There are many ways for businesses to get involved with Developing the Young Workforce Dundee & Angus.
Developing the Young Workforce brings together business and education through partnering industry with schools and further education, and promoting opportunities such as work placements and apprenticeships.
This has been proven to help young people in their future career choices and give them the skills they need for succeeding in the world of work, thereby improving their chances of employment.
No matter how big or small your business there is an activity that you can get involved in which will also benefit your business.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Foundation Apprenticeships (FA) are the newest member of the apprenticeship family. This is usually a two-year program undertaken in S5 and S6.
Pupils attend school and classes as normal, but attend college one day (or two afternoons) a week for their chosen FA. In the second year there is an industry placement.
The FA is equivalent to a Higher and there are frameworks across many subject areas including civil engineering, business, health & social care and digital media.
Now entering the third year, over 98% of the first Scottish cohort are now in education, training or employment.
“Foundation Apprenticeships are a valuable addition to Scottish education and training”, said Hilary Roberts, Manager at Developing the Young Workforce Dundee & Angus.
“Not only do participants learn about their subject area, they develop essential skills such as communication, confidence, teamwork, organisation and problem solving. It’s a great stepping stone into a Modern Apprenticeship, further or higher education, or for those who want to go straight into employment.
“There are clear business benefits as well. There is no cost to the business, it helps to address skills gaps and gives access to a pipeline of future talent. Of course having a young person in your business can also give a completely different perspective which can be very insightful!”
Hear from some of the businesses that have worked with Developing the Young Workforce in this short video:
Founders4Schools
If you have some time to devote to inspiring young people a good way to start is to sign up to Founders4Schools. This online platform takes your details from your LinkedIn account when you sign up.
Teachers who are organising a careers event can search for business people in the local area who have the knowledge and skills that match the theme of the event. They can invite the person to attend their event.
There is no minimum commitment – you are free to accept or reject as many invitations as you want. It can be very rewarding, entertaining and enlightening being quizzed by young people about your career and skills!
The DYW Dundee and Angus Team are always keen to speak to businesses who could help with careers fairs and events.
Earlier this year the team ran a Careers in Health Care day at Dundee Science Centre in partnership with NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee. 13-17 year olds from across the region benefitted from hands on experience of a variety of careers and roles. This included interactive sessions on subjects such as nursing, dentistry, radiography, occupational therapy, and health care support.
Judith Golden of NHS Tayside said: “The NHS is a major employer in the area and we invest significant time and resources in developing the workforce of the future. Events such as this highlight career opportunities that young people may not have thought of, or weren’t sure how to get involved in.
“The pupils who attended on the day really benefitted from speaking to health professionals and getting the opportunity to experience first-hand what these jobs would entail.
“This is a very rewarding and worthwhile activity for us and I’d highly recommend that local businesses get involved in any activity which inspires the next generation of employees, and gives them skills which will stay with them throughout their working life.”
There are many ways you can help inspire young people through project and work based learning.
If you aren’t sure where to start, the Developing the Young Workforce team can help. They can find out what you want to get out of the experience and suggest some activities that would suit you, as well as meeting the needs of young people.
To contact the Developing the Young Workforce team, call 01382 443409 or email contact@dywda.co.uk.
