The School Leavers Toolkit, an information resource to support young people as they transition into the post-school world, is now live.

The Young Person’s Guarantee School Leavers Toolkit supports young people as they start out in their transition to the post-school world.

There’s lots of information available and we know from that it can be challenging for young people to find the practical life advice they need, when they need it.

The Toolkit covers a range of topics including mental well-being, work and pay, finances, moving out and housing options, community engagement and young people’s rights.

Find it at www.myworldofwork.co.uk/schoolleaverstoolkit
 

Results? Your career service is here to help

Whatever your results are, you have options!

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) delivers Scotland’s career service. SDS results support will provide help and advice to learners, their parents and carers at what could be an uncertain time. The SDS Results Helpline number is 0808 100 8000. This helpline goes live at 8am on results day, Tuesday 9 August.

SDS's expert advisers will have access to information on course vacancies at UK colleges and universities, Confirmation and Clearing, advice about Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships and jobs, volunteering or staying on at school. SDS's expert advisers are at the end of the phone to help young people and their parents and carers.

There's lots of support on Scotland's career website, My World of Work – it’s packed with advice, information and resources for both young people and their parents and carers. If you'd prefer to speak to someone in person, you can visit an SDS centre to speak to an adviser about your results and next steps. Find your nearest one at myworldofwork.co.uk/centres.

If you cannot use a telephone and need a different way to contact SDS, you can send them a direct message on Facebook. This may help if you: • are deaf, or have hearing loss • use British Sign Language (BSL) • have a speech, language or communication need • have difficulty using the telephone.

BSL users can also use Contact Scotland BSL. You can use their app to sign with an interpreter who will make the phone call for you. Visit contactscotland-bsl.

STEM West is back!

Our flagship 2022 STEM West event will return on 21st-22nd November at West College Scotland, Clydebank campus.

This event is there to help to inspire young people to choose STEM subjects at school and have employers showcase their industry. When we last held this physically back in 2019, we had over 500 young people attend across the 2 days from schools across our 4 Local Authority areas.

If you are an employer who is interested in showcasing your company and can bring along something interactive or hands on for S3-S4 pupils to engage with over the 2 days then please let us know. Even if you can only attend one of the days, it would be great to still have you come!

Interested in showcasing at STEM West 2022? Email us at info@dywwest.co.uk by 26^th August 2022 

We were delighted to host, in partnership with Howden, an in-person event to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day 2022! 

This event was designed and planned with Howden’s ‘Bright Futures’ initiative which was created to champion diversity, fairness and equality of opportunity and build a positive and enduring legacy in the communities local to their site, encouraging more young women and girls to take up engineering careers

During the event, the young females had the opportunity to hear from Howden’s female engineers, as well as taking a tour of their manufacturing factory and got involved in some interactive STEM activities.

We recently supported West College Scotland’s Hair, Beauty & Make Up Artistry team plan and host an event across all 3 campuses which had a focus on the Hair, Beauty & Make Up Artistry industry to inspire young people to think about subject choices/ future career options within that sector. The young people learned skills such as Beauty which covered Nail Art and Hand Massage Techniques, Make up Artistry which involved Specialist Make up Effects for Film and TV and Hair skills which covered many different styling skills.

This went out to all S1 pupils within our area where we had 72 young people in total attend the events at our Paisley and Clydebank campus' with another 36 due to attend the final event at our Greenock campus in the new term.

Many of the pupils left with a new positive outlook of the industry with the hope to attend college in the future.

Thank you to all of the college staff and students who hosted the brilliant sessions!

We had a brilliant day at "Business Matters in Renfrewshire" networking event at The Lagoon, in Paisley last week.

It was great to be back at an in person networking event meeting lots of lovely people. We even managed to attend a few of the brilliant seminars throughout the day

Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak with us.

Here's to next year! 
 

This week our team attended McDonalds on Sauchihall Street, Glasgow, to celebrate the winners of McDonalds DEC Design Competition. 

This was a programme run by Class of Your Own, where S3 pupils had to design a "Net-Zero" McDonalds with support from industry professionals, including architects, interior designers and energy consultants.

The winning pupils had a behind the scenes tour of the McDonalds kitchen, were able to discuss their designs and ideas with everyone and had a certificate award ceremony.

Well done to everyone involved, especially the brilliant winners!

One of our Climate Heroes, Rachel Moir, Head of Skills at the Manufacturing Skills Academy, was matched to Clydebank High School and spent time in the school working with S3 Geography pupils. 

Rachel has been supporting Clydebank High School's climate leaders and Eco School pupils in moving forward with their COP26 legacy to reduce waste in the school.

Rachel delivered a four-week skills based program developing Employability Skills, with a focus on the future of jobs in Scotland within the Renewable and Green Sectors.

Staff at the school said, "Rachel has been brilliant at offering her experience in waste management and her skills in leading change. The pupils are currently working on a Waste Audit. This will help them to discover how much waste is being produced across the school and the type of waste. Our next step will be to look at solutions to reduce this waste".

Are you interested in becoming a Climate Hero?

Email: info@dywwest.co.uk for more details or visit the My Climate Path website

Going into S5 or S6? Set yourself up for a big future with a Foundation Apprenticeship.

Foundation Apprenticeship gives senior phase pupils an inside view of Scotland’s thriving industries.

Pupils can combine a recognised qualification with valuable experience in industries where there’s a rising demand for a skilled workforce.  

If you’re going into S5 or S6, apply for a Foundation Apprenticeship to get a head-start in some of Scotland’s fastest growing industries.

Visit apprenticeships.scot/foundation to find out what’s available in your school and apply online.

The Young Person’s Guarantee aims to ensure that within two years every 16-24 year old in Scotland has access to a work or learning opportunity.

The impact of the pandemic on employers and young people alongside a changing labour market means that there’s never been a more important time to consider young talent within the workforce.

Over 500 employers from all industries and of all sizes have already signed up to support the Guarantee, however we need more.

This webinar will help employers involved in addressing Net Zero find out how the Young Person’s Guarantee makes it easier for young people and employers to connect, and how to get involved. 

Delivered by the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland (SDS) the webinar includes:

•    An overview of the Young Person’s Guarantee, the 5 asks of employers, benefits to you, and how to sign up
•    Examples from employers on how they’ve got involved with creating opportunities for young people
•    Information from SDS on climate emergency action plan, apprenticeships and business support

The event will be hosted and introduced by Jennifer Tempany, Co-founder of Fuel Change.

The webinar takes place Wednesday 27 April, 10am. 

More details and sign up