‘It’s good for boys to get an insight into beauty’

A COLLEGE’s efforts to help students buck “traditional” career trends has been praised.

Senior Dundee school pupils have paid a series of visits to Dundee & Angus College, where they have been given an insight into the future.

The S3 pupils from St Paul’s Academy have been shown around different departments of the college on a weekly basis since January.

During their visits, the youngsters have been given hands-on experience on several courses, including hair and beauty, construction, technology and science.

One theme of the visits was to encourage pupils to engage in industries “traditionally” favoured by the opposite gender.

Both male and female pupils were involved in hair and beauty classes and the construction lessons.

The college visits have coincided with the Tele’s Let’s Get Dundee Working campaign, aimed at getting as many people into jobs or training as possible.

D&A College has been a major supporter of the initiative.

College spokesman Bill Dower said: “It’s great to be doing this in partnership with local schools in Dundee.

“We feel we have always been a bit ahead of the game in terms of having students i n what are not always considered ‘traditionally male or female’ courses. “For example, we consistently have a higher rate of female science students which really bucks the national trend. “It’s good to give boys an insight into the likes of hair and beauty or girls into something like motor mechanics and make them realise there really are no barriers stopping them pursuing the career of their choice.” Stewart Hunter, Dundee City Council’s children and families services committee convener, praised the scheme, adding: “We live in the 21st Century and there is no reason why fema les shouldn’t be working i n the construction industry or any other traditionally maledominated workplace. “We should try and do all we can to encourage females to look at careers they may well be interested in but wouldn’t have considered in the past because they were seen as ‘male jobs’ and vice versa. “I think perhaps there needs to be work done by employers in these industries to be more proactive and encourage girls to follow their dreams into jobs like construction. “That shows there are no barriers based on gender and the college visits are a really positive step towards that.”