Youth benefits from work project
Blairgowrie students meet with MSP John Swinney
Young people from across Perth and Kinross have been meeting with Deputy First Minister John Swinney to showcase how they are benefiting from a new workforce initiative.
Mr Swinney met with Andrew McFarlane and Callum Ritchie from Blairgowrie High School to discuss the benefits of the Scottish Government’s £500,000 developing the young workforce initiative, which joins schools and colleges up with employers in the nearby area to give young people work experience opportunities.
Andrew took part in the initiative’s career ready programme, which gave him mentoring, master classes and a paid internship in Aviva’s financial services section.
Andrew, who is now a full-time commercial underwriter at the Perthbased insurance company, said the programme helped him to decide to leave school after fifth year to go
Deputy First Minister John Swinney met with Andrew McFarlane and Callum Ritchie from Blairgowrie High, who are both participating in the Scottish Government’s developing the young workforce initiative straight into work. decision to leave school and go straight
He said: “I knew I wanted to work in to work. I have no regrets, I’m learning business, but I wasn’t sure how I was whilst earning and doing a job I love.” going to get there. Callum Ritchie, who is currently
“The Career Ready programme in his fifth year at Blairgowrie High really opened my eyes and gave me the and in his second year of a foundation experience and confidence to make the apprenticeship at Perth College UHI, said: “College offers a more flexible approach to learning and can be incorporated into my normal school week.
“It also allows me to get exposure to real-life work opportunities with local employers which will really help when applying for jobs when I leave school.
“This is something I would never have got as part of my normal school timetable.”
Mr Swinney, who is championing the government’s aim to reduce youth unemployment in Scotland by 40 per cent by 2021, said: “It was a pleasure to meet with Callum and Andrew and to learn more about the work that they are doing as part of their mentoring and apprenticeship programmes.
“It was wonderful to see that they are gaining practical work skills while continuing their education.
“The Scottish Government is committed to reducing youth unemployment. The development the young workforce’s youth employment strategy is central to that ambition and I am delighted to see it benefitting young people in Perthshire North.”