DYW West had the privilege to take part in the When Will I Use This? event organised by Eastwood High School. The morning provided S3 pupils with the opportunity to develop their understanding of the importance of numeracy, literacy and transferable skills in the workplace. Employers' operating across a range of industries including healthcare, hospitality, financial services and the public sector were representated on the day which allowed insight into the relevance of vital skills across the world of work. The event was extremely successful and we would like to thank all of the employers who gave their time to participate on the day!  

St Stephens Positive Destinations Day
DYW had the privilege to take part in the St Stephens Positive Destinations event.  As part of the day the pupils were able to speak with a range of employers about the world of work and opportunities available within their specific sector. With support from an abundance of employers such as; Clark Contracts, McLaren Packaging, Rolls Royce, Ferguson Marine and West Coast Cinemas, the event ran from 9am until the end of the school day. The event was very well organised by Margaret Harvey at the school, and all the young people and the employers got a lot out of the day! 

Inverclyde Academy Careers Evening
A careers evening organised by Catriona Sherry from Inverclyde Academy this month was well attended by the pupils and parents, with a number of educational establishments and employers being represented. Universities, colleges and employers such as Inverclyde Council, Aldi, Santander, and Campbell Construction Group were able to speak with and answer any questions from attendees. A special mention to David at Whyte and Christie who brought his entire Joinery workshop so the young people could have an interactive experience! 

On the 13^th of October ninety-five young women from each high school in Renfrewshire flooded into West College Scotland in Paisley to be inspired by women who have built successful careers in the Construction and STEM Industry (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

The event was supported by Renfrewshire Council, British Gas, Clark Contracts, the NHS and Sweco, who all have challenges in recruiting female apprentices into traditionally male dominated roles.  Not only did the young women get the chance to speak to the employers about their careers but also about future opportunities within the company. In addition to this, participants got the chance to get their hands dirty and try some practical activities in renewables, painting and decorating, bricklaying and joinery.

Great fun was had by all in attendance and hopefully it made some steps towards addressing gender imbalance in the construction industries!

We are extremely excited to be organising STEM Fortnight in West Dunbartonshire between the 3rd and the 13th of October. We have been working with local employers to create a programme of activities for S3 pupils which are devised and hosted by the employers themselves. The aim of this is to provide pupils with the opportunity to learn more about the variety of career options that are available through STEM subjects and quiz senior management about the skills required to work in their industry. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the employers who have devised the following engaging workshops for the young people of West Dunbartonshire:

• SKapade: Sound Production Masterclass
• Polaroid: The Design and Manufacture of Sunglass Lenses
• West College Scotland: Games Development
• The Golden Jubilee National Hospital: Inserting a Cardiac Pacemaker
• West College Scotland: Lemon Power
• The Army: Rocket Car
• European Circuits Ltd: Printed Circuit Boards and Assembly
• West Dunbartonshire Council: Call of (Procurement) Duty
• Haven Products: Laser Etching

If you would like to keep up to date with these activities then check out our Twitter and Facebook (@DYWWEST) and our Developing the Young Workforce West LinkedIn Company page!                                      

The DYW West team had the great pleasure of taking part in the Taste the Industry Hospitality Event organised by Tennent's Training Academy and Tree of Knowledge on the 20th of September at Linwood High School. This was a fantastic event that saw local hospitality employers take over the school for the day to allow them to run interactive workshops with the pupils.

At the start of the day, 10 of the 100 pupils involved expressed their passion to work within the hospitality industry, but by the end of the day this figure had risen to 90 out of 100. A tremendous example of employer-school partnerships and the developing the young workforce agenda in action!

The Recruit is a summer programme involving 35 young people who are chosen to compete in a number of business challenges with the aim of improving report writing, presentation, communication and team working skills. The programme culminates with a celebratory dinner which recognises the dedication shown from all of the participants throughout the summer with an opportunity for those involved to be awarded contracts with the employers involved in the challenges. Congratulations to all The Recruits from the entire team here at DYW West!