While his classmates study for Highers in the likes of English and maths Leo Cura learns how to solder and fit sinks.
Taking the first steps towards a career as a plumber, the 16-year-old is among scores of Dundee and Angus schoolchildren to have benefited from the Future Skills College – a pre-apprenticeship pathway for S5 and S6 pupils.
Set up as a trial five years ago, the scheme allows senior pupils to train for careers at college and on work placement while remaining on the school roll and continuing core curriculum subjects including literacy, numeracy and IT.
Now adopted by Dundee City Council and Dundee and Angus College as a core course offering for senior phase pupils in Dundee, training will begin for a new cohort later this year in plumbing, electrical, joinery and early education and childcare.
As young people consider their options for S5 or S6, we spoke to people involved in FSC to learn more.
A student
As well as training in the college workshop, Leo spends a day each week working with building services firm McGill and hopes to be in prime position to be offered an apprenticeship on completion.
He said: “You learn most of the hands-on skills while you are working with the company and the knowledge side at college.”
Leo was considering his options for S5 at Grove Academy when a teacher told him about FSC.
He said: “Some people go straight into an apprenticeship without any practice but if you do this course before you go with a company you learn a lot of the skills so you are not getting thrown in at the deep end.”
A graduate
Former Baldragon Academy pupil Jack Menzies, 18, is now an apprentice electrician with Dundee City Council, having completed his FSC course.
He pondered staying on for S6 but knew he wanted to become an electrician and saw the FSC as the right path to take.
He said: “For me it was a no brainer and it definitely helped me 100%.
“If you are going down the trade journey, whether it’s as a joiner, painter, decorator, Future Skills College is definitely the thing to do because it gives you the basics in what you need.
“You know what you are going into.”
An employer
One employer which has taken on several apprentices after FSC work placements is Dundee-based Care Electrical Contractors.
Lee Mulholland, contracts manager, said: “It’s worked really well for us and a lot of the pupils that go through it end up getting jobs.
“FSC gives them a start because they’ve learned at college then they come to us on a day release and are picking up bits and pieces.
“I would definitely recommend it. It gives them a stepping stone to get in.”
How does the Future Skills College work?
Future Skills College was launched in 2017 after 4J Studios chairman Chris van der Kuyl and DC Thomson associate director Ben Gray commissioned a report on what could be done to help young people – especially those facing challenges – to move from education to employment.
After the five year trial, seed funded by Northwood Charitable Trust, it has moved into its next phase, adopted by Dundee City Council and fully-integrated to Dundee and Angus College for Dundee pupils.
Angus Council is exploring options for an Arbroath-based equivalent.
During the first four years of Future Skills College, 128 pupils completed the one-year course and 51 secured full-time apprenticeships through it.
We’ve seen kids taking part in this really getting the bit between the teeth and reaching positive destinations.”
Ben Gray, DC Thomson association director and FSC trustees chairman
Combining college-based learning with a work placement, it readies students to start an apprenticeship while continuing continuing to learn core curriculum subjects.
Although at college, pupils remain on the school roll meaning they and their families can, if eligible, still access child benefit, education maintenance allowance and free school meals.
Six years after he and Chris started looking at the project Ben, chairman of the FSC trustees, hopes it can be extended beyond Dundee.
He said: “It is a model that’s easily replicated. There are lots of other places across Scotland where this could make a difference.
“We’ve seen kids taking part in this really getting the bit between the teeth and reaching positive destinations. It means they can actually take control of their lives and for me that’s wonderful.”
Pupils interested in the Future Skills College should speak to their guidance teacher.
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