

Time to reflect on another busy year for AJ Enterprises and to thank clients, collaborators, contacts and coworkers who’ve helped make 2019 a success!

We’ve kept Informed Scotland subscribers up to date with learning & skills across the landscape throughout the year. As well as the monthly digests, we published a General Election Extra earlier this month and the seventh annual Organisations & People Special in September. The latter now has links to over 380 organisations, more than twice as many as in the first edition in 2013.

Many thanks to our subscribers, both new and those who’ve been with us since 2012, for spreading the word about the benefits of being kept well informed. And thanks to Janey at Mamook for some fabulous new cover designs.

We’ve promoted hundreds more events via the Learning & Skills Events Calendar, with thanks to Larisa at Media Bloom, Sarah and Prentice for keeping it updated throughout the year.

I made it to a few events in 2019, including the Scottish Learning Festival in September – thanks to the General Teaching Council for Scotland for once again displaying Informed Scotland fliers on their stand. In January I attended BETT and the Education Show in London for the first time, where it was great to spot familiar faces and promote Scottish exhibitors. And David Noble invited me back onto Radio EDUtalk to review the hottest learning & skills topics of 2018 and to preview the year ahead.

We’ve kept a wider audience regularly updated via social media – @InformedScot now has over 4,000 followers on Twitter and over 500 on Instagram. Thanks to all our engaged followers.

I’ve once again enjoyed working with London-based associate Elaine Hendry, including on a fast-paced research project for EdComs at the start of the year. Our main project continues to be the quarterly Skills Research Digest which we’ve produced for Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy since 2017 – thanks again to Nicola Laverty for being a great client!

I’ve also provided research and horizon scanning, communications, copy-writing, editing and proofreading services to repeat and new clients. In March I was a first-timer at the London Book Fair and in May I travelled with fellow Edinburgh editors to Newcastle for an excellent SfEP mini-conference. As an Advanced Professional Member of SfEP I’m looking forward to it becoming the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading in 2020!

Finally, I’ve been lucky to work alongside some lovely, talented coworkers in Evergreen Studio for another year – thanks for the comradeship and support, the German and Catalan lessons, and of course the biscuits and cakes!

The annual Informed Scotland Hottest Topics in Scottish Learning & Skills will be shared here in January – see what made the list this year – any predictions?

Email [email protected] for more information about any of the above, to subscribe to Informed Scotland, or to discuss how we could support your work in 2020.