Developing the Young Workforce (DYW)

DYW is part of the Scottish Government's Youth Employment strategy, aimed at improving career and learning opportunities for our young people. The strategy recommends the creation of industry led groups to create a culture of real partnership between employers and education.

The Inverness & Central Highland group consists of private and public employers, education and career specialists, hosted by Inverness Chamber of Commerce.

The operations team there engage with schools, colleges and employers to develop partnerships that provide our young people with more information about likely careers, experience in the workplace, apprenticeships and co-ordinate actions that realise more job opportunities for young people.

DYW need help to get businesses on board and broadcast the ambition of the DYW project. They want to build relationship and offer real opportunities. Ultimately their aim is to recruit more young people into the workforce.

For Employers

It is recognised that many employers already have long standing relationships with education. DYW will support even more employers to get involved and take the opportunity to invest in their own succession planning, working with schools to inspire and create strong career awareness for young people in areas such as:

– Inspiring young people to work for you and securing a talent flow
– Helping young people develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge for your business or sector
– Applying the perspective and skills of young people to your business challenges
– Help to shape the curriculum ensuring course content is industry relevant.
– Promoting a positive awareness of your business in the community.

This can be developed using work experience, talks, demonstrations, mentoring career opportunities. In Highland and Islands youth unemployment is relatively low but it is recognised that opportunities should be highlighted and created so so that the young people can stay and work in their communities.

DYW Inverness and Central Highlands deal with 14 schools and would welcome butcher businesses get involved with them. The schools are as follows:-

Tain Royal Academy
Invergordon High school
Alness Academy
Fortrose Academy
Dingwall Academy
Glen Urquhart High School – Drumnadroichit
Inverness High School
Charleston Academy – Inverness
Millburn Academy – Inverness
Inverness Royal Academy
Culloden Academy – Inverness
Nairn Academy
Grantown Grammar
Kingussie High

DYW Inverness would certainly be interested to support and drive the creation of local partnerships within their area.

DYW also highlighted the hi-hope website – www.hi-hope.org and invites employers to register and say what they can offer. The noticeboard on this website advertises live opportunities for young people to gain key skills for the workplace. The teacher receives the application from the pupil and checks suitability.

Employers can interview if they wish and specify set job specifications. It is a far more flexible system than the previous work experience system where pupils were not necessarily matched with workplaces. It may be that Scottish Meat Training could assess in workplace for units of qualifications. Budget should be available from DYW.